Dan Davis: wrote the book on training: he needed to get all the service techs at Gallagher Pools & Spas on the same page—so he put it in writing

Pool & Spa News, April 10, 2006 by Bob Dumas

Dan Davis' introduction to the pool and spa industry is a familiar one. He began doing summer work at the age of 15 and took a job at Gallagher Pools & Spas in Westminster, Md.

He worked his way through the ranks by taking on a variety of jobs. Today, two decades later, Davis has settled into the position of service manager. He is also in charge of the company's human resources department and its training.

PERSONAL BESTS:

When Davis was put in charge of company training, he soon realized he was going to have a problem. Veteran technicians were set in their ways, and it seemed as if each had his own way of doing things.

"We knew we had to get everyone on the same page; we didn't want them doing their own thing," Davis says. "There are certain things [company owner John] Gallagher wanted done, and everybody had to do it. I knew it would be difficult, even for me. I wasn't necessarily doing any of those things either."

Davis began to spell out procedures and protocols for all service department employees, so everyone would begin approaching jobs the same way. It was rough at first, but eventually the entire crew came on board. The net result was a positive change in the company's bottom line.

"Our goal was to work less and make more," Davis says. "I think when we started, we had about 600 hours of overtime. Now, it's down to about 200. We didn't want [pool service[ to be completely what our lives were about."

Less overtime means more profit, too. It has helped Davis keep employees on payroll year 'round instead of laying them off during the winter months.

LESSONS LEARNED:

In the beginning, it was trial by fire for Davis as he tried to get a handle on his new career. He says he picked up what he could from his crew leader, but with no formal training programs in place, he was forced to engage in a self-education crash course. He began reading trade magazines and attending seminars whenever he could.

Davis also turned to his boss for counsel on how certain situations should be handled. Surprisingly, it was the manufacturers' technical help lines that provided the biggest assistance. "Tech lines have many people you can call for different things," he says. "I learned a lot from them, and my [knowledge] accelerated."

BEST BUSINESS DECISION MADE IN 2005:

By creating a water watch service, Davis can keep employees on during the slow times. How it works: Techs visit clients and pump water and leaves off their covers, among other tasks.

BEST BUSINESS DECISION EVER MADE:

There were too many procedural gray areas, so Davis decided to write a book of guidelines.

In the end, it became part procedural manual and part employee handbook. In fact, eventually it helped turn the service department around.

The book instructs service techs on what to do from the moment they show up at the customer's home. For starters, they need to go to the front door and let the customer know that they've arrived. This is then followed by a step-by-step poolside procedure.

"Now everyone knows their role, and there are no gray areas," Davis says.