Working in a bowling center?

[RoccoRock]

My wife keeps telling me to get a part time job at the bowling alley. I would get free games, and it would help pay for new balls, and bags and whatever I need. I think I would like it. Back when my main hobby was RC cars, I always wanted to work at the hobby shops and tracks. I finally got that chance when I lived in North Carolina, and I loved it. I think it may be the same if I worked at a bowling center.

[AZBowla]

I don't think I could do it. It'd be the whole upsell thing that would kill it for me. I'm fine with helping run the counter or whatever to earn a few bucks plus free bowling but being told I have to sell so many pizzas or sign so many people up for leagues or their e-club or whatever would really get irritating fast. People know where the snack bar is, they can order a pizza if they really want one.

[billf]

Bowling alley's upsell????? It's one thing to make sure when people come in that don't appear to be regulars, to ask if they know where the snack bar, restrooms and stuff are but to try and push anything there seems silly.

[Hampe]

If I could work at a bowling alley for the same salary I have working in IT, I'd do it in a heartbeat

[edpup316]

I worked in a pro shop for about three years. Learned so much about ball physics while i was their it was rediculious. The pro shop was called Bowlers Connection. It was owned and operated by Teresa and Rod Ross (ring a bell for anyone?). I learned so much from these two as a jr. And working a pro shop was probably the best experience i had in my bowling career. learned how to drill balls and everything it was awesome.

Every once in a while some punk kid would call and ask "Do you have 16 lb. balls" I would say "Yes." and they would say "MUST BE HARD TO WALK WITH THOSE!!" Damn kids.

[AZBowla]

Bowling alley's upsell????? It's one thing to make sure when people come in that don't appear to be regulars, to ask if they know where the snack bar, restrooms and stuff are but to try and push anything there seems silly.

Yeah our local AMF does this every time we walk in the door. "Would you like a pizza or some drinks? Are you a member of our e-club? Are you in one of our leagues?" All while I'm trying to just get a lane. Then once I'm there, someone walks by at least once every two hours and asks me the same 3 questions. I took the customer survey to get $5 off my next visit and the computer even asked me if I was offered food and drinks and told about the e-club and their leagues. So they get rated on if they ask this stuff or not and if they don't I'm guessing some suit from Corporate shows up and gives them a hard time about it.

I get it - I know that they want to make money and that selling me a crappy pizza for $15 bucks and a cup of soda for $4 is where they make the most profit but honestly not even the local movie theater is this pushy about it, and that's where ALL their revenue comes from. I'd be fine with it if I got the lane time for free, then it would make sense but I'm already paying anywhere from $8 to $12 per person for two hours of lane time. When I take all my kids bowling that can sometimes cost more than $50 right there. I think they've made their money at that point.

[Greenday]

I've asked a couple local alleys if they were hiring. None of them were unfortunately. Just wanted some work in the mean time while I'm waiting for my new job to start.

As far as upselling goes, I've never had anyone try to do that to me at a bowling alley.

[Big Nick]

My wife and I wish we had the cash to open our own alley. We live in a college town, and we think there would be a good amount of business during the fall and spring semesters. I briefly looked into it, and without some big investors there's no way we would be able to even begin.

[scottymoney]

Never have had someone try to upsell me anything, but they do try to drum up business by normally putting me on a lane right next to the bar. It works sometimes.......

[serial bowl]

Yeah our local AMF does this every time we walk in the door. "Would you like a pizza or some drinks? Are you a member of our e-club? Are you in one of our leagues?" All while I'm trying to just get a lane. Then once I'm there, someone walks by at least once every two hours and asks me the same 3 questions. I took the customer survey to get $5 off my next visit and the computer even asked me if I was offered food and drinks and told about the e-club and their leagues. So they get rated on if they ask this stuff or not and if they don't I'm guessing some suit from Corporate shows up and gives them a hard time about it.

I get it - I know that they want to make money and that selling me a crappy pizza for $15 bucks and a cup of soda for $4 is where they make the most profit but honestly not even the local movie theater is this pushy about it, and that's where ALL their revenue comes from. I'd be fine with it if I got the lane time for free, then it would make sense but I'm already paying anywhere from $8 to $12 per person for two hours of lane time. When I take all my kids bowling that can sometimes cost more than $50 right there. I think they've made their money at that point.

My local AMF in SO-CAL does the same thing, and if I'm not bowling with an E-Club coupon, the rates are just out of control.
I prefer to go to my local Brunswick lanes.