BUYERS BEWARE... I purchased a pool and installation and have had one problem after another. The installer always answers his phone but always has a excuse why he can not get out to fix the problem. The owner never answers his phone or email or anything else unless you leave a bad review. If you you do leave a bad review he takes no accountability and blames the buyer. I should have read the reviews before using this company. Please do not make the same mistake I did. The only reason I gave 1 star is because after 3 months of dealing with issues, the installer finally just sent me the parts so I could fix the issues myself. read more

I would like to try to set the record straight about MGK pools. I'll admit, in the beginning I was a little nervous to drop $11k on a company I didn't know, but I called up Buster Crabbe pools and they told me Mike is one of the best and most reputable contractors they deal with. They were right. Mike has been with me every step of the way. As a first time pool owner, I had a ton of stupid questions, which he patiently answered. He ALWAYS responds when I contact him, often by calling me back if it's a complicated issue. One time I forgot about the time difference and called him at 7pm on a Friday night, and he picked up and helped me out. What company does that these days? If you are one of his customers, i.e. if you actually BUY something from Mike, he will support you 100%. I would not hesitate to do business with Mike again! read more

We recently received our pool parts (delivered personally and with care by Mike and team) and are just awaiting installation. Mike has been communicative throughout the entire process and helped get us everything we needed to apply and get approved for permits quickly. We appreciate his transparency and are enjoying working with him! read more

I recently reached out to Mike and MGK Pools to have a pool installed. At first he was genuinely helpful and professional. However, after getting a quote, I had a few questions to clarify costs (because the items listed under the pool kit cost all had $0.00 next to them). There was approximately a $4000 difference in price. When I asked him to itemize the costs so it was clear and transparent, he got frustrated and within seconds, decided to drop our job....over a few clarifying questions. Honestly, now that I had this experience, I am glad that I am not working with Mike or his company. If he got frustrated over this, what would it have been like working through a pool construction project? He has lost my trust, respect, and business. It is extremely disappointing to see when an owner get frustrated that easily and treat potential customers who were going to spend tens of thousands of dollars in this fashion. It was and immature and unprofessional overreaction and I am glad that he will not be installing our pool. read more

Just quickly glance through the reviews and you'll recognize an obvious trend. This is a business that has little to no respect for its prospective customers and is operating above its capacity. I called MGK (Vicky) three times about an above ground pool installation over a 7-day period. On the second call (Wednesday, 4/25/18) I was specific about the 2 pool packages I was considering given the dimensions I wanted, and I said I was okay with an early June installation given the stated queue. During the third calI I made on Friday of that week, I was told I would be contacted by someone from MGK within the next few days to have someone schedule an inspecton of the premises for a quote that would occur the following week. I called a 4th time on Wednesday, 5/2 because I hadn't yet heard back. A different woman answered and I asked if/when the appointment would be scheduled. She then laughed when I brought up the early June installation timeframe I was given and told me the wait for an installation would be 2.5 months+ for new customers (i.e. mid July). She said the reason for the wait was due to existing customers' pool openings. Message to Ownership: If you can't do the work, please let your customers know ahead of time. It's rude and distasteful to lead them on. Using basic math skills, the anticipated demand from your existing customers could have been forecasted within a reasonable range. read more

We had our above ground pool liner replaced by MGK in early 2013. I recall the owner (Mike) telling me that he only uses one brand of liner because it's the best. It's now been over 5 years and I have to say he was right. We had previously used Namco and online liners with poor results (leaks, fading/color loss). We've had no problems with the liner from MGK and there has been no noticeable fading. We highly recommend MGK. read more

We loved our existing pool and were devastated that the pool was not repairable after trees landed on it. So the hunt started Dec 2019 to find a replacement pool. We know we wanted a slat wall pool with walk deck so that limited the field. We looked at the 18x33 Oval replacement, (Oasis/Intrepid) and several other pools and had gotten some quotes, many companies were closed or not responding as it is out of season. Dec 2019: Mike & MGK Pools replied to our email right away, sending over a quote for 16x32 Admirals Walk Pool with double end deck by Buster Crabbe / Aquasport. We explained to Mike that we could not lock it in yet, as we were still dealing with Insurance Company and such. Mike explained to us once we do deposit it will add us to the growing schedule. Fair enough. Reading MGK's blogs like https://poolservicema.com/product-reviews/best-above-ground-pool-reviews/ helped make our choice. Looked at many of MGK pool videos at https://poolservicema.com/ or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuwEDq5zdSh4xQ8sUNFOgvw, especially the "Best Above Ground Pool Reviews - What Really Matters" This video compares all the current types of pools and will help you decide which way you want to go. You will find that Mike is a "Pool Guy" with many years of experience, he is not putting on glossy sales videos it is reality and truth. Mike tells it the way it is, down to earth and easy to understand. As we knew the direction (slat wall with walk deck), what I really liked in the video "Best Above Ground Pool Reviews _ What Really Matters" was the pool wall construction comparison especially between the other slat wall pool and Aquasport 52 Slat Wall (round pool) (same wall construction as the Rectangular Admirals Walk Pool). You could see the difference how much heavier the Admirals Walk walls are. Watched the Variable speed pump video and many of MGK's other videos including the bonding video as things have changed since 2002 when we installed our Oval Pool. This really helped us and guided our decision. Early February 2020 we turned our estimate into an invoice. Mike kept us updated and now all we could do was wait, we are on the build list. Our new pool is starting to take shape! Mike explained that he had not been able to do pool installs in April for the last few years due to weather conditions. Again reality, very straight forward. One of the sentences Mike sent to us in email "I'm going to do a great job for you and you will love the pool." was something we believed, this was not a sales pitch. Weather is not good, we hear from Mike a couple of times, we are handling the paperwork and such. Early April 2020 Mike calls to tell us he is delivering the new pool and inspect our site. Everyone is social distancing due to Covid19, many businesses are closed, we discuss the project, all is good to go. Mike sees the challenge of the existing wood deck that will run the length of the pool, he is confident he will be able to get it done. The new pool looks incredible, the 1st thing we notice is the 32-foot side decks, all one piece wrapped in blue carpet, we are excited. They look so sturdy. Shortly after, Mike and staff come out to remove/dismantle our damaged pool, weather is not cooperating to build a new pool, but the old pool is gone, another step in the right direction. We discussed where we stood in line again, there were some other customers in front of us, the weather was starting to cooperate, MGK is starting to build pools. May 23, 2020 we received a call from Vickie, Mike & Crew are coming next week to build the pool!!! We are excited!!! Pool is already here, paperwork is in place, weather is warming up, forecast looks great! Mike and crew spent 4 days building, leveling, adjusting and filling the pool! The crew was personable, respectful, and hard working. Mike was there by their side as they were building our pool guiding the 6-man crew. The weather was hot (90*), we supplied a cooler full of water and soft drinks that the crew was very appreciative of and kept thanking us for. WE are Up and running 5/30/2020!!! The new Admiral's Walk 16x32 with end deck looked amazing! The walk decks are so sturdy and stable, the pool looks and feels incredible! We are extremely happy making the decision to go with Mike Kern & MGK Pools to install the Admirals Walk 16x32 with walk deck. We have received many compliments on the pool and decks already. It has been a very great experience working with MGK Pools. MGK Pools is a small business, Mike is the primary person, he does it all. Please keep that in mind when you contact him. As Mike said "I'm going to do a great job for you and you will love the pool." He certainly did fulfill this promise. We highly recommend Mike and MGK Pools for your pool! Karen and Richard F. read more

MGK Pool - View from End Deck of Admirals Walk 16x32 Pool - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me - Winchendon, Massachusetts

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If I could I would give no stars. His big brag is pool sides that don't rust mine lasted 4 years and is totally rusted out at the bottom. His pool filter come from Alibaba.com which now have discontinued the filter for the system I have . On top of that he sent me the wrong liner but after 3 installers measured the one he sent. Sarcastically claimed we didn't know what we were doing. What a Jersey joke. read more

June 4, 2019: Sadly, I received an email from Mike this morning (he was supposed to come open my pool today) stating that he's disbanding his pool company. Not sure who I'll use in his place, he and those who helped him always did a great job. read more

Informative website that shows expertise and so I enthusiastically placed an order. Unfortunately this is a business that is either overwhelmed by requests/their customer base and/or is not interested in investing in customer service. I feel bad for Vickie because she genuinely seems like a nice person - and I am not sure how much of this is her own doing. You can offer the best products and services in the world - but if existing or prospective customers can't reach you it is all for nothing. I don't care how big or small your business is, you need to do right by them. I certainly tried my best calling, leaving messages, e-mailing, texting, reaching out on Facebook - to no avail (never got the owner's personal cell phone nr. either per the website). If that is the case before I get the product - what is going to happen afterwards if there are any issues? Not worth the risk and aggravation. If the only answer you have is instructing your Facebook hire to offer a refund instead of fixing the real issue - not being reachable - it speaks volumes. I am also not quite sure why I got another Facebook message informing me that "my pool" resold immediately. At least the refund process was painless but now I am left without a pool and disappointed children instead. This is a time when people overlook fundamental issues because they really want a pool and supplies are very limited - meaning that sellers could care less I guess. But eventually your reputation - or lack thereof - will catch up with you. I am not rewarding bad behavior - and neither should anyone else. read more

I contacted Mike in late May to get my pool liner replaced. Mike was very responsive and stopped by to do the estimate that weekend. He also delivered the proposal as promised and sat down with me patiently to go over the proposal details. We were shooting for getting the liner installed before the Fourth. That said, Mike did forewarn about the weather as the pool bottom needs to be completely dried before the liner can be installed. We finally got our liner installation completed in early August. The work was done beautifully! Mike and his partner Dave are super knowledgeable and experienced. I also was able to get a great deal on a used pool cover and closing. Our pool has never looked so good since we moved in our house over almost 13 years ago! Thank you again, Mike, Dave and the MGK crew! Keep up the great work as there really aren't many good pool people around where I live. read more

Wish I could give a negative number. As many of the reviews will say, they do not have any customer service skills whatsoever. Buyer Beware. They do not return calls, emails etc. They overpromise and underdeliver. purchased a pool and did not get it 9 months later. Owner is nasty and lies. read more

They are unreliable. I have had an issue since the day I opened my pool with them and they don't return calls. I send emails and they respond saying I forget the issue you are having. They have terrible customer service. I sent an email asking when they will come out to fix the issue with my pool and their response to me was a simple "no". How unprofessional is that!!! I would never recommend them to anyone. Just awful!! read more

Horrible customer service. Ordered multiple liners that showed in stock at the time of order. Had to call and email numerous times to check on shipping- they had already charged my credit card when the product had never shipped! Was told by Vickie that the liners would be shipping and she would provide tracking. That never happened either. Finally had to dispute my credit card- the whole interaction with this company was horrible and if I could give negative stars that is what they would get. Stay away!!!!!! read more

Used their website to submit a quote request and heard nothing. Called two days ago and discussed getting pricing for a cover. Took all of my information. Advised that it should only take a day to get pricing information. Called today and they suggested I didn't speak with them as they don't recall a discussion about getting pool cover prices. Nice enough on the phone, but clearly cannot be trusted to manage customer requests so I don't feel comfortable ordering any purchase let alone a $1K+ one from them. In quickly reading the other customer reviews, it appears to be a theme that their customer service is terrible and unfortunately I have to agree. read more

We have had the best service. Order a pool, ext. Our pool liner was damaged by horn nose Beatles and order a new liner... so surprised in just a couple of days it was here. If I could give you a 10+ you would get it. Thank you, can't thank you enough..Florida still has hot weather and pool time is major in my family. Thank you for Excellent service. read more

I contacted MGK Pool Service and they came out a few times. The last time they came out, I had a houseful of people and asked if they could skip this week and come back the following week. I paid them in advance for the month and it covered this service as well. They never came back and would not return my phone calls. Not only was this frustrating for me after many phone calls and emails, but this was/is VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. I would not recommend MGK Pool. read more

It's Saturday July 11 and had I gone to a big company like Namco a few months back I'd be enjoying the nice weather and having a good time with my kids IN A POOL. Maybe I would be in a lesser quality pool, but it would be installed and in use at this moment. Instead, I opted to give the small company business and go with a better quality pool. We realized things are busy due to Covid, so we stuck with MGK when their correspondence said there was a 4-6 week delay. Shame on me, this was my second chance to have a Namco pool by July... Since we requested MGK install the pool I sent 3 emails to them to ask when it would arrive so we could plan around an install. I needed a fence upgraded and a pad built up for the pool. I have spent $4000 and this work is now complete. All emails I sent to MGK were unanswered. My wife called on Wednesday, July 1 to see if there were any updates on when the pool would arrive. Vicki informed us that Mike (the owner) was going to NJ to pick up pools and to get face time with the manufacturer on Thursday and gets back at 9PM. They would call us back Friday and give us an update. They never called us back. My wife called back Tuesday, July 7 and got no answer. On Wednesday morning, July 8 she tried again and left a voicemail requesting some dates so we could plan travel around the install. We did not hear back. We were expecting a bad answer because of the pandemic, like 6 more weeks. We were OK with that answer, it is what it is and it would be an answer we could plan around. It's not MGK's fault if a pool is late from the manufacturer. In mid-afternoon, I called from my office line on a whim after my wife said she had not heard back from MGK. Vicki answered, I asked about the delivery date of my pool, I got some unclear response, nothing remotely like a delivery estimate. That's all I asked. Vicki was on speaker, so my wife asked a few questions, referenced the previous correspondence about the trip to NJ, and that's when things turned sour with Vicki. She started talking over my wife, my wife asked her to let her finish her sentence before interrupting her and to please stop being rude. Vicki hung up on her. We were standing there, completely dumbfounded by how unprofessional a conversation just transpired after after we called the pool company about our pool. After less than a minute of disbelief, Vicki called my wife's cell phone, and sweet as pie said she got disconnected. She then stated my wife that was disappointed in MGK and that my wife was being rude and was going to cancel the pool order that we placed 7 weeks ago. My wife stated we were not asking for the pool to be canceled, and that we'd been good customers by sticking it out with them and said we just want a date. Vicki was on speaker, my wife, kids and I all were asking not to cancel our pool. She was having a complete meltdown at us, played victim and accused us of harassment and that we were disappointed with MGK. Even though we asked multiple times to not cancel our pool, she continued her tirade and would not give us a chance to speak. In the midst of Vicki's tantrum, she informed us that she was recording our conversation. We informed her we did not consent to that and that recording was illegal. That elevated the tantrum to rage. She continued to slander us. We asked again and again that she not to cancel our pool since they are all out of stock. Ultimately she told us to have a nice life and hung up the phone. Having read some of the recent reviews on MGK, it seems my experience is the new normal. If Vicki would have listened to us, she would have realized that we were trying to work with them and coordinate delivery and installation. I feel bad that Vicki is answering the phones and working the front lines at MGK. Clearly she is ill-equipped to handle her job. And if you expect her to do her job, like answer questions about the pool you paid for, there will be NO POOL FOR YOU! read more

Reached out to the company to get a quote on cleaning our inground pool. The woman on the phone, asked "what do you mean by cleaning" Proceeded to explain the pool had leaves, etc. She hung up on me. Tried to call back, once hung up on again. Wish I could give zero stars for poor customer service. Very rude. read more

Very excited to work with MGK Pools! Very responsive and informative when we were looking at pools. Waiting for the weather to cooperate. Looking forward to our pool being installed! read more

I started speaking with Mike last week about an Admiral Walk pool and had a few follow up questions for him today. My latest communication today was an email asking for a quote. The response to my email was "Respectfully thank you for the business but I am no longer available for work. " What a huge waste of my time!!! Don't use this pool company - he strung me along and then ditched me because he was busy. I told him I was not in a hurry and he could get back to me whenever was convenient for him. But apparently small business owners can just do that to prospects/customers without consequence!!! Do not use this company!!! Like my own time is not valuable at all.... read more

Our original liner lasted 15 years so last year we needed a replacement. MGK replaced timely and the install went well. However, unfortunately, we discovered our new liner is defective as the pool is leaking. In APRIL,we reached out to MGK for service. We were advised they were too busy with new customers and could not come out until June 2nd. Of course we were disappointed but we patiently waited for our turn. After waiting all that time they were a NO SHOW on Saturday. Our calls, emails and instant messages have gone unanswered. We are still hopeful this can be worked out ASAP. Marilyn McCabe read more

I have been trying so hard to get a pool installed in my yard leaving numerous emails and messages. I finally got an email reply basically dismissing me. Very ignorant and told me i should go to namco. Which i did you should have a business if you cant handle it. I have never been treated so bad read more

Rudest personnel I've encountered in a long time. Called to ask questions about general maintenance and to make an appointment for service, and the owner told me "if you keep talking I'm going to hang up on you"! As a first time pool owner, I'm looking for a business that I can rely on to help me. But if hanging up on me for asking questions is their idea of good customer service then I would rather spend my money elsewhere. read more

Would recommend looking for another pool company to deal with. Used them for service and had a pool built a few years back. Had an outstanding balance that I was unaware of and when trying to get that settled was greeted with hostility, name calling, and threats. Reported to BBB and received more threats as a result. Recently reached out for the information on who they had build my pool because the walls caved in and was told they didn't build it. Tried explaining the situation and was not given the info and his reply was "i hope I never hear from you again". I am sure there will be a response blaming me for the problem like all other negative reviews. Originally the service was adequate but the situation spiraled out of control over a simple misunderstanding. read more

Came out to help with non-starting pump; found no electricity and arranged to have electrician come out. I had pre-approved purchase of a new pump if needed - he could easily have taken advantage of me but didn't. On the phone and in person, very helpful, customer-orientated, and professional. I've been missing a local pool maintenance company ever since ASAP moved way up to Nashua - this is what I've been looking for. read more

I'm not clear why these other two reviewers had so many problems. I've used MGK for the last four years for maintenance, repair and replacement. While the turn around time is generally a bit longer then what I'm used to (2 weeks on a pool liner replacement) Mike has always been professional and upfront with costs and knowledge transfer. The replacement pump and filter (I moved from cartidridge to DE) is working flawlessly and he got it up and running in 20 minutes... all the while explaining how to service it and backwash the DE if I ever needed to do it myself. Great company. read more

Not quite sure what the negative reviews are about...I had a pool installed last year by them he went out of his way to save me money...Like to keep my current filter and ladder...He showed up when he said and finished in 2 days, And my yard is challenging to say the least(He had to hand dig the area)...Removed my old pool as well with ease...Very professional and a stand up guy that's for sure. read more

MGK Pool - above ground above ground swimming pool - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me - Winchendon, Massachusetts

I have their pool. They sent out the wrong cord. 30 days later pool hose broke. Owner said my kids did it. My youngest is 32. She was very rude. If you have to call them ask for Molly she was very nice. They will not replace my hose even though i purchased a pool.will not recommended them. read more

Mike is a really nice guy. He is honest and up front. He made the process very easy for me. Called me or sent me a text when needed. He was fast and efficient. Very polite. He is the best pool company I have used! I will recommend him and his son Jack to all my friends. He went out of his way to work with my schedule. I have used other pool companies in the past but Mike and his son are the nicest. read more

Posted review on Facebook. Same trend as Yelp. Poor service is the norm. Poor communication. Well written website but very poor underlying business practices . Don't put yourself through the anguish of getting all of your pool and supplies delivered and the 30 calls it will take to get resolution of your order. This company is completely overloaded with their internet business and do not respond to emails, voicemails or phone calls in any manner that would be acceptable for a business. Most of these internet sales will be one time sales. You won't want to deal with them again. Please see Facebook for more reviews. read more

One to avoid. Very disorganized company that likes to waste your time! Tried to set 2 dates to open my pool and they failed to show when agreed both times and they rarely answer the phone. read more

Please update your website ASAP, as well as work on your customer service. I emailed and received no response. When I followed up with a call (from Groveland, MA - a town listed directly on your website as one you service) your response was that we are too far out of your area and when I tried to ask a follow up question I was hung up on. I don't care if you don't service our area - if you don't, that's fine, but then please update your website AND DO NOT HANG UP ON POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS. read more

Honestly, I can't comment on the quality of their work, but I can say that just getting information from them has been a pain. Mike spends a lot of time on his YouTube videos talking about how he always there to help with installation questions, etc. yet he's never available to answer questions when you call. Vicky seems to try extra hard NOT to be helpful. In my experience, a company that lacks telephone etiquette BEFORE the sale is very unlikely to be much better after they have your money. There are several other companies that sell the AquaSport line of pool at the same price or lower who have been much more responsive to my questions. Note to Mike: You might want to educate Vicky on the proper way to interact with customers on the phone. You may also want to write down some key reasons why a person should buy from you vs. any other seller in the market. She had no clue when I asked her. I can only say that if it was MY company, I would darn sure be able to tell you why I'm the best. read more

No show for a scheduled pool opening, did not return my calls. Very unprofessional, do not waste your time!

We had our first pool installed this year by MGK and had a very good experience with Mike and his crew. The installation was done with a lot of attention to detail and looks beautiful. Mike spent lots of time explaining the pool maintenance required since we have no experience and was helpful in every way. They really took the time to make sure everything was done right. I would recommend MGK for their professionalism and knowledge. read more

Reached out to MGK for pool assessment for my sloped back yard, I wanted a in ground pool placed. Mike came out and seemed very knowledgeable about pools in general, and was very helpful upon answering questions for me and my husband. We loved the idea that he would be the one actually installing the pool too! However, never heard from him after he left. Actually we got email estimate 2 days later as promised. I decided to go with him. I then made multiple attempts emailing his secretary, and had a few conversations by phone with her, she was less than helpful, and I felt more of a bother than a customer. I was promised that Mike would get back to me soon three times. He never did. Here we are over a month later and still nothing. I would have moved on if he did not want or need my business, maybe it was not worth his work? At the very least he could have just told me that and allowed me to move on to other options...I understand it has been a long winter, and super busy now, but lack of follow up is poor customer service and unacceptable. read more

Terrible communication. I called to have someone come out to replace a pump. Gave Vickie all the pertinent info on what was needed. Was told they could do the job on Sun. btwn 2:30/3:30. Came home early from weekend away. Turns out the tech came out on Sun. morning to look at the job. I call to tell them it was my understanding they were going to come out and replace the pump when the came on Sun afternoon. (not morning). MGK says they can do Mon. around 9:30am. Despite their price being $100 higher than another quote I had received after making the appt with MGK, decided to have them do the job. Mon.at 10:30am I called to see when I can expect someone (9:30 appt). Told by owner not for at least another 2-3 hours. After much discussion, it was agreed we could not work together. Very rude. No apologies. Made me feel like it was my fault for not being home in the morning when they showed up (instead of in the afternoon as was agreed). Maybe great if you have all day to wait around for them. Would not recommend just on the basis of their lack of professionalism. read more

Such a disappointment. We wasted a week of our time trying to work with these guys, now all of the other pool companies are booked until the end of June. They scheduled a visit to open our pool a week out, which was great. Then called to say they were coming the next day, even better! Then it was rainy so they rescheduled for the following day, understandable. Then the following day they didn't come because they were sick (Huh. All of them?) Ok, I guess that happens. Then they rescheduled for Wednesday, which we couldn't be here all day for so we asked that they call to give us a heads up to arrange a time to meet them, and they agreed. But they didn't do that. Instead they called and left messages when nobody was home stating that they were in our yard working on the pool and couldn't get the pump working so they were going to leave since nobody was home to turn on the breaker. We called them back repeatedly all week with no answer. Finally after a call went straight to voicemail, we called from a different number which was immediately answered (maybe a coincidence, but seems like our calls were deliberately getting ignored.) After explaining things to Vikki, she was not understanding, nor helpful, decided not to work with us, and hung up on us. I only write reviews when I'm either blown away by amazing customer service, or baffled at the lack of it. Honestly, I'm speechless. I can't speak for the quality of the work they do, because they never gave us the chance. I can only vouch for their poor communication and terrible customer service. read more

MGK Pool Service was able to help me out this fall when my pool closing got delayed. The majority of leaves had fallen and needed to be cleaned out of the pool before closing. As I called around, no company was willing to handle the cleaning job. Most were not even answering the phone as it was late in the season. MGK was able to handle both jobs and got everything done in one call for a reasonable price. Mike and his staff are personable and knowledgeable. I will not hesitate to call MGK again and recommend them highly. read more