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Lee’s back on home turf (and grand-dad duty) and Shane’s in the chair from New Zealand for a lively episode that starts with a wild Guy Fawkes blackout story and lands on a pressing industry issue: two major distributors have exited the NZ market, leaving pros scrambling for parts, warranties, and sensible logistics.
In this episode
- Cold open: A powder-monkey grandad, one huge bang, and parts of Melbourne go dark 😳
- NZ shake-up: Two big distributors stop supplying nationwide—what that means for warranties, spare parts, and service timelines.
- Reality check on freight: When a book of stickers costs $20 to ship, what will a pump or salt cell run?
- What to tell customers: Bulk email blast or handle it case-by-case? Lee explains why targeted, honest comms win.
- Owning the problem: Why suppliers should proactively notify recalls/faults (shout-out to Fluidra for doing it right).
- When brands fold: Lessons from the Poolrite era—who actually carries the warranty, and how pros protected clients (and their own reputations).
- Smart playbook:
- Vet suppliers for staying power, not just long warranties.
- Consider buying groups to consolidate freight.
- Explore becoming a local warranty station to turn pain into pipeline.
Key takeaways
- Don’t panic-email your whole book—inform affected clients individually with options and realistic timelines.
- Push suppliers to own known issues and send parts proactively; it saves everyone’s face.
- Strength in numbers: coordinate orders and freight with nearby companies.
- A long warranty is meaningless if the brand won’t be around to honor it.
Got a topic, tip, or rant?
Email: talkingpools@gmail.com
— Rudy will route it to the right crew.
Happy Monday, and stay safe out there!
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