The Call Is Part of the Diagnostic Process
New technicians treat the intake call as a scheduling task. Experienced leak detectors treat it as the first phase of the H.U.N.T.E.R. Method. Before you load a single tool into your vehicle, you should already have a picture of the pool's water loss behavior, its history of work, its equipment, and its configuration.
The questions below are not a script. They are a framework -- built from real field experience -- that guides the conversation without rushing it. You listen carefully. You do not fill the silence. What the customer says, and how they say it, tells you where to look first when you arrive.
Pre-arrival information shapes the investigation -- it does not determine the conclusion. The answers you collect on the phone are evidence, not a diagnosis. Arrive with an open mind. The H.U.N.T.E.R. Method keeps the field work objective even when the intake call points in a clear direction.
The Full Pre-Arrival Question Framework
Understanding the Complaint
- Why do you think the pool is leaking?
- How long has this been going on?
- Have you had a leak detection done before? If so, what did they find, when was it, and what company did you use?
- Do you have any documents or reports from the previous visit you can send us?
Quantifying the Loss
- How often are you filling the pool? How much water are you adding and how frequently?
- What is the lowest you have ever seen the water level go?
- When the pool drops to that level, does it stop there and hold -- or does it keep going?
- Looking at the tile line, how long does it take for the water to drop from the top of the tiles to the bottom of the tiles?
- Do you notice the pool losing more water when the pump is running or when the pump is off?
What the Customer Has Already Noticed
- If you have a raised spa, when you wake up in the morning is the spa always low?
- Do you see any water or wet spots near the equipment pad?
- Have you noticed anything unusual -- staining, soft ground near the pool, unexplained wet areas in the yard?
What Has Changed at the Pool
- Has any work been done to the pool recently? New lights, skimmer work, plumbing, resurfacing, tile, or anything else?
- Has any work been done around the pool -- landscaping, fencing, irrigation, concrete work, additions to the house?
- Has any new equipment been installed -- pump, filter, heater, automation, water features?
Understanding What You Are Walking Into
- Is it a pool only, a pool and spa combination, or a vanishing edge?
- Are there waterfalls, fountains, water features, or any other water elements?
- Can you send us a photo of the pool and a photo of the equipment pad?
Logistics and Business Information
- How did you hear about us?
- Will you be home during the visit?
- Do you prefer mornings or afternoons?
Where Pre-Arrival Questions Live in H.U.N.T.E.R.
Every pre-arrival question belongs to the first step. The answers you collect before you arrive are what make the rest of the method faster, more accurate, and more honest.
The pre-arrival call IS the hearing phase. You collect the customer's water loss history, their observations, their work history, and their concerns -- before you ever touch a tool.
Pool configuration, features, equipment, and recent changes -- gathered on the call -- give you the system map before you walk the property. You arrive already understanding what you are working with.
Pump-on vs pump-off behavior, spa overnight loss, water near the equipment, post-work timing -- these intake answers pre-narrow the investigation without locking you into a conclusion.
What you learned on the call shapes which tests to prioritize on arrival. It does not replace testing. A hunch from the call still requires evidence on site.
The intake call is not evidence -- it is context. Evidence is what you observe and document on site. Pre-arrival information cannot appear in the report as a finding.
Previous leak detection reports sent before arrival give you prior recommendations to compare against current findings -- which strengthens both your recommendation and the customer's confidence.
The phone call is where the job starts. Not the driveway. Not the equipment pad. The phone call. By the time I hang up, I already know whether this is likely a plumbing job or a shell job, whether there is a spa involved that may be bleeding back, whether someone just had new lights installed, and whether the customer has already been through a leak detection that found nothing.
The pump-on vs pump-off question is one of the most valuable things you can ask. Most homeowners have noticed one or the other -- they just don't know what it means. You do. When they tell you it loses more with the pump running, that already shifts my attention toward the pressure side of the plumbing. When they say it loses the same either way, I'm thinking shell, fittings, or structural.
I always ask for a photo of the pool and a photo of the equipment pad before we arrive. That does two things: it helps us confirm we understand what we are pricing and scheduling, and it confirms we are at the right pool when we pull up. You would be surprised how many pools look completely different from what a customer described on the phone.
And I always ask how they heard about us. That tells me about their expectations, and it tells me which referral sources and marketing systems are actually working.
What the Call Looks Like Without This Framework
Intake Call Without Structure
- Customer says "the pool is leaking" -- technician schedules without asking more
- No water loss rate established
- No pump-on vs pump-off information collected
- No work history gathered
- No pool configuration confirmed
- Technician arrives with no diagnostic head start
- Wrong tools, wrong time estimate, wrong pricing
- No photos -- arrives unsure of what to expect
Intake Call With H.U.N.T.E.R. Framework
- Water loss rate and behavior established before arrival
- Pump-on vs pump-off observation collected -- plumbing vs structural signal identified
- Recent work history gathered -- possible correlation identified
- Pool configuration confirmed -- right technician, right tools, right time estimate
- Photos received -- equipment pad and pool confirmed
- Previous report reviewed if available
- Referral source recorded
- Technician arrives with context, not assumptions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does it matter whether the pool loses more water with the pump on or off?
This is one of the most diagnostically useful questions in pool leak detection. Loss that is greater when the pump is running suggests the pressure plumbing system -- return lines, fittings, equipment connections -- may be involved. Loss that is consistent regardless of pump status points toward the shell, structural fittings, or gravity-driven areas. This single data point helps narrow the investigation before a technician sets foot on the property.
Why do you ask for photos of the pool and equipment pad before arriving?
Photos serve two purposes. First, they help the company confirm what it is actually being asked to evaluate -- a vanishing edge pool with a raised spa is a different scope than a basic gunite pool, and the photo makes that clear before scheduling and pricing. Second, photos of the equipment pad and pool help the technician confirm they are at the correct property when they arrive, especially in communities with similar pool designs.
Does a raised spa that is always low in the morning indicate a leak?
It is a significant observation worth investigating. A spa that consistently loses water overnight while the main pool holds its level suggests a possible check valve failure allowing water to bleed back, a spillover issue, or a spa-side fitting or plumbing problem. It does not confirm a leak until field testing produces evidence -- but it focuses the investigation early.
Should the intake call change how the technician approaches the job?
It should inform the approach -- not determine the conclusion. Pre-arrival information gives the technician context and a logical starting point. It should never cause a technician to skip compartments of the inspection because they already think they know where the leak is. The H.U.N.T.E.R. Method keeps the process systematic regardless of what the intake call revealed.
Learn the Full Pre-Arrival and Field System
The intake call is just the beginning. The Residential Pool Leak Manual and LBA workshop series teach the complete H.U.N.T.E.R. workflow from first phone call through final report.
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