Since releasing the Orenda App in early 2017, customers have been asking for a way to save their chemistry history, pool information, and last week's chemistry. We listened.
Orenda partnership with Pool Service Software (PSS)
Orenda is an education and chemical company–not a software company. Due to customer demand, we have been searching for a way to save customer information week after week for a better user experience, but it's easier said than done. During that search, a company called Pool Service Software (PSS) approached us with an idea.
Like other pool service apps that offer routing, billing, and customer management, Pool Service Software is catered to the pool service and repair business. They already have the systems in place to store your information and remember a pool's chemistry history. The Orenda app does not store your data (and we don't want to, and wouldn't know what to do with it even if we did).
So when Gus Velez (co-founder of PSS) called us, he came to us with a clear vision of what he was trying to do, and it aligned perfectly with what we wanted.
"Our mission is to provide software that helps any size pool company have superb insight and control over their business, so they can save time, money, and track their work. This allows them to make better (and quicker) decisions, and give superior service to their customers too.
We wanted to add further value to our clients, so we sought to partner with a thought leader in the pool industry. A brand that represents a trusted name and a wealth of knowledge and experience, and Orenda really stood out in our search. We heard of them from interviews with a select group of PSS clients, and it became clear Orenda and PSS share common values and goals." - Gus Velez, PSS
Unlike other partnership opportunities, PSS wanted something completely unique with us. They invited us to be their customer support experts. This is a perfect fit for Orenda because we already have the infrastructure and bandwidth to manage it–we have been providing customer support every day, for years. And it's a perfect fit for PSS because they're software experts, and we're pool experts. They handle the software, we handle the pool problems.
The PSS/Orenda Help Desk
There are two types of pool professionals:
- Those with at least one problem pool
- Those with at least one problem pool, but won't admit it
Let's face it, pool care is a hard job. Not only do you need to be an electrician and plumber, you also need to know water chemistry and chemical safety. Oh, and you need to put in the work to clean pools each week, regardless of the weather and traffic delays. And THEN you need to know how to operate a business, file taxes, payroll, invoicing, and payments.
It's stressful just typing that.
PSS gives us a chance to help you and your team directly in the field. Got a problem pool? Everyone does. What is the root problem? How long has it been a problem? What have you done to try and fix it? Did it work? Have you thought about how much it is costing you (time, effort, extra trips, extra chemicals, and actual dollars)? How badly do you want to fix it and prevent the problem from coming back? Are you committed to making a change (new habits, better practices, different procedures)?
Related: How to implement the Orenda Program
Ask us. People call us about pool problems all the time. Chances are, we have seen what you're facing before, and we can help you fix it and prevent it from coming back. But we don't know if you don't ask us. PSS streamlines this process by sharing the fundamental details about the pool in question: its chemistry history, size, chlorine type, filter type, city/state, and photos. This saves us a lot of time in guiding you to a solution.
"Our integration with Orenda marks a key turning point in our business, and for the pool industry. Now, with the touch of a button on your phone (or a click on your computer), a user can submit a problem pool to Orenda for help. The user fills out a quick form describing the problem and asks questions, and submits it.
Orenda receives a summary page with the problem pool's chemistry history, photos and the user's questions. Orenda then contacts the PSS user directly.
This dramatically reduces the back-and-forth, because Orenda has the information they need to answer our client's questions in a timely and accurate way. PSS customers now have immediate access to the best chemistry advice the pool industry has to offer, at no extra charge.
This is only the beginning. I am eager to continue working to build more offerings like this to the pool industry." - Gus Velez, PSS
On our end, a PSS user's help request feeds directly into our system. This means we can answer you faster and not drop the ball.
About Pool Service Software
Pool Service Software is a mobile app for both iOS and Android, coupled with a web dashboard for management. It aims to help any pool company (large or small) digitize and log its operations. It includes integrations with QuickBooks, LaMotte, Stripe, and now Orenda. The features go on and on, so check them out for yourself, and see if they're a good fit.
If you want to go beyond your pool business and gain control over your costs, optimize routes and become more efficient in every way, PSS might be a great fit for you.