Name: Melissa Crow
Opening Date: 3/1/2012
Territory: Mobile, AL. (Mobile and Baldwin County)
Phone Number: 251-605-8705
Email: mobile@asppoolco.com
Melissa Crow is a Mobile, Alabama native who went into the dental hygiene field directly after high school. Beginning her dental career as a dental assistant, Melissa soon decided to continue her studies and became a dental hygienist. After seeing the success of her brother, Wayne Gable who owns ASP of Charleston, Melissa became curious about the business opportunity in Mobile. Now, she is the new owner-operator of ASP - America's Swimming Pool Company, servicing Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama.
How did you learn about the brand?
I learned about ASP from my brother, Wayne Gabel, who is an ASP franchisee in Charleston, South Carolina. He took over the business there after it had been in service for five years and was very successful. I had always wanted to be a business owner and ASP seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. Wayne is also currently one of my business partners along with my husband.
What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system? The most appealing aspect of joining a franchise system with ASP is the support and camaraderie between franchisees. ASP is a tightknit community and everyone genuinely has everyone else’s best interest in mind.
What makes your business different? One of the main differences between us and the competition is the professionalism of ASP. If people are going to have strangers in their backyards, they should have the right to feel safe and comfortable.
What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now? I’ve gone from servicing teeth to servicing pools and one of the greatest challenges was learning a new trade. There are a lot of things I had to learn about swimming pool maintenance so that I would be able to have a successful business. I put in the time and effort so that I can work towards perfecting my craft to better serve the community.
Do you see any parallels between your previous work and now? The main similarity between ASP and my former career in dental hygiene is dealing with people and customer satisfaction. It’s important to treat people with respect, be punctual, upfront and courteous.
What are your expansion or development plans? Right now I’m currently focused on building our two territories and we have plans to add a retail store in the next few years.
Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions? I love to get outside and be active! I mostly play tennis quite a bit but I also golf and do some cycling.