Most ridiculous PSO I have ever seen

[Phonetek]

I went up to my local lanes to get some info from the owner regarding subbing on leagues and other info. Super super nice guy, he would have talked for hours. I told him I was teaching my son and I would be coming in with him soon after he gets his ball drilled. He went in the back and came out and handed me 6 coupons for free games and shoe rental for him. He didn't have to do that and I told him that. He is all about the youth and getting them into the game. Great guy. I figured before I left I'd stop in the pro shop and meet the pso, get some prices and chit chat a bit about some of this more technical stuff that is a part of the modern game.

I go in and say my name, offer a handshake and it was like I was bothering the guy he just looked at my hand. I started asking him some questions and he was really short and arrogant about it. I asked what he would charge to drill my kids ball I was getting from bowlingballs.com. after I got it. $90!? NOT including inserts. Seriously to drill 3 holes no inserts? He said "if you bought it here it would be free." I was looking at his prices and they were well over double the amount for a ball than online. A regular black Hammer remake for $319 (online $126) are you kidding me? A Hammer Gauntlet or Black Widow Gold each for 409? (online $169 & $139) Then I asked what he'd charge to fix my ball that the bridge is cracked on plus new inserts. He rolled his eyes and said. $95 labor + $35 for two new inserts. I was going to ask more but I didn't want bother "Your Highness" any further. What would he charge to watch me or my son throw a couple balls? 80 bucks a minute? Those prices are ridiculous and way out of line. I know it's not 1996 anymore but this CANNOT be the norm. If it is I will quit right now. I will bowl at the lanes but there is no way that dude is getting any business from me with his attitude or his prices. He can go sit on a standing bowling pin.

My PSO I have been going to for years will be getting my business once again. I was trying to save myself over an hour of driving but it's worth it. He would never charge me that kind of prices nor would he treat people like that. I know every bowling alley has "That guy" but I never expected it to be a PSO. If I was a different person I'd include names but I won't do that. Rest assured I'll be putting a review on Yelp about it though.

Ok, rant over

[boatman37]

Emailed my PSO the other day. Free drilling if I buy from him and $40 plus $10 for inserts if I buy somewhere else. I'm guessing he knows what he is doing. His average is 223 so must be doing something right.

[bowl1820]

Yes thats bit over priced and then some.

[Phonetek]

Yes thats bit over priced and then some.

Well if you agree then I know I'm not just a cheapskate or stuck in the 90's.

[djp1080]

Wow! I think you've said that you're in the Chicagoland area as am I. Sounds like you must be in the high priced seats. Several of the houses in the Western suburbs don't charge anything like that. It's likely that drilling might be $50 - $60. Finger inserts for $10 or so. Try Stardust in Addison.

[Phonetek]

Wow! I think you've said that you're in the Chicagoland area as am I. Sounds like you must be in the high priced seats. Several of the houses in the Western suburbs don't charge anything like that. It's likely that drilling might be $50 - $60. Finger inserts for $10 or so. Try Stardust in Addison.

High priced seats indeed. I'm going to go to Jim's Pro Shop in Mokena. He's been doing my stuff since I was a kid when he was in Glenwood Bowl. He'd rarely charge me at all to turn on the drill, usually only for inserts. Back then I was in there all the time. It's been a long time though. Even if he charged the same as what this guy was babbling about I'd pay Jim, he's a great guy. Even if that jerk I dealt with earlier was the top expert in the country I wouldn't pay him that much. Jim maybe knows less I couldn't say but service with a smile deserves more money and I'd gladly pay it. Nobody likes going to the pro shop feeling like they just got bent over.

[JasonNJ]

The dude is a jerk. Has he been a PSO long? I can't imagine him being around that long with prices like that. Finding a good pro shop guy is hard. Because my local PSO is meh, I live in NJ and drive 90 minutes to Connecticut because I know they'll drill my stuff properly.

[TCJ]

Back where I used to bowl, I was charged $30 to plug, redrill, and fit a ball with new inserts. Someone I know went to the same place and was charged $60 to drill a brand new ball that was purchased elsewhere. I'm guessing that many places will charge more if the ball is not purchased there, but I find it to be a flimsy reason. Charge what the work is worth, not someone to ease the ego because the original purchase was made elsewhere. Oh, and that shop charged me about $160 for buying a new urethane (Tank) and having it drilled. This was an hour south of Chicago, so it's far enough away to not get quite the inflated prices of a big city.

[Phonetek]

The dude is a jerk. Has he been a PSO long? I can't imagine him being around that long with prices like that. Finding a good pro shop guy is hard. Because my local PSO is meh, I live in NJ and drive 90 minutes to Connecticut because I know they'll drill my stuff properly.

I'm not sure how long he's been there. That would have been a staple question I would have asked had he been personable but I wasn't hanging out any longer.

Back where I used to bowl, I was charged $30 to plug, redrill, and fit a ball with new inserts. Someone I know went to the same place and was charged $60 to drill a brand new ball that was purchased elsewhere. I'm guessing that many places will charge more if the ball is not purchased there, but I find it to be a flimsy reason. Charge what the work is worth, not someone to ease the ego because the original purchase was made elsewhere. Oh, and that shop charged me about $160 for buying a new urethane (Tank) and having it drilled. This was an hour south of Chicago, so it's far enough away to not get quite the inflated prices of a big city.

See now $30 is more than fair, plus inserts I'd say that's cheap. $60 just because you didn't buy the ball from them, that's like a spanking fee? "BAD BOWLER, Didn't buy the ball from me! Sixty bucks!" Does it hurt the drill bits feelings or something? That's $20 a hole, sounds like Rush Street. $60 is still a bit much in my opinion, but a bargain compared to the guy I went to.

[J Anderson]

Back where I used to bowl, I was charged $30 to plug, redrill, and fit a ball with new inserts. Someone I know went to the same place and was charged $60 to drill a brand new ball that was purchased elsewhere. I'm guessing that many places will charge more if the ball is not purchased there, but I find it to be a flimsy reason. Charge what the work is worth, not someone to ease the ego because the original purchase was made elsewhere. Oh, and that shop charged me about $160 for buying a new urethane (Tank) and having it drilled. This was an hour south of Chicago, so it's far enough away to not get quite the inflated prices of a big city.

In defense of charging more for drilling a ball bought somewhere else: Every business has fixed and variable expenses. When a pro shop sells a ball, the price is marked up over what the shop paid to get the ball from the distributor, and the charge for drilling the ball is more that what the person drilling it is paid for the time it takes to drill it. These mark-ups allow the pro shop operator to still make a net profit after the rent, utilities, taxes, insurance, etc. have been paid. When some one comes in to just get a ball drilled, there is now only labor to be marked up to pay for all the business' costs. The mark-up on a labor only job must be higher to stay in business.

The $30 plug and re-drill sounds like a real bargain. Probably a case of the shop heavily discounting the service to maintain good customer relations. The $90 price quoted by the original poster sounds excessive even here in CT.