What is the hardest part of working at a center or pro shop?

[The KingPin]

So I am sure you get questions, or people doing certain things that are hard to deal with at times. So what is the hardest part of working at a pro shop or center for you?

[JBuford300]

the hardest part of being in the pro shop for me is convincing that one customer, who buys every single high end ball, that they need to diversify their bag. I have two customers, one a teammate, who has an uprising, momentum swing, virtual gravity, and just bought a power swing. I always tell him, "you're a pro shop owners worst nightmare and best customer."

The other hard thing for me is to deal with the Saturday morning youth coaches who think they know how to do my job. There aren't a lot of them out there like this but I have two coaches that accompany the kids in the shop to get a new ball, and then hover over me while I am measuring the hand for span. While hovering they are making comments like "too short, too long, wrong pitch, etc." So I finally stood up last week and handed all my tools over to this coach and asked him to show me how it's done. He finally admitted he has no clue how to go about measuring he just was going off what he thought he saw. That's more aggravating than hard.

[The KingPin]

the hardest part of being in the pro shop for me is convincing that one customer, who buys every single high end ball, that they need to diversify their bag. I have two customers, one a teammate, who has an uprising, momentum swing, virtual gravity, and just bought a power swing. I always tell him, "you're a pro shop owners worst nightmare and best customer."

The other hard thing for me is to deal with the Saturday morning youth coaches who think they know how to do my job. There aren't a lot of them out there like this but I have two coaches that accompany the kids in the shop to get a new ball, and then hover over me while I am measuring the hand for span. While hovering they are making comments like "too short, too long, wrong pitch, etc." So I finally stood up last week and handed all my tools over to this coach and asked him to show me how it's done. He finally admitted he has no clue how to go about measuring he just was going off what he thought he saw. That's more aggravating than hard.

Great post and thank you for letting us know what you go through.

Anyone else?

[Jord_84]

I hate when we get customers walking in for open bowling, and they just can't grasp the concept that we have leagues coming in and the mechanic has to oil. Sure, we have 24 lanes....but none of them are for you! pick up the phone and call before you go bowling!

edit*
...that and the teenagers that leave gum on the floor in the bowlers area. Then it gets tracked onto the approach and it's a pain in the *** to clean up. Not to mention if I stepped in that crap with my expensive shoes, heads would roll.

[The KingPin]

I hate when we get customers walking in for open bowling, and they just can't grasp the concept that we have leagues coming in and the mechanic has to oil. Sure, we have 24 lanes....but none of them are for you! pick up the phone and call before you go bowling!

edit*
...that and the teenagers that leave gum on the floor in the bowlers area. Then it gets tracked onto the approach and it's a pain in the *** to clean up. Not to mention if I stepped in that crap with my expensive shoes, heads would roll.

I bet. Some kids just don't care

[Jord_84]

no, some of them don't care.
my mom has had to quit handing out the lighter balls to teenagers because they keep lobbing them or throwing them when the sweep is down. We've got 4 cracked, smashed up balls sitting on the control counter with a sign that reads "this is why the light balls are for small children".

[tbrownie]

backseat drillers are always fun. I hate open bowlers, they all think of bowling like theyre at the movies or at a theme park or something. Its like if they went to a golf course and started ripping up the grass or something when they make a mess on the approach and the floor, or when they walk up on your approach, its like kicking someone when theyre swinging the club

[sebchbum]

So I am sure you get questions, or people doing certain things that are hard to deal with at times. So what is the hardest part of working at a pro shop or center for you?

the hardest thing to do in my pro shop is not fitting a bowler up but what ball and what drill to put on that ball for the condition the bowler is looking for.....thats why I watch the bowler so I can see ball speed and rotation,thats the the only way you can properly set up their new ball