Interview guide
Interview questions for pool and pest control techs.
The text screen covers their driver’s license, driving record and trade certification. This interview is for a job done alone at someone else’s home: how they explain a treatment, handle a dog in the yard and keep a route on time with no one checking.
“Walk me through a routine stop, from parking the truck to driving away.”
- Why ask
- Techs work alone, so their routine is the only thing between you and a skipped step or an open gate.
- Listen for
- Check in with the customer, look before they treat, do the service, check the equipment, leave a note and latch the gate behind them.
“How do you keep chemicals safe in the truck and at the stop?”
- Why ask
- The wrong chemicals stored together, or a lid left loose, can mean a spill, a fire or toxic fumes.
- Listen for
- Containers upright, closed and secured, acid kept apart from chlorine and never mixed. Pool techs should know to add chemical to water, never water to chemical.
“A homeowner asks what you just sprayed and whether it’s safe for their dog. What do you tell them?”
- Why ask
- Explaining a treatment clearly and honestly is part of the service, and guessing is how customers stop trusting you.
- Listen for
- What they applied and why, what the label says about keeping people and pets away (or out of the pool) and for how long, and an offer to put it in writing. “It’s totally harmless” is the wrong answer.
“You open the gate and there’s a dog in the yard nobody told you about. What do you do?”
- Why ask
- A tech who walks in anyway risks a bite, a dog out the gate or both.
- Listen for
- Close the gate, don’t go in, call or text the customer or the office, and note it on the account for next time.
“When would you hold off on a treatment?”
- Why ask
- Treating in the wrong conditions wastes product and can harm people, pets or plants.
- Listen for
- Wind or rain for outdoor spraying, people or pets in the area, swimmers in the pool, or anything the label doesn’t allow. They tell the office and reschedule rather than treat anyway.
“You spot a problem that isn’t part of your service, like a leaking pump or wood damage by the foundation. What do you do?”
- Why ask
- Techs see more of the property than anyone at the office, and a good catch becomes a repair job or a saved customer.
- Listen for
- Take a photo, tell the customer plainly without guessing past what they know, and pass it to the office to follow up.
“What goes in the note you leave the customer?”
- Why ask
- Many customers never see their tech, so the note is the service they remember.
- Listen for
- What they did, what they found (algae, pest activity, an equipment problem) and anything the customer should do next, in plain words.
“You’re 6 stops into a 14-stop route and running an hour behind. What do you do?”
- Why ask
- Customers plan around their service window, and a late tech who goes quiet costs you more than one who calls.
- Listen for
- Tell the office early so customers can be told, and keep the service the same. Rushing the last stops or skipping one is the answer to watch for.
Then, a paid trial.
Have them ride along with a senior tech for a full route day. Let them test water or help inspect, but keep chemicals and anything that needs a license in the senior tech’s hands, and watch how they greet customers, handle gates and dogs, and what they ask between stops. Pay your regular hourly rate for the whole day.
Your next great hire is already texting.
Early access is open for every trade.