Meet the Pool Cover Specialist: Caleb Oenema

Pool cover specialist Caleb has learned over his four years at Pool Patrol that he’s just not meant to be working in front of a computer—he’d rather be spending his days outside and helping keep families safe with automatic pool covers.

When Caleb joined the Pool Patrol team four years ago, he had never worked on auto cover. Not one to shy away from a challenge, the pool cover specialist honed his skills and learned more about himself than he expected in the process. 

Born and raised in Kelowna (aside from a brief stint living in Holland, where his parents are from), Caleb is one of the superstars of our Okanagan division. Get to know him a little bit better in this Q&A. 

How did you get your start with Pool Patrol?

I got the job through [Manager of the Okanagan Division] Eric. We had actually worked together in the past and multiple jobs. Pretty much wherever Eric went, I would end up. I was working in automotive parts and, out of the blue looking for a new job. It was perfect timing because the other pool cover specialist was injured and they needed an extra set of hands. That was four years ago. 

Coming from an automotive background, what was the learning curve to service pool covers?

I didn't know pool covers were a market until I had talked to Eric about it! It was tricky at first. You have to get used to all the different parts, and it’s so different from an office job, but Eric is a great teacher. I picked it up pretty quickly and learned the best by doing. By the end of the season, in my first year, I was by myself working away. 

Was there anything that surprised you when you were starting out?

I kind of surprised myself. I learned I had whole new skills I didn’t know I had. It brought out a new side of my work ethic. I also found the customer service part of this job to be pretty awesome.

What is it about the clients that stand out to you?

No one ever seems to be in a bad mood, which is huge. You go to people's houses to do a repair, and nine times out of 10; they're always just happy to see us. In other jobs I've had, people can be a bit harsh towards us in service. In this job the sun's out, and people are happy just to be swimming.

What is most rewarding about the job?

A lot of customers thank us and breathe a sigh of relief knowing their kids can actually run around the yard again, and they don't have to worry about them falling in the pool and not being able to get out, thanks to the auto pool cover. It's a big weight off their shoulders just to know that everyone's safe now. I leave a lot of jobs quite happy and proud of the work that we put in. 

It’s been four years now; what do you love about Pool Patrol?

I like all the hands-on work that we do. An office job just wasn't for me. I realized I'm more of an outdoorsy, hands-on worker. I like getting a little dirty here and there, building stuff, and fixing things rather than typing on a computer. Building all the pool auto covers from top to bottom. 

Travelling is a big perk of this job. We get to go to some quite incredible places. Some of the houses we see are insane. 

What do you think it is about Pool Patrol that sets them apart from other companies? 

The people. Allan is an incredible boss. He’s so easy to get along with; he trusts me and lets me do what I need to do. It’s the same with Eric as well. He knows that he can tell me to do something and then trust me to get it done properly. There’s no micromanagement. 

It's not a big corporate job; it's still a small company. I feel like we talk a lot and let each other know how we're feeling, and if something is going wrong, we speak honestly and try to resolve issues—but honestly, there are hardly ever any issues. So it's pretty awesome. 

Is there anything that you think people should know about pool covers but they probably don't?

It sometimes comes up that the pool covers are pretty pricey, but it's worth the price because it's going to save lives. You want to pay top dollar. I use the analogy that you're buying the Lamborghini of pool covers—it's not going to be cheap, but you're getting top-quality equipment and safety features. Then, once this is installed, the only maintenance is fabric replacement. It's a smooth machine that runs and lasts for years. So yes, it's expensive, but it's 100% worth the money. 

Safety is the number one thing, but then customers also realise that it keeps a lot of dust and debris out of the pool, which saves cleaning time. Then, it also saves on heating because once the auto cover is closed, the pool retains heat.

What can we find you doing when you’re not tinkering with pool covers?

I have a very active dog, so I go on a lot of hikes. I also have lots of beach days in the summer, and then in the winter, when we're super slow, I spend most of my time skiing at Big White. 

Pool Patrol has been installing automatic pool covers in British Columbia since 1995. If you’re curious about installing a pool cover on your pool, contact Pool Patrol today.