Golf shop attitudes

[fisher]

I needed a set of grips yesterday so instead of going on-line or Dicks or Golfsmith I decided to stop at a local golf shop and see if I could get them there. I inquired about the grips and I got the vibe that the shop keeper was miffed that I would be changing my own grips rather than having them do them for me. I asked for a price on the grips I wanted and they were about $2 more per grip that what everyplace else sells them for. I asked if they could do a little better as I would be buying 13 grips. The guy said in a snooty tone, and I quote, "We're in the grip replacing business here not the grip selling business".

I had noticed that the staff in this shop is not particularly helpful or friendly but this guy's attitude just blew me away. He was an owner by the way.

I walked out of the store and will never go back. That dumbass just cost his little company thousands of dollars in future revenue.

What really pisses me off is that I have spent hundreds of dollars in this store in the past and have referred others there as well.

The other two local golf shops in my area also seem to hate their jobs and have miserable attitudes and just plain aren't friendly to customers. I just don't get it. You are working retail.....if you hate dealing with the public you are in the wrong line of work.

Sad to say it but the staff at Golfsmith and Golf Galaxy is much friendlier and from now on I will be going there even though its a little out of the way.

There is an old saying in business "A happy customer tells a friend, but an unhappy customer tells 10 friends" That saying was never more true than it is today.

 

[JEFF4i]

Shoulda told him if he used his powers for good instead of being a smart*** maybe he wouldn't be being beaten by Golfsmith and GG.

Then slept with his wife and drank his beer.

 

[gwlee7]

Shoulda told him if he used his powers for good instead of being a smart*** maybe he wouldn't be being beaten by Golfsmith and GG.

Then slept with his wife and drank his beer.

^^while in his favorite chair.

 

[limpalong]

Sometimes, we make assumptions as to how small businesses operate. I had a similar situation about a year ago. Slipped into a little metro area shop... it was handy to where I was... to grab some grips. Noticed his grips were higher than I could purchase them at Golf Galaxy, about a mile away. Visited w/the shop owner and got his explanation. He buys HIS grips from that same Golf Galaxy, marks them up and charges to install them. He makes a dab on the grips and a dab on the installation.

This shop owner did not feel he had the cash to invest in buying large quantities of grips at wholesale. He said no matter what grips he stocked, a customer always wanted something different. So, he "allowed" Golf Galaxy/GolfWorks to inventory them and he picked them up on an as-needed basis. I had to decide whether to pay him $25 more for the set of grips of to drive the mile to Golf Galaxy. If I remember correctly, I should have paid him the added fee. I believe I drove to Golf Galaxy and dropped an additional C-note on unnecessary clubs!!!!

Many shops, small operations and national chains, are suffering right now. This is a difficult industry. We have gone from a retail climate where folks would almost knock down your door to buy clubs, ball, grips, etc. We saw chains hire youngsters who knew little about the technical aspects of the game. Yet, if they could wear Dockers and a white polo and look like a golfer... they were experts in the industry. Many shop owners will have difficulty making the transition to more customer oriented service. Those who do... those who can have the patience with demanding customers to retain even the most difficult as "contributors to the till" will the the ones who survive.

 

[JEFF4i]

As far as "chains hiring youngsters," the golf store I worked at briefly hired youngsters and we were a great group who knew how to fit people, and look good in a polo, so

Yeah, its a tough time, but people don't need to be dicks.

 

[fisher]

If the guy had respectfully told me he could not go any lower on the price because he doesn't buy them well enough I would have been fine with it. I might have even payed his price just for the convenience of not having to drive 10 minutes further away to get them for the lower price. Instead he acted like a dick and lost a customer and made an enemy.

Grips are a commodity item. You can find them just about anywhere for the same prices so if you are gonna be $2 higher you would be better off to not sell them at all. Otherwise you risk looking like a gouger.

 

[SiberianDVM]

This is a really tough time to be in small business, any business for that matter, but small businesses are in binds that most people cannot comprehend if they haven't tried to make their living, yes living, running one.

I owned my own animal hospital for 20 years. I worked there 6 days a week, every week, with no sick time off and no vacations. Some months I did not make a profit, and therefore I brought home no money. My employees always got paid, as did the bills, and taxes, taxes, taxes.

Most likely this guy is in the same boat and is really hurting, both financially and inside with worry. Cut him some slack.

 

[mddubya]

This is a really tough time to be in small business, any business for that matter, but small businesses are in binds that most people cannot comprehend if they haven't tried to make their living, yes living, running one.

I owned my own animal hospital for 20 years. I worked there 6 days a week, every week, with no sick time off and no vacations. Some months I did not make a profit, and therefore I brought home no money. My employees always got paid, as did the bills, and taxes, taxes, taxes.

Most likely this guy is in the same boat and is really hurting, both financially and inside with worry. Cut him some slack.

Agreed Doc, The are 4 golf shops nearby me now. Edwinn Watts, the new Dick's, a Nevada Bob's, and the smallest one, Steven's Golf. Usually if I'm looking to make a purchase of a club or accessories, I'll check Steven's Golf 1st. If he is within $20 of what I can get it online I'll buy it from him. I'm sure he is struggling right now, especially since Dick's just opened up. EW and NB can both go under as far as I'm concerned though. Lousy service and attitudes like the OP complained about.

 

[JEFF4i]

That's the issue though isn't it, hard times or not, no need to be a dick.

 

[N.V.M.]

i must be a true golf ho because i am god when i go to the golf shops. :emot-ange

 

[Bakemono36]

Theres a local golf shop around here like that. The owner acts like he is God's gift to golf and that everyone else is a hack and an idiot.
I shop there from time to time, but I cant stand the owner.

 

[LyleG]

I would have told you the same thing. I sell grips installed. You want to buy just the grips themselves, get them elsewhere and enjoy eating the shipping costs yourself.

 

[JEFF4i]

I would have told you the same thing. I sell grips installed. You want to buy just the grips themselves, get them elsewhere and enjoy eating the shipping costs yourself.

I was hoping you'd chime in,

Okay, so a couple of questions Lyle...

A) How significant is it, the shipping cost? From my time spent, we sold grips installed or not for the same price, if we sold more than 10 of a premium grip (nothing on sale) we'd try and cut people a deal, even if it was only a couple of dollars. In addition to this, we were competitive with the rest of the golf stores in the area.

B) How much do you charge for the "assembly" of putting the grip on? I'm just curious because I only know the market locally.

Anyway, the bottom line is, he didn't have to be rude.

 

[mddubya]

I don't mind paying their profit margin, I know they have to make a living. But when you are charging me 4 dollars more a grip than I can get them online, and then want to charge me to install them, unless I'm about to play in 30 minutes I'll order them online.

 

[fisher]

I would have told you the same thing. I sell grips installed. You want to buy just the grips themselves, get them elsewhere and enjoy eating the shipping costs yourself.

There was no shipping involved. Just a 10 mile drive up the road to Dicks Sporting Goods. The Dicks stores around here have grips from Golf Pride, Winn and one other low end company. They also have a basic selection of shafts.

We also have a Golfsmith and a Golf Galaxy Store in the area.

This is a really tough time to be in small business, any business for that matter, but small businesses are in binds that most people cannot comprehend if they haven't tried to make their living, yes living, running one.

I am in that situation. If I don't make sales, I don't get a paycheck. Simple as that. If you make your living that way and times are tough you had better be bending over backwards to be friendly to every customer that walks thru the door. Him being a dick doesn't hurt me, It only hurts his business even more.
Like I said before grips are a silly commodity. There are 5 different places nearby where I can get them or I can buy them on-line. How stupid was this guy to lose a customer for life over a set of grips.
I like that bold print thing.:biglol: