People wonder why pool isn't making money and rooms are shutting down.
- Thread starter Pete
- Start date
Are you sure you didn't accidentally call a drug dealer instead? 
Who doesn't "talk about prices" on the phone?
I would get in touch with the actual owner and tell him that you called at "this day and time and the guy who answered was surly, wouldn't tell me about your specials, and I decided not to come by here anymore."
Who doesn't "talk about prices" on the phone?I would get in touch with the actual owner and tell him that you called at "this day and time and the guy who answered was surly, wouldn't tell me about your specials, and I decided not to come by here anymore."
That's funny, because I have the same impression of some industry members, some of whom frequent this forum from time to time. Their business etiquette and personality leaves a little to be desired.
In my experiences...pool players are some of the cheapest spenders/tightwads I have ever seen in my life.
That said...it never ceases to amaze me that pool players on this forum are always complaining about/reporting on another pool hall closing down...when in fact, many of them piss and moan about the cost of a drink, table time, food, etc.
If you want a place to play pool in your neighborhood, then patronize the room that you have...rent a table (don't ask to play for free unless the proprietor offers), buy a drink for whatever price they ask (specials are up to the owner), and grab a bite to eat if you get hungry.
These people do not set up a business for the purpose of furnishing you a place to play free pool and get cheap booze. They have bills to pay...and if you're not spending money there...they ain't gettin' the bills paid...soon to be open no longer.
Get it???
One of my regular pool halls let me come in several hours before league started and have a table for free. I always bought at least 2 drinks (and they never ran drink specials), ate there often, tipped the waitresses well, and on the way out, put 6 or 7 dollars in the bar tip jar for being nice enough for letting me play free pool. This place has been around awhile and appears to be doing a very good amount of business. Obviously, I'm not the only pool player that supports this place (we Texans can certainly consume a fair share of booze).
Bottom line is: You don't spend no money...you don't have no pool hall.
Maniac
That said...it never ceases to amaze me that pool players on this forum are always complaining about/reporting on another pool hall closing down...when in fact, many of them piss and moan about the cost of a drink, table time, food, etc.
If you want a place to play pool in your neighborhood, then patronize the room that you have...rent a table (don't ask to play for free unless the proprietor offers), buy a drink for whatever price they ask (specials are up to the owner), and grab a bite to eat if you get hungry.
These people do not set up a business for the purpose of furnishing you a place to play free pool and get cheap booze. They have bills to pay...and if you're not spending money there...they ain't gettin' the bills paid...soon to be open no longer.
Get it???
One of my regular pool halls let me come in several hours before league started and have a table for free. I always bought at least 2 drinks (and they never ran drink specials), ate there often, tipped the waitresses well, and on the way out, put 6 or 7 dollars in the bar tip jar for being nice enough for letting me play free pool. This place has been around awhile and appears to be doing a very good amount of business. Obviously, I'm not the only pool player that supports this place (we Texans can certainly consume a fair share of booze
).Bottom line is: You don't spend no money...you don't have no pool hall.
Maniac
then there are the times that you try to support your local pool hall by ordering food, yet, it is always wrong or tastes badly, you ask for your check and it takes 45 minutes, the table cloth is so worn that you are basically playing on slate, the cloth is so dirty that after 1 hour's play your palm is not green, it is black! etc.....and we wonder why the pool hall is barely hanging on...
In my experiences...pool players are some of the cheapest spenders/tightwads I have ever seen in my life.
That said...it never ceases to amaze me that pool players on this forum are always complaining about/reporting on another pool hall closing down...when in fact, many of them piss and moan about the cost of a drink, table time, food, etc.
If you want a place to play pool in your neighborhood, then patronize the room that you have...rent a table (don't ask to play for free unless the proprietor offers), buy a drink for whatever price they ask (specials are up to the owner), and grab a bite to eat if you get hungry.
These people do not set up a business for the purpose of furnishing you a place to play free pool and get cheap booze. They have bills to pay...and if you're not spending money there...they ain't gettin' the bills paid...soon to be open no longer.
Get it???
One of my regular pool halls let me come in several hours before league started and have a table for free. I always bought at least 2 drinks (and they never ran drink specials), ate there often, tipped the waitresses well, and on the way out, put 6 or 7 dollars in the bar tip jar for being nice enough for letting me play free pool. This place has been around awhile and appears to be doing a very good amount of business. Obviously, I'm not the only pool player that supports this place (we Texans can certainly consume a fair share of booze
Bottom line is: You don't spend no money...you don't have no pool hall.
Maniac
And this, my friends, is the bottom line answer to why pool rooms are closing in the US. Summarized perfectly.
I have to agree with Maniac on this one. Pool halls need paying customers. And they need to take good care of those that are present and actually paying. Phone calls are usually a big waste of time for pool hall operators, especially those calls that come from solicitors or from "potential customers" who are shopping prices and will only come in if the "specials" suit them.
Another thing to consider is that it is common practice for many businesses to "shop" their competition so they can set their own competing prices, accordingly. This, too, is a total waste of time for the business being shopped.
These are a few factors that might have come into play in the attitude of the person who answered the phone. He or she may, or may not, have been "surly," but this one instance does not tell the whole story on why pool halls are closing.
Roger
Another thing to consider is that it is common practice for many businesses to "shop" their competition so they can set their own competing prices, accordingly. This, too, is a total waste of time for the business being shopped.
These are a few factors that might have come into play in the attitude of the person who answered the phone. He or she may, or may not, have been "surly," but this one instance does not tell the whole story on why pool halls are closing.
Roger
When I owned my room I used to have a "Bottomless" cup of coffee. You paid $1 and you had free refills. So many of my regulars used to come in at noon, sweat a couple of matches and leave at like 2 or 3. They would come back at 11PM and look for me to put a new pot of coffee on for them because they bought the "Bottomless" coffee at noon. At first I used to mentally give them the bird and make them a pot of coffee. But I finally couldn't stand it and changed the rule. The "day" ended when they left the building. If they came back it was a new day.
Bob
Bob
You can get bad customer service anywhere though. You can get a rude kid at mcdonald's
but that doesn't mean mcdonald's all across america are failing.
Sucks you had a bad experience but the death of pool halls isn't because
because they all just hire rude staff.
But it's possible they're all so broke that they can only afford to pay
minimum wage, and at that pay scale you get a lot more idiots.
but that doesn't mean mcdonald's all across america are failing.
Sucks you had a bad experience but the death of pool halls isn't because
because they all just hire rude staff.
But it's possible they're all so broke that they can only afford to pay
minimum wage, and at that pay scale you get a lot more idiots.
It's always been my dream to own a classy pool hall.....but today and in a small town (population under 10,000), it would be a huge risk. Even doing it as a retirement business (opening the doors with zero debt), I still dont think it would go....... Youth are too interested in failbook, diddling with their phones, and video games....nobody goes out and does anything anymore.... Sad sad state of affairs.
What I am talking about is the attitude. If you have a business and want to either stay in business or have it grow (especially in a downed economy like a lot of us live in) you need to remember this key element is to treat the customer right. I’m sure they get calls that seem bothersome, but that doesn’t excuses being rude. Now to add, never named the place (or will) because I wasn’t trying to Yelp them. I was only pointing out that this is part of why service based industry does lose business. If someone is going to give you money for services rendered, not only appreciate your customer, but remember they are your customer, treat them with respect. And if you want a growing business, treat potential customers politely.
PS Always tip your server…
PS Always tip your server…
Duane Hinton
Registered
in my experiences...pool players are some of the cheapest spenders/tightwads i have ever seen in my life.
That said...it never ceases to amaze me that pool players on this forum are always complaining about/reporting on another pool hall closing down...when in fact, many of them piss and moan about the cost of a drink, table time, food, etc.
If you want a place to play pool in your neighborhood, then patronize the room that you have...rent a table (don't ask to play for free unless the proprietor offers), buy a drink for whatever price they ask (specials are up to the owner), and grab a bite to eat if you get hungry.
These people do not set up a business for the purpose of furnishing you a place to play free pool and get cheap booze. They have bills to pay...and if you're not spending money there...they ain't gettin' the bills paid...soon to be open no longer.
Get it???
One of my regular pool halls let me come in several hours before league started and have a table for free. I always bought at least 2 drinks (and they never ran drink specials), ate there often, tipped the waitresses well, and on the way out, put 6 or 7 dollars in the bar tip jar for being nice enough for letting me play free pool. This place has been around awhile and appears to be doing a very good amount of business. Obviously, i'm not the only pool player that supports this place (we texans can certainly consume a fair share of booze
Bottom line is: You don't spend no money...you don't have no pool hall.
Maniac
tap! Tap! Tap!
Isn't the entire point of a special to bring people in to get it?
If you didn't want anyone to take advantage of the specials, then you wouldn't have them. Do agree that you need to patronize the places to keep them open, but hating on the topic starter because he called to ask about them seems a little crazy.
If you didn't want anyone to take advantage of the specials, then you wouldn't have them. Do agree that you need to patronize the places to keep them open, but hating on the topic starter because he called to ask about them seems a little crazy.
The thought has never crossed my mind to call a pool hall to inquire about table time prices. I don't even ask at the counter, it costs what it costs and even an expensive rate wont really cost that much for table time. If people think table time cost too much, start pricing out pool tables, real estate, labor, electricity, etc., you get the point.
Sometimes you have to throw a little bait in the water though....
Spending money in pool rooms is an issue, and the in-house and APA type leagues are successful.
Players in the big tournaments, and daily players playing the "6-hour special", really don't spend or tip very much.
I explained to a player who gets free drinks, that he still needs to tip the waitress, and he looked at me like I was nuts.
He told me that the waitresses don't like him, and I told him why.
As far as the bad attitude goes, in some cases it depends on the room, but in general people are pretty cool.
We've had owners wives or girlfriends **** things up, the owner lets them do it, and the room goes under.
Some pool rooms in Denver don't even seem like they are trying to make money.
The bar rescue guy would have a field day with every room Denver and the front range.
Players in the big tournaments, and daily players playing the "6-hour special", really don't spend or tip very much.
I explained to a player who gets free drinks, that he still needs to tip the waitress, and he looked at me like I was nuts.
He told me that the waitresses don't like him, and I told him why.
As far as the bad attitude goes, in some cases it depends on the room, but in general people are pretty cool.
We've had owners wives or girlfriends **** things up, the owner lets them do it, and the room goes under.
Some pool rooms in Denver don't even seem like they are trying to make money.
The bar rescue guy would have a field day with every room Denver and the front range.
Sounds about right to me. One of my favorite moves by a room owner is to charge certain individuals more or less as the mood strikes them. Another all time fave is charging a person that is drunk for things they never bought. Seen lots of poor business practice at pool halls over the years and it seems like none of them have any qualms about doing it.. I went to meet a friend recently at a pool hall in Chicago, he was already there and playing with another guy when I arrived. There was a table open next to them so I went to the guy at the register and asked for a set of balls, it then dawned on me to ask about the rates. He looks at me and says, " it's $12.00 an hour." I then said, "you know I can just drive to Chris's and play for $4.00 an hour." He could have cared less so I gave him the balls back and went to hang out with them. They were stunned when I told them what had happened at the register and said we aren't being charged anything close to that so I played on their table at their rate.
Never have gone back to that place...
Never have gone back to that place...
So he had you pegged for someone who was shopping around to all the halls to find the cheapest hall to play at that day.
Maybe he didn't figure you to be a potential regular customer and told you of his policy.
He doesn't discuss prices on the phone. If you want to know, walk thru the door and ask.
Who designated him to be your personal entertainment committee that day anyway.
Go look in the mirror. You're one of the main reasons why halls are closing weekly.
In my experiences...pool players are some of the cheapest spenders/tightwads I have ever seen in my life.
That said...it never ceases to amaze me that pool players on this forum are always complaining about/reporting on another pool hall closing down...when in fact, many of them piss and moan about the cost of a drink, table time, food, etc.
If you want a place to play pool in your neighborhood, then patronize the room that you have...rent a table (don't ask to play for free unless the proprietor offers), buy a drink for whatever price they ask (specials are up to the owner), and grab a bite to eat if you get hungry.
These people do not set up a business for the purpose of furnishing you a place to play free pool and get cheap booze. They have bills to pay...and if you're not spending money there...they ain't gettin' the bills paid...soon to be open no longer.
Get it???
One of my regular pool halls let me come in several hours before league started and have a table for free. I always bought at least 2 drinks (and they never ran drink specials), ate there often, tipped the waitresses well, and on the way out, put 6 or 7 dollars in the bar tip jar for being nice enough for letting me play free pool. This place has been around awhile and appears to be doing a very good amount of business. Obviously, I'm not the only pool player that supports this place (we Texans can certainly consume a fair share of booze
Bottom line is: You don't spend no money...you don't have no pool hall.
Maniac
Summed up perfectly!!!! I also have to add smoking! I know that dosn't sit well with alot of you,but it keeps me out of the poolrooms.