The Buzz On Better Business
Positioning your business as one that is trustworthy is something that we know is important but what does it take to accomplish this? Join BBB Serving Acadiana President/CEO, Chris Babin each month as we unveil the world of local Accredited Businesses who have it mastered and have positioned themselves as ethical leaders in our Acadiana marketplace. Each episode contains the latest buzz on these better businesses; it is designed to help you engage your customers and stay on top of the changing trends while navigating the difficult landscape of today’s marketplace with honesty and integrity.
The Buzz On Better Business
Crafting Exceptional Outdoor Experiences: The Journey and Insights of Reggie Beaudoin, Owner of Bask Pools + Outdoors
Ever wonder what it takes to run a successful pool business? Join us on the Buzz on Better Business Podcast as we chat with Reggie Beaudoin, the mastermind behind Bask Pools and Outdoors, to uncover his journey from growing up in a family pool business to owning his own since 2001. Reggie gives us an insider’s look at the comprehensive services his company offers, from design to maintenance and renovation, all while navigating the unique challenges posed by the Gulf Coast climate. His insights into the meticulous process of custom pool design reveal how creativity and engineering come together to create stunning outdoor spaces.
Exceptional customer service is at the heart of any thriving business, and Reggie shares how Bask Pools ensures every client has a positive experience. We discuss the importance of consistency and adaptability in meeting customer needs and the critical role of communication in our fast-paced world. Reggie opens up about handling both praise and complaints, and how he empowers his team to maintain a culture of quality service. Learn practical tips from our guest on how to retain customers and foster a dedicated workforce that thrives on exceptional service.
Navigating the regulatory landscape in the pool industry can be daunting, but Reggie breaks down the certification and licensing requirements in Louisiana, shedding light on the enforcement challenges in the residential sector. We also touch on the practical differences between chlorine and saltwater pools, offering maintenance tips for both. Reggie shares the rewards and hurdles of running a business, from managing employees to balancing personal life. His advice for aspiring entrepreneurs emphasizes the importance of passion, dedication, and building strong client relationships. Don’t miss this episode packed with expert advice and inspiring stories from a seasoned pool industry professional!
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To learn more about BASK Pools + Outdoors, visit their website by clicking here.
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To learn more about BBB Serving Acadiana, visit our website:
🔗 https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/better-business-bureau-serving-acadiana
This podcast is an AcadianaCasts production and part of the AcadianaCasts Network. Go to acadianacasts.com for more South Louisiana sourced content.
Everyone comes from a different walk of life and you just have to be able to adapt and kind of roll with the punches and take it on the chin sometimes when you got to and you know, just keep moving forward and true to yourself in doing the right thing and as long as you do that you should come out successful.
Speaker 2:The Buzz on Better Business podcast. Positioning your business as one that is trustworthy is something that we all know is important, but what does it actually take to accomplish this? Join your BBB each month as we unveil the world of local accredited businesses who have it mastered and have positioned themselves as ethical leaders in our Acadiana marketplace. Thank you for joining us for another episode of the Buzz on Better Business Podcast, joined by Reggie Beaudoin, with Bask Pools and Outdoors. He'll tell you a little bit about the saltwater kick in the pool that came around and then it's not so common anymore Kind of where he's from, how he got into the pool industry which can you believe. It's a family tradition basically to work in the pool industry and you know what he's doing these days and what is in the future for Basque Pools. All right, reggie, thank you for joining us. Thanks for having us. Bask Pools and Spas, right? Bask Pools and Outdoors yes, sir. Okay, reggie, let's start out talking a little bit about where you're from. Where did Reggie grow up?
Speaker 1:I grew up here in Lafayette. I was born and raised here in Lafayette, grew up. I grew up here in Lafayette. I was born and raised here in Lafayette. Um grew up um right, right down the road Um, you know so grew up in family businesses, locally owned businesses here, Um so it's now, has pools always been something that you're you've been interested in?
Speaker 1:So yeah, so uh, I grew up family business my aunt had a pool store growing up, so grew up cleaning pools, grew up summer job so, and I just always gravitated to the pool industry.
Speaker 2:Well, I tell you, I know for sure there's a need for you guys, because I've seen some people, uh, not able to necessarily keep their pools in the most pristine condition. Is that? What all do you guys do at bass pools?
Speaker 1:so we do everything from design to maintenance, construction, renovation, uh service and repair work.
Speaker 2:So yeah, we have retail store chemicals and y'all are located here or in Lafayette. Yeah, here in Lafayette, on Beaupre Road, okay, and how many guys you got working with you? Guys and gals, we have seven employees and right now so it's getting into the fall, late summer, like what's y'all's, what's y'all's seasons look like when it's busy slow.
Speaker 1:Seasons would be be, honestly, we clean pools year-round here. We're fortunate. We're fortunate we live on the gulf coast. We live in a climate where, um, our pools require maintenance all year-round. We don't really winterize anything, um. So with that, you know, we clean pools year-round. So, uh, our service and maintenance department slows down, but we're able to build pools year-round also and do renovation.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, so y'all do a mix of like new installs, maintenance service as well. Yep, do y'all have a storefront or is it mostly like on-location work?
Speaker 1:Most of it is on-location. We do have a small storefront and we have a design center storefront and we, uh, we have a design center. So where we, you know, we meet with clients design center pick out all your materials for your new build or your renovation, so that sounds like fun.
Speaker 2:The design aspect of it, right? Somebody comes in and they, they have this vision of what they want their maybe you know backyard or pool to look like. That's correct. You guys have to figure out if that's even realistic, right, right right.
Speaker 1:We help right. We help them. We help them build that. We help them build that dream. We help them put that together and guide them and help them through the whole process.
Speaker 2:Now tell me, tell me a little bit about that, I guess, because I know a pool's, not just a you know hole in the ground filled with water. There's a lot that goes into into one of these right, yeah, there is, there's quite a bit.
Speaker 1:Uh, we start with design. We're a design bill firm, so, um, we, we go through the whole principles of design. Uh, we, we get your needs, your wants. Uh, we, we figure out what we can build in your backyard, um, and then from there we take it and we put it all together for you, we, we, we're there from the beginning, from concept all the way through completion. Um, but what goes into it, the behind the scenes of it?
Speaker 1:is a lot of planning, a lot of uh communication, a lot of you know um, quite honestly, engineering, sure, um as far as the structure, the plumbing, the hydraulics of a swimming pool, how to make it work efficiently and in maintenance wise, you know.
Speaker 2:What that's going to look like. That's correct. Keeping it up, and you know, with that I guess it involves, like you said, a lot of design, a lot of engineering. Now I'm curious just from an outsider's perspective. So I've never, I've never even lived at a house growing up, or as an adult, that has an in-ground pool, so I'm really ignorant when it comes to the subject. My in-laws do have an in-ground pool and it's always looking great, so maybe you guys take care of it for them. I don't know.
Speaker 1:But, they?
Speaker 2:how much so? How many? I guess years of experience you have in the industry now. So you've been doing this since you were young.
Speaker 1:Yep, I started uh well, like I said, worked for family businesses growing up and then opened my own uh my first company in 2001,. Uh, small service company, uh one man show, and then eventually just grew it until uh 2017. I wanted to do something different in the industry and it had the design element to it. So at that particular time in 2017, I teamed up with a landscape architect and we started design, and then I started my journey. I went back to school through Genesis, which is the industry educational platform, and last year I finished and got my certified master builder. So I'm a master builder by trade, which is the highest level of education in the pool industry. There's only 49 of us in the country.
Speaker 2:Well, man, congratulations. Yeah, absolutely so. So I'm sure. So that's a big deal. I mean, 49 in the country is kind of you know, right, that's, that's great, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:So we're the only one in Louisiana and, like I said, we're one of 49 in the country.
Speaker 2:Golly, that would be on like every piece of marketing I have, I think, letting people know, like I'm only one of these, like in the whole state.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm only one. Yeah, we have a good marketing team too.
Speaker 2:I've heard.
Speaker 1:I've heard she's here.
Speaker 2:She may be in studio overseeing, but yeah, so in that time, I guess, in all of those years of experience, how have things changed? Have you seen things change? Maybe it's a better question.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, we've seen things change from anything from your weekly maintenance chemicals a few years back through COVID. We've big changes there. Um, industry went through a whole transformation, uh as far as design, uh, chemicals, different things. At one point, um, I think the year we had hurricane Laura, it actually one of the chlorine plants in Lake Charles got wiped out. So I heard about that it changed. Um, it changed a lot of how we were taking care of the chlorine price went up a lot.
Speaker 2:Yes, okay.
Speaker 1:So chlorine prices went up um during COVID. Okay, as far as the industry goes, nationwide had a surge. Everybody was um, stuck at home and they needed a swimming pool. They needed something to do so we had a very big surge, uh through that and then, uh, now we're kind of getting back to reality a couple of years later and uh getting back to our normal uh rhythm and um. Prices have come down a little bit, but they don't ever get back to what it used to be so right.
Speaker 1:But technology, a, lot, of, a lot of things in the last six years or so. As far as automation goes pool automation, robotic- cleaners everything's wireless Bluetooth Wi-Fi.
Speaker 2:You control the pools, all from a smart device dang. So see, that's not even something I was even thinking about right, I was like how much you know do you use different materials now? I mean, this is like like space pools now, and we do.
Speaker 1:We, you know, 10 years ago, 12 years ago, we built, we built standard pools. We had, you know, um, you built a rectangle, geometric. You built a free farm, um, we, we are in now a phase of their resort style pools. We build lazy rivers, we build custom pools, um, anywhere from you know, a 9 by 14, up to 20 by 50 in all, stone deck with water features and slides, and you know so they're, they're more resort style outdoor living. Uh, so that has changed, like I said, in the last six years or so, to where now it's. It's, it's a whole. You're selling a whole lifestyle of outdoor living. So we build the outdoor kitchen, we design, we build the outdoor kitchen, the outdoor living space so that okay, so that makes sense.
Speaker 2:It's more of almost like you. You could, as a customer, have you guys, you know, design and build a pool, or design and build a full outdoor experience. That is correct and it kind of anywhere along that realm.
Speaker 1:Right and we help. Whether we build it or not, we're we help you. We help you through that process, that design process of how it should work and how it should function.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that makes a lot of sense and that in the name Bask Pools and Outdoors.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:That's that ties that together, that's great, you know the outdoor experience there, which you that's, uh, that ties that together, that's you know um the outdoor experience there, which you're right you know from you, know you the the pandemic changed so much you know there's so many small businesses out there that if you ask them about their story, a lot of it's like well, I got laid off during COVID and I I really like to bake cookies, so now that's what I do and sell them, and I make a living doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it really kind of made people uncomfortable, but at the same time it's changed so many things and in your industry, you know it was great for you guys. You know people are at home. They're like, well, I want an outdoor space that I can really enjoy in the back, right Versus the you know half dead grass that I, you know, had most of the time, and that's it, yeah, so what's what's something unique, I guess, about you guys? We may have already covered it, you know, with the only, you know, one of 49 in the country master builders, but what's something unique about you guys compared to, I don't know, maybe maybe other pool companies or people that would construct pools or outdoor spaces?
Speaker 1:The biggest part is is the customer service aspect of it. The experience that we build, uh, like I said, it starts with design, uh, all the way through completion of projects. So, uh, the customer service experience, the, the service after the sale, those are things that we work really hard on to to separate us from other other companies. We don't just build a pool, you know we, we create that experience. We want, you know it's it's about. For us, it's about customer retention, if you, you know we build your pool, but we want you to also be our customer for as long as you own that property.
Speaker 2:Right, Right. And that's well said because, to be honest with you, an in-ground pool which I know is quite an expense, you know, and creating that, that space, you know customer retention doesn't seem like it would really be a top priority, but it is for you guys.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is yeah that's right. So you know you have a pool. It has to be serviced, it has to be, you know, maintained.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 1:Whether you do it yourself as a homeowner, or we do it for you through our weekly maintenance program. So you know if you're going to do it yourself, we're there. We teach you pool school. We go to pool school 101. Oh, that's cool. We teach you how to maintain your pool, your weekly maintenance routine, which you have to do. And then we also have our storefront so you can come in, bring your water, test it. We have all the chemicals you need and we're there to help you.
Speaker 2:So yeah, it's customer retention for us, kind of a partner in the endeavor there, for the homeowner, sure, sure.
Speaker 1:You're supposed to enjoy a pool, right, not?
Speaker 2:be a nightmare to enjoy a pool, right, not not be a nightmare and not be stressed out. Get in your pool. Yeah, that, that would stress you out, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you want to be able to enjoy your pool, and that's what we're here to do, as the experts in the industry. We're here to help you be able to enjoy that pool and not be a headache for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, that's a great way to put it. You know, and I um, you know, customer service it seems like something that is so common sense, yet it's something that seems hard to find sometimes too. And that's just, that's just everywhere. That's that's here in Acadiana, it's across the country. You know, and I was actually speaking to a business owner the other day who mentioned his first company. He thought would be one where they just made a lot of money and focused on the dollar and everything. And he ended up closing that company a couple of years after they started because the customers just weren't truly at the forefront of what he was doing. And then now he has a different company. You know he's learned lessons and but customer service seems from all the successful businesses that I speak to, we have eleven hundred members, accredited members, which you guys are accredited with us at the BBB, all of those great businesses that I'm able to sit down and speak to. One of the number one pillars for them is customer service. Why is that so important to you guys?
Speaker 1:Well, it's important because, well, that's your business. Your customers are your business. At the end of the day, you have to make sure that you are catering to their needs, and once again it goes back to retention and it goes back to the experience you build Um. But customer and service to a business is is vital. It's it's, it's it's life. If it's, you know it's, it's heartbeat is the customers with no customer.
Speaker 2:What, what, what business do you have? Nothing.
Speaker 1:Right, um, so we work really hard at that, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, and, and that's it's refreshing to hear. Obviously, I know you guys are doing great, which is um, which is a testament to that, for sure, but it's not always the easiest thing to do.
Speaker 1:I mean, you can say all day.
Speaker 2:We have great customer service, but then, well, you got to actually do that, and that's not always. It's sometimes challenging, I guess.
Speaker 1:It's very challenging, it's very, it's very challenging. Day in, day out, it's, you know, never the same. It's always, uh, every, every situation is different. Every day is different. Um, for us, every project is different. Uh, although we do the same, uh, we do the same thing over and over and over. Each one's different, each person's different. Sure, you know, for us, each neighbor is different yeah you know we come across all of it. So, once going back to the customer experience, that's where the customer service, but it's still challenging every day. Well, definitely communication.
Speaker 1:We live in such an instant world now with text messaging, and so expectations of of clients keeping up with that demand is very challenging and that's all part of the customer service experience, right?
Speaker 2:that's a good way to put it, we, we have a unique perspective at bbb as well. You know we of course report on all businesses and we know there's not some not great businesses out there and we know for sure firsthand that there's some not so great consumers out there. And you kind of have to be able to to navigate those conversations, even when they're tough. And you know as a company, when you're doing the right thing though in the end, when you're, you know, following up with the promises that you've made and you're following through with, you know the expectations that you set, you guys are always succeeding in that.
Speaker 1:Well, that's what you hope for, right? You do what's right for your customer. You do what's right. You do what you say. You stand behind your work. Service after the sale is huge for us. You know, like I said, it's not the easiest thing.
Speaker 1:Some people are, you know, different customers different sure, sure everyone comes from a different walk of life and you just have to be able to adapt and kind of roll with the punches and take it on the chin sometimes when you got to and you know, just keep moving forward and and true to yourself and doing the right thing, and as long as you do that you should come out successful.
Speaker 2:Yes, right. Yeah, that's a well said, well said so easier said than done, though. Right Well, and we know that right and and the other caveat of that is you is you try as hard as you want.
Speaker 1:Nobody's perfect anyway, so you're going to make some mistakes, you know Absolutely.
Speaker 2:It's making things right after the fact.
Speaker 1:That's right. I mean things happen. It's how it's handled that really matters at the end of the day.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:So you have to come through on that, and that's where it gets hard.
Speaker 2:That's where it gets hard. Now you know, speaking to you, obviously customer service is important. You know you own and run this company and if they're dealing with you, I have no doubt they're always going to get top-notch customer service. How do you make sure that the rest of your staff is embodying that? How is that something? How do you manage that?
Speaker 1:I guess so we manage it, you know, with our team members and, knock on wood, we have great team members and we, you know our. You know our mission is is customer service I'm sorry, quality customer service and communication. And we instill that in our, in our employees, and we empower them to make, make those right decisions and make sure they know that. You know, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what business we're in, we're in the service industry and we're working for that client and you know we have to take care of our clients. We know if something goes wrong, if something's bad, you take care of it. You take care of the people who take care of you. So you know, we instill that in our employees.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and make sure that they're embodying that same, that same mantra that you live by. That's sometimes that's, you know. Creating a culture within the organization Like this is what we do. This is who we are.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we work, um, you know our marketing team and um, Jenny and they, they really work hard on culture, Right, and it's that's. That's changed over the years. Sure, Growing up in family businesses, it wasn't always that way, it really wasn't. So it's you know. It's a different atmosphere of what your employees are demanding and how you, how you manage that, how you manage people, is a lot different than it is from just 10 years ago.
Speaker 2:Man, that's such a real topic that is not always touched on enough and you can look at that from both perspectives. There's a different pool of employees out there than there was maybe 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, like you mentioned but employees maybe demand different things of a company now. You know that weren't thought of 10, 20 years ago and that's something that as businesses whether you like it or not you kind of have to figure out a way to navigate that and still create and sustain a team that's able to meet the mission of the company.
Speaker 1:Sure, sure, and it's just empowering them in instilling in them that you know, without them, there is no BASC, without our team members. Sure, you know I'm not on every job, I'm not there every day, you know it's. It's for them to carry that mission out and make sure that you know BASC is reputation in our customer service is excellent.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's actually something that we've talked with businesses about over the years too at BBB is, you know, by being an accredited member and supporting BBB, all of the programs and services that you support in the community. So, first and foremost, thank you guys for that, for being an accredited member and supporting us at bbb. But additionally, good people want to work with good organizations, sure, and the more that you position yourself as a, as that kind of company, the more, I guess, the better people you attract, in a way, you know that's something that we feel like is true.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I could definitely see that.
Speaker 2:Now Basque pool. So your name's Reggie Beaudoin, not Reggie Basque. Nope, so share the story. I'm sure you've been asked before where did Basque come from? So?
Speaker 1:you bask in the sun. It's that simple. It's that simple. I didn't even think of that I think we started with maybe a list of 40 names. I think we started with maybe a list of 40 names and we just narrowed it down from every aspect of when we were putting this brand together. And yeah, it's as easy as that.
Speaker 2:You bask in the sun, you do I guess that's a word I've never read before because I was thinking of some naming thing. Yeah, Some acronym. No it's that easy.
Speaker 1:Well, that's fair enough. Yeah, and we do get asked quite often where it is. You know where it comes from.
Speaker 2:Very good, very good. So share a little bit about what regulates you guys. I know you talked about the master builder. You know certification. Is it a certificate licensing?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a certification.
Speaker 2:But there's other things required for you guys to maintain you can't just start a company and go start building pools.
Speaker 1:No, not in Louisiana. You have to. You're supposed to be a licensed contractor with the state, so you have to have the qualifying party. You have to be able to pass the swimming pool state license exam. So those are the requirements In the residential world. Quite honestly, it's very unregulated and not enforced. So we do fight those battles as business owners, not all of of our competitions playing on the same by the same rules, maybe, yeah, um, as far as that goes. So it does get frustrating sometimes when you may lose a job to something or you know someone like that and nothing you can do about it. Yeah, and we hear that a lot.
Speaker 2:Um, in just the contracting industry as a whole, you know it's. There's a lot of things that you know, whether it's home improvement projects or you know roofing repair, you know where it's. It's easy for a guy to grab some tools and go, you know, start soliciting work and he maybe doesn't have the licensing you know for to be able to perform that work, which is a you know regulatory issue. But even more, able to perform that work, which is a you know regulatory issue, but, even more importantly, from a consumer standpoint, it's potentially like a quality and safety issue. It is.
Speaker 1:it's the liability issue also. So um it, just in the weekly maintenance department, you know, uh, very unregulated, anyone can. You have 1500 bucks, you can start a pool cleaning business and but you can also ruin someone's pool in about seven days, uh with chemical balance or even when it's brand new as startup, if you, you know if the chemicals aren't right or you could actually hurt someone too.
Speaker 1:So a lot of on the consumer side, you know, sometimes isn't thought that way. They just think it's cleaning a pool, there's a lot more, it's not just getting the leaves out right, no, no. So, uh, you know, in years to come, when they, you know, ultimately they figure out their pools ruined, then you know it, it shows this ugly head. But you know, and that's just the residential industry, home builders, you know they, they have the same problems. You yeah sure so um in the commercial world it's a lot different so on on.
Speaker 2:I guess a different topic you made me think of it, talking about the chemicals. Um, do you guys do more like chlorine traditional, as I would consider traditional or more like salt water, because I hear that's like a thing now.
Speaker 1:It is, it is a thing, it's, it's, it's trending back to chlorine.
Speaker 2:Okay In the, yeah In the late nineties, early two thousands.
Speaker 1:salt water was a huge craze and it it works. It's, there's a purpose for it. In South Louisiana, unfortunately just, our climate's very harsh on pools. We get 70 inches of rain a year. Our water temperatures stay, you know, in the seventies, from March to almost December some years. So it's you know there's not a pool that doesn't use chlorine. Saltwater pools are chlorine pools. You're just using salt and equip. You know you're producing your own chlorine, um, and the equipment is expensive. So as all this equipment started going out and out of warranty, it quickly trended back to chlorine.
Speaker 2:Once, you know, everyone kind of figured out well, you still got to buy chlorine, even though it was saltwater, so now the water that we have here in South Louisiana does that kind of present its own challenges as far as, like you know, I don't know pH levels and whatever makes the water sustainable long term, or that you guys pretty much have. That, I mean, that's, that's a, that's an easy thing, that's when you know what you're doing. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, you know our water, for instance in in Lafayette. You know, know calcium we we have low calcium in our water so we have to adjust those chemicals when we fill up a pool. Uh, all of all of that's done.
Speaker 2:When we're filling up a pool, we're adjusting the chemicals to get them in range, uh, and properly start up the pool so how do y'all fill up a pool, like when you build a brand new one, with no telling how many hundreds of thousands of gallons?
Speaker 1:well, they're not. They're not that big anymore, so they're. They're a lot smaller, they're down to 12 000. I was just throwing a number out there yeah, no, no, uh, but we, basically we fill it off of your hose, hose tap so, really.
Speaker 2:So how long does that take?
Speaker 1:depends on your water pressure. Yeah, it depends every everyone's. Some will fill up overnight, some will take two and a half days so the fire trucks don't come do that for not anymore.
Speaker 2:Okay, so that used to happen, that used to be a thing. Yeah, when I was a kid.
Speaker 1:When I was a kid, I could remember we had all the tools to do it and you know, uh, our, you know my dad or my uncle one of them was one of their buddies worked for the fire department and they come do it now. Now they don't do that okay yeah, they don't let you do it anymore, so it's uh, it's a little different so the hose that'll take a while yeah, so we fill it up off the hose, um, and it just depends, you know, the size of the pool, different, different things.
Speaker 2:So what would you say to somebody that's, that's interested? Right, they've got the outdoor space. They're maybe not sure what they want to do with it, but they're. They want some help. They want to sit down and have a conversation. They don't want to really commit to a big project, they just want to know, hey, what do you guys think that's something they should contact you for? Right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the first step. You know, uh, the first step is an initial onsite consultation. We go out, we meet, uh, look at your space. We go out, we meet, look at your space, look at your yard, look at your access, see if it's feasible, If we can fit a pool in your backyard. Meet, look at your needs and wants, how you're going to use it. You have kids, grandkids, you know the functionality of it and work through all of that and that's really the first step.
Speaker 2:Just get in touch with you guys and seeing if their vision makes sense. Sure Cause, sometimes it doesn't.
Speaker 1:No, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes you have different things that don't allow you um, whether it's a setback or drainage, servitude, you know.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, obviously other things that play into that.
Speaker 1:Other things that play into that. Smaller neighborhoods neighborhoods, you know they have different restrictions, and so that's why we're here to help you know and determine what can be done in your backyard.
Speaker 2:And I say that because my wife and I like to do home projects, whether it's on the home or just at the home, and there's typically a disconnect between you know what she believes the project can happen, yeah, yeah, and actually making it happen. So I can just from a small scale, I can say they're probably. You know, there's always a comment let's meet in the middle and figure out what we can really accomplish that's right.
Speaker 1:That's right, and we're usually in the middle of that conversation. There you go.
Speaker 2:Well, that's good somebody with the the expertise to know about what's able to be accomplished. So what's the future look like for Bass Pools? What are you guys planning on doing as you get in the next year and what's exciting coming up for you guys?
Speaker 1:Right now we're working. We've been working on a new retail store in a design center, a larger one, so that's to come in the near future. We have a good, you know, we have a good pipeline of work in front of us.
Speaker 1:There's some good projects coming up throughout the end of the year on into next year. So you know we have a lot to look forward to. We have a strong service department. You know Lafayette. If you ever fly out of Lafayette, just look down and you'll see how many pools we have in Lafayette. So there's definitely a demand which is exciting for us, you know. So that's really our goal just to keep moving along and do what we're good at.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you enjoy doing it. Yeah, yeah, I do so you just, you know you're scheduled day to day running a business. I mean, just a couple hours a day you have to deal with it, huh. Yeah 26 hours a day. That's right, there you go. No sleep for this guy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, seven Mondays in a row, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So let's just talk a little bit about that before we wrap up. You know, running a business is, uh, it's, it's an it's an honorable thing. It's something you, you love to do and it's something you know that not everybody can do, but it's. It's not always as glorious as the commercial on TV, right?
Speaker 1:No, unfortunately it's not. It's not for the faint of heart. It's um you have to love what you do, um you know, and you have to be passionate what you do you know to, to be able to run a business every day and do it day in and day out and uh be able to put out fires and you know, keep seven employees happy and you know um whole list of customers happy.
Speaker 1:Um you know, and it, it and it's truly. I wasn't joking about a 26-hour day, because top that off with a family and kids.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 1:You juggle a lot in a day, so you have to. It's not easy. It's rewarding in its own way. Sure, it's frustrating but rewarding all at the same time Kind of hard to describe it, but you know it does allow you the freedom to be your own person and make your own rules and it's you know, at the end of the day if it's going to be successful it's on you. Your fate is not at anyone else's mercy, but your own.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so yeah, absolutely Well said. So you know, uh, challenging but rewarding, almost just sounds like parenthood. In a way, it is yeah no, yeah, absolutely so.
Speaker 1:we uh, you know uh, employees are. You know you treat them like family and you care about everyone. You treat your customers like family. We build a very strong rapport with our customers through the process. Like I said, it's not a short process. Construction can take anywhere from, you know, three months to six months, sometimes depending on the scope of the work. So you get to know their families, you get to know their kids and their pets and you know you're in their backyard space. You're, you're true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're on there, right, that's right. You're on their back patio, you're you. I mean, it's uh, it's you. You learn, you learn everything about them. You know, uh, what they do for a living, and you build that rapport and that's you know, that's what's rewarding, and you get to meet different people every day and you know, learn, you know you never quit learning, you never stop learning. So, and that's what we do, I mean, at BASC, all of our employees go through training. We're very big on continuing ed. You know, although I am a master builder, I think every team member that we have has to be, you know, the expert in the industry, not not only me, just I want all of our team members, and that will help BASC be successful.
Speaker 2:Sure, yeah, and that is a unique place for a business to be Cause you're right, that's not. I mean, it makes sense, you're building pools in people's backyards, but when you are interacting with them, I mean even if they're at work during the day, I mean you're still possibly there before they go to work and maybe there after they show up after work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we are.
Speaker 2:Depending on the weather right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, depending on the weather, depending on what, what, what, what challenge we have that day? Yeah, we can depending on what challenge we have that day. We can be there for breakfast. We might be there for dinner too. Now we live in a world of cameras, so a lot of people are at work, watching us work. Hey, that's very true too yeah. So it's quite common that we'll get a text message with a question because they're watching a camera.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know that's not creepy at all, you know, but but it is. We live in a world of cameras, so, um, you know, it's the. The customer interaction is very more involved right. Um, with internet and cameras and all of you know uh Facebook groups you know, yeah, yeah, and all of you know Facebook groups, you know.
Speaker 1:Oh man, yeah, yeah it, you know it brings, it has the customer's attention to where they're asking more questions, they're more involved, you know, which is a good thing, you know, sure, but, and that's why we're, we're here to answer those questions.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, yeah, that's definitely a very that's a unique position to be in as a business, being able to speak or be, I guess, so close with your customers, because the amount of time you spend with them and then you're basically at their residence, you know, yeah, so that that's unique. That's not something I had thought of. Um, so for anybody out there who maybe has an idea about a business or something they really are passionate about maybe they work for somebody and they think, you know, I think I want to try to do this on my own what would be the biggest piece of advice that you've learned through running your own business that you would say you know to them as a word of advice or even maybe a word of encouragement?
Speaker 1:a word of advice, or even maybe a word of encouragement. Yeah, I would say it's. It's always very smart to put yourself in a group of mentors. Uh, I've been fortunate. Um, my dad is, you know, has had a business for 50 years uh other friends of mine and I've worked for other people.
Speaker 1:Um continuing education. Don't ever stop learning. Business is challenging. You'll come across your own challenges, whether you're baking cookies or building pools, yeah, you know. So you got to do what you love. You got to be passionate about it and don't quit. That's you know. Keep going.
Speaker 2:You make a mistake, keep going.
Speaker 1:That's right. You're going to make mistakes.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Right, that's going to happen, that's right. You're going to make mistakes. Yeah Right, that's going to happen, it's inevitable.
Speaker 2:So you just can't quit. If it's something you truly want to do and you're truly passionate about it, you'll you'll find a way to do it. Yeah Well, reggie, it's been great getting to know you. You know, at at the Better Business Bureau, our accredited members obviously are the ones that are actually out exhibiting what we try to. You know, preach day in and day out to the, to the consumers and to the community about what it means to be a good business. So you know, thank you for being a good business, one that can can be looked at as a mentor. You know, as a business, that this business is doing the right things, the right ways, and you know they're one that that you could emulate and and want to be like. So that starts with you. That starts, um, you know, with your family, leading the way for for Bass Pools. So it's been great getting to know you. Thank you so much for spending some time with me joining the podcast and sharing a little bit about your background and your business.
Speaker 1:Yeah, awesome, thanks for having us.
Speaker 2:I really hope you enjoyed the show. Thank you so much for joining us to help support the show. Please like, share, follow us on whatever podcast application or even on YouTube, wherever you caught this episode at. If you want to find out more about the Better Business Bureau, you can contact us 337-981-3497. You can find us on social media, bbb Acadiana and, as always, you can go to BBBorg for any information you're looking for. See you next time. Thank you so much for joining us.
