Do I have a Right to be Upset - Blood Stains on Cloth?

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've had a poolroom for 23 years. We try real hard to keep our tables and cloth in as good a condition as possible to the extent that we don't allow customers to eat food they've ordered here from the grill while they are playing, and most everyone is very understanding of this rule. We had all our tables covered in new Simonis 3 months ago. I am very discreet about approaching customers and nicely informing them if they are breaking a rule which could cause damage to the tables / cloth - such as setting drinks on the table, beginner players trying to show off their masse shots or their digging under the cue ball scoop jump shots to their buddies, etc.

Tonight during our weekly 9-ball tournament, I'm playing a match on a table and I'm seeing ugly dark smeared streaks on the table I'm playing on - unlike I've ever seen before. I comment on it and two other players playing on another table comment that I should check out their table - which is far worse with numerous similar marks, which we then determine is dried blood marks smeared in to the cloth. Another player comments that those marks were not on that table when they played on that table in a match earlier tonight.

It didn't take long to find the culprit - a 70 year old regular whose been playing in our weekly tournaments in here for nearly 10 years, whose extremely dried and cracked hands/fingers had dried blood on them. Well, I basically lost it and called this guy out in front of the other roughly 20 tournament players in here and a few other customers who happened to be in here. I asked him how in the heck could he do this on numerous tables without even realizing he was doing it? You darn right I was upset, and still am. Everyone that plays on those tables for the next 8-10 months will have to look at those unsightly blood stains on our Simonis tournament blue cloth.

I can even expect and possibly somewhat forgive this kind of thing from a recreational player coming in here, but for a regular player whose played pool for nearly 60 years, a solid "B" level player, who plays in our weekly tournaments for numerous years to do this I find to be completely unacceptable to me. I realize he certainly didn't do it on purpose, but I have an extremely hard time accepting that as an excuse/apology. Do I have a right to be this upset for his negligence resulting in numerous permanent blood stain streaks on at least 3 tables? And lastly, does anyone have any suggestions how best to remove blood stains from Simonis cloth?
 
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easymoney1

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Upset? Of course.

"Losing it" on a 70 year old gentleman who has been a loyal customer for 10 years? Poor form in my opinion, which is what you asked for.
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Considering the cloth is what I would consider contaminated, they need to be recovered. Why would you as an owner expect other patrons to touch someone elses blood?

If you decide to go cheap and just try to clean it, peroxide.

For someone who has been running a pool hall as long as you say you have, you sure ask a lot of odd questions. :thumbup:
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Considering the cloth is what I would consider contaminated, they need to be recovered. Why would you as an owner expect other patrons to touch someone elses blood?

If you decide to go cheap and just try to clean it, peroxide.

For someone who has been running a pool hall as long as you say you have, you sure ask a lot of odd questions. :thumbup:

I agree!

As for being mad, upset etc.. nope. Not since it was done by:

a REGULAR for a DECADE

and by ACCIDENT......

Those two things alone are reason enough to not be an a55 and to show YOUR LONG TIME CUSTOMERS that you appreciate them even when they ACCIDENTALLY cost you cash.

I am retired now but I've owned more than one business in my time and I for sure understand what it's like to lose a few bucks with a smile to make sure my clients knew how important they were, not to my businesses...... but, to me. That always paid dividends in the long run.;)
 

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You think that's bad, wait until you see Earl shoot somebody's liver out on a table.

Why do you think he wears all those finger protectors?

:)
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Considering the cloth is what I would consider contaminated, they need to be recovered. Why would you as an owner expect other patrons to touch someone elses blood?

If you decide to go cheap and just try to clean it, peroxide.

For someone who has been running a pool hall as long as you say you have, you sure ask a lot of odd questions. :thumbup:
So I assume it's not odd to have numerous blood streaks smeared over numerous tables in the matter of less than an hour, by one negligent person, who is a lifelong player and should know better? I've had a baby set on a pool table by his parents to crawl around who then threw up on the table, which I could easily forgive as just an unfortunate accident as they obviously didn't know any better than to do this. But no, nothing quite like this incident has happened in the 23 years we've had our poolroom, in regards to permanent cloth damage to numerous tables inflicted over a short period of time by a completely negligent act from a regular player who should know enough to be a little more careful.
 
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RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I assume it's not odd to have numerous blood streaks smeared over numerous tables in the matter of less than an hour, by one negligent person, who is a lifelong player and should know better? I've had a baby set on a pool table by his parents to crawl around who then threw up on the table, which I could easily forgive as just an unfortunate accident as they obviously didn't know any better than to do this. But no, nothing quite like this incident has happened in the 23 years we've had our poolroom, in regards to permanent cloth damage to numerous tables inflicted over a short period of time by a completely negligent act from a regular player who should know enough to be a little more careful.

"Do I have a right to be this upset for his negligence resulting in numerous permanent blood stain streaks on at least 3 tables?"

Odd questions.

You own a business that is open to the public.

SHIT HAPPENS.

Ive cleaned up puke, shit, blood etc etc etc on more than one occasion when I worked in and ran grocery stores.

Remember that time you claimed surface cracks from g10 tips were "miscue marks"?

Before that you had another thread saying that you use steel wool to remove miscue marks.

You seem to me to not have a clue as to what you talk about.

So yes, you ask some VERY odd questions for someone who has 'owned a poolroom for 23 years.
 

Masayoshi

Fusenshou no Masa
Silver Member
You need a sign up that warns that any damage to the equipment will result in fines equivalent to replacing whatever was damaged.
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You need a sign up that warns that any damage to the equipment will result in fines equivalent to replacing whatever was damaged.
It didn't used to be this way, but after 23 years, I consider myself quite tolerable and forgiving when it comes to normal wear and tear that can be inflicted on a pool table and equipment by either recreational players or by hard core players. Usually damage / cloth stains / cloth nicks are contained to one table from one customer or group of customers. It was just extremely bad luck that this customer was a weekly tournament player who warmed up on one or more tables and then played matches on 2-3 other tables, so the blood stains were spread to all the tables he played on - amazingly without him even realizing it. Nothing surprises me anymore. I'm done for the night, and will see if have any luck tomorrow with lessening or getting any of the stains out.
 
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noMoreSchon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Shit happens. 70 years old, and you wonder why he didn't know? I am sure if he did

happen to notice he would of washed his hands, I am 41 and work with my hands, many

times I have cut myself and not known it. Noticed the blood when I touched another thing

but he has 30 years on me, and being a patron, you should be more worried about maybe

his mental state as much as the cloth on your tables. But you have known him awhile,

hopefully he doesn't lose it all in the next year, Althimerzers, dementia, and just old age.

God Bless, and let it go, more important things in life than your simonis.
 

book collector

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I assume it's not odd to have numerous blood streaks smeared over numerous tables in the matter of less than an hour, by one negligent person, who is a lifelong player and should know better? I've had a baby set on a pool table by his parents to crawl around who then threw up on the table, which I could easily forgive as just an unfortunate accident as they obviously didn't know any better than to do this. But no, nothing quite like this incident has happened in the 23 years we've had our poolroom, in regards to permanent cloth damage to numerous tables inflicted over a short period of time by a completely negligent act from a regular player who should know enough to be a little more careful.

I went in the pool room one morning and there was engine grease on every table , they had brand new cloth on them , some knucklehead worked on his car then played in the tournament , I would be mad as heck.
If it were a customer of 10 years I would have taken him to the side and asked him to pay at least half of the cost to redo the ones he ruined
 

Franky4Eyes

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Change the cloth if it's such an issue that it inspires a question like this. If you're upset, whether you have the right to be, or not, really plays back row to the real concern of your establishment not being in the sanitary state you desire. It's harder for a place to "recover" from a bad reputation than it is to "recover" the tables.
(I made a pun there. Lol)
At the very least empty a few cans of Lysol on those things to avoid possible exposure.
Hepatitis, mrsa, staph, etc... Who knows.
Rubbing your hands in somebody's body fluids should be reserved for people in the medical field, or a bordello.
 

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Do I have a right to be this upset for his negligence resulting in numerous permanent blood stain streaks on at least 3 tables? And lastly, does anyone have any suggestions how best to remove blood stains from Simonis cloth?

You certainly have the right to be PO'd. It's a business not a circus. It's your livelihood not the YMCA. Build repair costs into your prices somehow,

I would suggest contacting Simonis (phone) for cleaning suggestions.

As for losing it... It's easy to do that. Learn how to jump down someones throat gently. Anything can be said to anyone.... It's how it is said.
 
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Buckzapper

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pure stupidity by the 70 year old bleeding patron. Tell him to get out and to never come back.

Sometimes it comes down to "How much wood can a woodchuck chuck."

We had a dart league at our poolroom once. Shooters came in regularly that never changed their clothes or took a bath. The women gave off the worst stench you can imagine. You couldn't breathe anywhere near them.
Their unsupervised children would toss poolballs around the room and on vacant tables, while the owner's son sat there and watched TV. Diapers tossed down the toilet would soon result in a mini flood. "Well, they drink beer and spend money." said the owner.

If you don't know how to protect your investment...you deserve to lose it.
 

ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
Your business insurance should cover you, and you need to replace the cloth. An old man had a medical issue that contaminated multiple tables, they'll cover the cloth.

I don't know how tight the health codes are in NC, but a call to NYS Dept of Health would get a place shut down until the contamination was removed.

A regular customer who comes in to spend his Social Security with you does not need to be reamed out. If you don't have insurance, this is your problem. Start a private club if you want to avoid retail issues.
 

Lawnboy77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You could try cleaning that cloth with hot water and a little Woolite mixed in, then scrub with a microfiber cloth. It probably won't completely come out, but should be good enough to deal with until the next scheduled cloth change.

As far as whether, or not you have a right to be mad? of course you do. I would be mad to, but really you have to expect this sort of thing when operating a pool room. My advice is to let it go, chalk it up to just being the cost of doing business. Consider yourself lucky that your room is doing good business, that in itself seems to be a rarity these days.
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
Gross and unsafe

Good situation bad situation yelling at him infront of the room

Good that the players where aware and had the opportunity to clean up or sanitize themselves if needed

Bad that word could spread and lose customers


Your room money and business
Your right to handle it however you felt imo
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I went in the pool room one morning and there was engine grease on every table , they had brand new cloth on them , some knucklehead worked on his car then played in the tournament , I would be mad as heck.
If it were a customer of 10 years I would have taken him to the side and asked him to pay at least half of the cost to redo the ones he ruined
This man is not your typical 70 year old, he could pass for 60, in very good shape, and is still a pretty good pool player. When I told him what it costs to recover our tables ($450-$500 per table) he did actually offer to pay to have them recovered. I would never take him up on that as I'm not that way. I worked hard on removing the stains on the worst table last night - a mixture of Resolve carpet cleaner and seltzer water rubbed in to the cloth, and it seems to have done a pretty good job. I could have chosen to handle the situation with more tact and more privately with him last night instead of the rather public way that I did, but it happened, I reacted, and I'll deal with the repercussions as professionally as I can in order to not lose this customer, whom I know loves coming here. I'll reach out to him today with a phone call to let him know it's OK.
 
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Inaction

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't know what was used to clean the various spills at the local senior center, but the stains were gone afterwards. One guy had a nose bleed, another spilled coffee, others drooled.

The dark tint from being four years old helps too.

I stopped playing for three weeks after a major nosebleed that had me in the clinic once and the ER three times over two days. I did not want to be the one whose name was associated with a blood stain from a sudden drip.
 

Quesports

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Removing blood from any cloth is best done with cold water. A mild dish soap like dawn may help. IT should have been done immediately to stop it from setting into the fibers. You might try lightly brushing with a soft toothbrush. Rinse and repeat multiple times. It may take a lot of applications to get it out but use COLD, water hot will set the stain even worse. Good Luck.
 
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