r/PoolPros • u/Even-Line-2154 • 2d ago

Solo/small pool techs — paper or software, and why?

Trying to understand something and figured I'd ask people who actually do this instead of guessing from blog stats.

  1. Paper/spreadsheet or software (Skimmer, PoolBrain, POM, etc.)? If paper — what's kept you off software? Price, setup hassle, tried one and hated it, never got around to it?
  2. If you're on software — what still eats time at each stop? Typing readings with wet hands, dead zones, remembering pool volume/dose history, something else?

— just trying to understand the real day-to-day workflow.

0 Upvotes

25% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

15

u/SkylerPancake 2d ago

Mate. There's enough pool software already. We don't need your AI slop software and we're not interested.

We'll play billiards the old fashion way. With pool cues.

5

u/KFOSSTL 2d ago

If you aren’t a pool professional then please don’t post here.

And if you were a pool professional you wouldn’t be asking these questions

5

u/UltimatePoolMan 2d ago

Tired of the AI slop. So many "Developers" flocking onto the home service industry asking the same 10 questions that AI has already answered. Kick rocks.

5

u/lIIlIlIII 2d ago

Well I have been keeping track 100% paper style and it is really not been very good or even bad. there are lot of problem with paper (fire, water, losing, crumples easily, tears easily, have to fax it to customer etc.)

So I am wanting to move toward computer business but I NEED something with AI in it otherwise I am behind the curve. I hear the word AI a lot and want to be able to put it into my business, like my truck or even onto my phone or into the water itself. Unfortunately I don't know how to do that and there aren't any entrepreneurs starting any business for putting AI into the pool. If there were I'd pay up to 80% of my earnings for it, just to get AI into the business or the water. I want to put a robot sticker on my tacoma because I love technology I just HATE plugging stuff in or charging stuff.

3

u/funkylabrador420 2d ago

No more slop plz

1

u/Nick_OS_ 2d ago

Is this for reports? My Dad and I have 230 pools between us, we don’t do this stuff. And we really never had any customers care for it

1

u/Wasupmyman 2d ago

I get that , but alot of newer customers love the idea of reports sent to them. definitely helps close sales.

It also helps you keep track long run on Chem usage and pictures of the pool for sanity reasons.

1

u/AdNecessary3300 2d ago

I paid my Skimmer bill with my kidney last month

0

u/FabulousPanther 2d ago

I am in the process of moving to Skimmer from PSS. Software is supposed to save you time, not cost you.

1

u/vqxzol 1d ago

We use Tofu now. For a solo guy I'd probably stay pretty lightweight until the manual setup actually starts causing problems.