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Questions & Answers

        
                 
       

Q & A With "The Pool Store by...

        
       

Blue Diamond Pools & Spas" Owner Rory Stringer

        
       

 

        
       

Q: How did growing up in the pool and spa industry effect your prospective?

A: My Grandfather, Dad and Uncle Don always expected more from me. I was always expected to be the first one on the job and the last one to leave. I was expected to work harder, be more creative and most importantly be more productive. I heard my Grandpa say a thousand times "Your last name is Stringer. If that doesn't matter to you how do you expect it to matter to your clients?" I was taught to be the best I can possibly be, to take pride in every job I do, large or small. Every time I finish a project I look at it and think "What would Grandpa think?", and the project isn't complete until I know he would be proud!

Q: What is your idea of a great pool and spa Company?

A: Blue Diamond Pools and Spas...Of course!

Q: LOL...Okay, I asked for that one. Let's try this. What makes your company, Blue Diamond Pools and Spas, a great company?

A: I started this company on a shoe string. All I had was a head full of ideas and a heart full of "want to". Sure, I've had more than my share of ups and downs over the past ten years, but I've always remembered what Grandpa taught me and maintained that pride in my work and in myself. I will always offer the highest quality products backed by the best warranty with fantastic customer service. If the name "Stringer" doesn't matter to me how is it going to matter to my clients, remember?

        
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
       

Q: Tell us about "The Pool Store" team.

A: I currently employee 14 of the greatest employees on the planet. From pool cleaners to construction, my team is experienced, loyal and professional. I take tremendous pride in the team at The Pool Store by Blue Diamond Pools & Spas. Every one of them is unique in their own way!

Q: Rory, I know from speaking to you before we started this interview that family is very important to you. Can you tell us a little about your wife and children, and what family means to you?

A: Well, to start I'll tell you that my wife and kids are my pride and joy. My wife, Brandy, was my high school sweetheart. She is my one and only. My son Bobby is 7 years old. He will already tell you that he's a fourth generation pool man. Poor kid has chlorine in his DNA! Bobby can already tell you more than the average grown man knows when it comes to swimming pools and hot tubs. And then there is my princess, Zoey. She will be three her next birthday and she already has daddy by the heart strings. She is my angel and my princess all wrapped into one. You have to be the daddy of a little girl to really understand what it's like, but believe me when I tell you there is nothing like it on this Earth!

        
                     
               
        Back: Brandy & Rory Stringer Rory Takes Bobby On His First Hunt... Rory Coaching Son Bobby's        
        Front: Bobby & Zoey Stringer And Bobby Gets His First Buck! Soccer Team!        
                 
       

Q: Tell us what you do all winter when you're not building beautiful pools.

A: Besides the obvious, rest, I get to spend that quality time with my wife and kids. I enjoy hunting and fishing with my son and I coach his soccer and baseball team. If you've never coached youth sports you can't understand the fact that it's almost a full time job, but I promise you it is, but it's worth it one hundred times over.

Q: Tell us about your passion, what drives you?

A: I have done this for all my life and have seen many people come and go from the industry. I feel that I am doing what the Good Lord made me to do. I can see it, I mean, when I walk into a backyard, I can see the pool and spa, I see the landscaping and the lighting. I see the kids swimming and dad cooking on an open grill. My favorite thing in the world is coming back a few weeks after completing a project and low and behold, there the kids are, in the pool, dads cooking burgers on the grill and mom is tanning on the deck, just as I envisioned long before the first scoop of dirt was removed. I love what I do, I love the joy and togetherness I bring to so many wonderful families.

Q: If you could give advise to all prospective pool buyers, what would it be?

A:  After many years in the industry, I have come up with this list of do's and don'ts for prospective pool buyers:

       
                 
       

1. DO...Get what you want. Don’t settle for what you think you can live with. Pools are not cars that you trade in every few years. Even if it means saving your nickels a little longer, a pool is permanent and deserves careful consideration.

        
        2. DO…Check out your builder. Anyone can find a few good customers to say nice things about them. Don't fall for it, ask the tough questions. What’s the biggest mistake you have ever made on a project? Then ask to talk to that customer. Deer in the headlights? RUN. It doesn’t  matter who you are dealing with or how long they have been around, we all make mistakes, but life and business are not about making mistakes, they are about overcoming and correcting them.        
        3. DO… Make sure your builder has a storefront with actual employees and inventory. DON’T get caught up with a fly by night, working out of the truck company. DO business with someone who is permanent and stable.        
        4. DO…Ask for insurance on the builder and any sub contractor who will be involved. Texas has no rules saying you have to be license or insured to build pools, so watch out.        
        5. DO YOUR HOMEWORK… Ask your friends about their pools. Ask what they don’t like, what would they do different. Be diligent and use tools such as Google, the BBB, Rip Off Report, etc.        
        6. DON’T… ever buy a pool on the first visit, in your home or a pool store. There are lots of great sales people in our industry and they are very good at building an emotional wave that leads to an impulsive reaction. I want everyone to have and own a pool, but I feel that you should take your time and make an educated decision, not an emotional decision.        
        7.  DON’T plan the party until the pool is done. Lots of things can hold up a project, weather, break downs, shipping, etc. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment; there will be many summer afternoons to come.        
        8. DON’T expect an instant paradise. Simply put, a pool is a construction project. If it is dry, there will be dust, and if it rains there will be mud. Let the builder finish the pool before starting any landscaping, outdoor lighting, etc.        
                 
                                                     
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