Does your bowling center make you PRE-pay for open bowling?

[Phonetek]

On thing I do like about where I work is we don't make the customer pay until they are completely done and ready to leave. I've always hated pre-paying because I never really know how many I will feel like bowling. I'm also more likely to not bowl as many games as I would of if I payed at the end. I think it's a pain to keep having to go to the counter if I want to bowl more and keep paying every time. I'm sure I'm not the only one who left and would have bowled more if I just payed at the end.

It also makes me feel like they don't trust me, like I'm gonna bowl and sneak out the door without paying. It's like prepay gas stations. When I go to fill the tank using cash and I'm on E, I have no clue how much it's gonna take to fill it. So most times I'll just throw $40 at them because I know that will fit and I won't have to go back in for change. Had I payed at the end they may have made 50-60 bucks instead of 40.

I'm sure it's probably happened where people bowled and dashed but either way I think they come out ahead for the extra games others bowl that they decided at the last minute to do. A gas station I can understand because they are actually physically steeling merchandise by driving away. Unless they ran up a bar tab and food what did the bowling alley really lose? A few kilowatt hours running the lane? If you want to nitpick I guess you can also say games from a different potential paying customer. I can't think bowling and dashing is a huge problem causing catastrophic loss.

I have to say customers really enjoy the fact they can bowl as much as they want, add on food and drinks and pay for everything at once. If given the choice of pre-paying or doing it at the end, what do you prefer? What does your bowling center do?

[boatman37]

nope

[JerseyJim]

Most bowling centers in my area will ask you to pre-pay for the number of games, or time bowled. My preference is to just pay by the hour.

[Phonetek]

Yeah we do the by the hour too. Only thing I dislike about that is once the time ticks down it shuts off if your in the middle of a game or not. We have all kinds of specials and packages too. During the week M-F it's $1 a game bowling before 1pm. Senior and league discounts. Since our center is part of a movie theater chain, if people keep their stubs from a movie, each stub is worth 1 free game. Plus we have stamp coupons, 6 or 7 stamps is a free game.

Then there are the birthday party packages that include pizza, drinks, shoe rental, lanes by the hour and the party room rental all for a set price. Price varies by party size, obviously the more people the higher the price. What's cool is that people do all of that online including if you wanted to do a lane reservation just for yourself or whatever you can do that online too. No waiting for a lane if it's busy. The computer won't allow us to give out the lane if you have it reserved, I think it just requires a small deposit.

[boatman37]

When I went a few weeks ago it was normally $3 per game but I was charged $2.50. I was told probably because I was a league member. We also have an all you can bowl for about $14 on certain days/times.

[yetigreg]

At ours you pre pay also. I think in todays day and age you probable should have people pre pay. I just read your other thread about the teens trashing the place where they were bowling... sad... no respect for other peoples property and no respect for people in general. Its a "me" generation out there that makes it bad for all others I'm afraid. The honor system is something that takes good conscious to work, so if you are not taught that growing up it's not part of your character. When the public is involved I guess any business should think of certain things that will protect there business and even if it's just a little extra electricity, use of the lane, wear on the pins, the ball return, maintenance, it all adds up and then add how many take advantage of bowling and not paying in a years time it might be an interesting number. Sorry I did not want to sound pessimistic, I would hope that most people would be honest. Ok I'm done rambling. By the way Phonetek I just wanted to say congratulation on your new job.

[Phonetek]

At ours you pre pay also. I think in todays day and age you probable should have people pre pay. I just read your other thread about the teens trashing the place where they were bowling... sad... no respect for other peoples property and no respect for people in general. Its a "me" generation out there that makes it bad for all others I'm afraid. The honor system is something that takes good conscious to work, so if you are not taught that growing up it's not part of your character. When the public is involved I guess any business should think of certain things that will protect there business and even if it's just a little extra electricity, use of the lane, wear on the pins, the ball return, maintenance, it all adds up and then add how many take advantage of bowling and not paying in a years time it might be an interesting number. Sorry I did not want to sound pessimistic, I would hope that most people would be honest. Ok I'm done rambling. By the way Phonetek I just wanted to say congratulation on your new job.

Thank you, I'm really happy there. I don't make a lot but I really enjoy it so that makes all the difference.

Yeah those teens were a bunch of douches but from what I seen the minority at where I'm at so far. Most people are pretty respectful. Aside from the occasional guy who has too much booze and gets uppity. The place I work is small so it would be pretty difficult to bowl and dash. Like I said in the other post there are cameras everywhere and even those guys had a reservation online to bowl so we already had their info so if they left we would have still charged them for bowling, shoes, food ect. We don't get a lot of walk ins usually, during the day it's mostly seniors or parents with the really little kids that aren't in school yet. Neither are much threat of leaving without paying. Most tend to make online reservations or call.

[J Anderson]

They don’t make me pre-pay, but I’m not sure what they do for other bowlers. They put all new scoring consoles and screen last fall and then raised prices. I had been getting the employee discount because I volunteer with the youth league. I now pay an extra $1.75 per game, 50 cents more than they used to charge league members to open bowl. They no longer have a sign showing the rate per game at peak and off peak times. They just show how much it costs for one hour or a half hour at various times.

[mishatx]

My usual place does not do pre pay, but many years ago, went through a period where they did (or, at least, did for roving packs of teenagers). I never liked that, because growing up you just bowled until you got tired and settled the bill - with prepay I didn't want to pay for games I wouldn't bowl, so I'd underestimate and walk out having been perfectly willing to bowl a couple more.

[JasonNJ]

All the places around me in NJ are pre-pay. With that said, at my local center, they have given me a lane before and let me settle afterwards but I know everyone there so they know I won't skip out.