How does you local poolroom treat you?

Jimbojim · Mar 2, 2011

How long have you been playing at that specific room? Do you get free pool or a discount on table time? Is it a poolroom with an atmosphere catered to the players or are they trying to be a nightclub with pool tables?

Tell me how they treat you at your favourite poolhall!

ShootersChad · Mar 2, 2011

Jimbojim said:
How long have you been playing at that specific room? Do you get free pool or a discount on table time? Is it a poolroom with an atmosphere catered to the players or are they trying to be a nightclub with pool tables?

Tell me how they treat you at your favourite poolhall!

i work at the local pool hall and there are several people that have been coming there for 10 years plus, just as i have and haven't payed for pool in many many years, we like to make our money on the weekend and night "non-regulars" rather than our customers that have been frequenting our business for almost half of the 25 years we have been open...that is all :grin-square:

bigfred · Mar 2, 2011

I have been going to the local hall in Sherman Oaks, CA. for over 35 years and do not receive anything different than a newbee. The current owner/operator inherited the place from his father and is all about making money without much concern for the real players. He has 20 tables, but sees more profit in a "sports bar". Lots of big screens, juke box. He started charging for coffee and actually charged $1.00 for a glass of water!! On tournament night, if the place is empty except for tournament players and a person comes in and wants the music turned up, it gets turned up because he is spending money, (Like nobody else is). In the time I have been coming in, 35 years, I have received two sodas at no charge. No table time discount. That's it! So much for loyalty.

Jimbojim · Mar 2, 2011

bigfred said:
I have been going to the local hall in Sherman Oaks, CA. for over 35 years and do not receive anything different than a newbee. The current owner/operator inherited the place from his father and is all about making money without much concern for the real players. He has 20 tables, but sees more profit in a "sports bar". Lots of big screens, juke box. He started charging for coffee and actually charged $1.00 for a glass of water!! On tournament night, if the place is empty except for tournament players and a person comes in and wants the music turned up, it gets turned up because he is spending money, (Like nobody else is). In the time I have been coming in, 35 years, I have received two sodas at no charge. No table time discount. That's it! So much for loyalty.

That's unacceptable.

brandoncook26 · Mar 2, 2011

The place I go to sucks. I pay full price for everything (time and food/drinks), but I fully expect to do so. That is not what I have a problem with. The problem that I have is I go there a couple times a week, and everytime I go they want me to give them my ID to get balls for the table. They treat me like I've never been there and take my license to make sure I don't skip out on the bill.

I have no problem paying full price for everything. I would just like to be treated like I have been there before. I feel like I am not welcomed when I walk through the door, which is a crappy feeling when I'm giving them my money. They are the only game in town though. So mostly I play at home now, and I couldn't ask for better service. I don't get asked for ID in my basement

mincho · Mar 2, 2011

I thought Taco Bell was bad..

bigfred said:
I have been going to the local hall in Sherman Oaks, CA. for over 35 years and do not receive anything different than a newbee. The current owner/operator inherited the place from his father and is all about making money without much concern for the real players. He has 20 tables, but sees more profit in a "sports bar". Lots of big screens, juke box. He started charging for coffee and actually charged $1.00 for a glass of water!! On tournament night, if the place is empty except for tournament players and a person comes in and wants the music turned up, it gets turned up because he is spending money, (Like nobody else is). In the time I have been coming in, 35 years, I have received two sodas at no charge. No table time discount. That's it! So much for loyalty.

$1 for water is ridiculous... I though Taco Bell was bad for charging 17 cents

Jimbojim · Mar 2, 2011

I never expect to get discount on food or drinks and although I get 50% discount on table time, I do just as much as other players there who get free pool. I practice there, play in tournaments and represent them, I wear their polos. That I feel will come down the road with experience so I'm not fussy about that for now. We have 2 sections in the poolhall and its pretty simple, the front and the back. The front has all the casual recreational players and every serious players play in the back. I just don't understand why the loud BOOM BOOM music every day of the week...its a poolroom, not a night club and there is no one really on sunday-wednesday nights so why the music. I'm sure if I would survey the place on a busy friday night and I would ask the customers if they would care to have different style of music at a lower volume they all probably wouldn't give a damn.......its not like anyone is dancing there anyway...

Quesports · Mar 2, 2011

I do not think that they care one bit about any of their customers at all. The equipment is never maintained, alcohol is WAY overpriced and they just don't care. If they did not have leagues the place would be gone IMO.. The spot for the head ball in the rack has multiple places were you can see the slate on many tables, they actually have no spots they fell off months ago. Level tables, are you kidding, who needs that??? The waitresses keep quitting and they are always hiring new ones, at least I do not have to drive too far to get there though. That is the only good thing about the place I play at.

taylorboi · Mar 2, 2011

My pool hall where I play treats me pretty good I get atleast half off and sometimes I pay$10 for the day as for the service there is pretty good nice tables pretty good and cheap food the pro shop treats me very well but that's because I've spent enough there i would recommend it

Mt. Cheverest · Mar 2, 2011

I get treated well.

Wolven · Mar 2, 2011

I go to 2 halls owned by the same people. I play with the owners sometimes and don’t get charged.
Once in a while get a drink. New Year parties are nice, we all get champagne on the house. If there is a birthday there is cake.
The tournaments are good and leagues are fun. In each case you can play until closing for no extra charge. Sunday evenings you pay 3$/hour.
Most of us know each other and atmosphere is nice. Lots of good competition and some cute girls to look at.

Highmiles · Mar 2, 2011

I have been going to my current place for only 2 Months. They know my name, and greet me when I walk in the door. I pay full price for pool, and for drinks. I ordered a cue through them and got a huge discount (better than the best internet price I found, and no shipping, tax included). After my first 2 trips there, they recruited me for their "house team". I realize this is probably not the norm, and I respond by returning the respect and friendship. I have had similar experiences in the past with pool halls in other towns I lived in.

The Schwartz · Mar 2, 2011

Love my pool hall. Everybody knows my name & what I drink & I only pay for table time if it's real busy. I have never asked, I just tip well & they hook me up. Always have to pay the time on the snooker & 3 cushion table though. They also stay open til 3am & they let me hang out til they're ready to go. Non-regulars have to pay full price for everything.

macguy · Mar 2, 2011

Jimbojim said:
How long have you been playing at that specific room? Do you get free pool or a discount on table time? Is it a poolroom with an atmosphere catered to the players or are they trying to be a nightclub with pool tables?

Tell me how they treat you at your favourite poolhall!

I don't really hang around pool rooms anymore but in the past I always saw the same pattern. Once you become a regular you are taken for granted. They will bend over backwards for some guy who comes in twice a month and runs up a nice bill. Mean time you are spending ten times that because you are there every night. I have seen this pattern in every pool room I have ever gone into and please don't say it must be me, no, it is with any regular.

They take for granted that you will come in and you are almost be treated with contempt. You may even hear a comment like, "Doesn't he have a home". Pool rooms in general are some of the worst run business I have ever come in contact with. They act like the hate their customers and every minute they have to be there.

Think about it and I bet you will be rubbing your chin thinking, He is right, I have experienced that.

justadub · Mar 2, 2011

It's difficult for my room to make table time any cheaper, since it's .25 a game, honor system, put your quarter in the box on the wall. (They have had to put their foot down on people who didn't pay, occasionally. It would have to be quite flagrant for that to happen.)

As it is a fraternal club, the drinks and food are pretty cheap, too.

Most of the bartenders know what I drink, and are reasonably quick any time there isn't a big bunch of people there, at which point we understand the delays in service. (One bartender, and one barback on busy nights. They do pretty well, most all the time.)

My club also pay our APA annual fees, spopnsoring three teams that way.

I'd say they treat us pretty well. :thumbup:

macguy · Mar 2, 2011

bigfred said:
I have been going to the local hall in Sherman Oaks, CA. for over 35 years and do not receive anything different than a newbee. The current owner/operator inherited the place from his father and is all about making money without much concern for the real players. He has 20 tables, but sees more profit in a "sports bar". Lots of big screens, juke box. He started charging for coffee and actually charged $1.00 for a glass of water!! On tournament night, if the place is empty except for tournament players and a person comes in and wants the music turned up, it gets turned up because he is spending money, (Like nobody else is). In the time I have been coming in, 35 years, I have received two sodas at no charge. No table time discount. That's it! So much for loyalty.

I was in one of our local pool rooms and the side fell off a Gold Crown table. The owner was trying to get it back on but didn't know how they go. I went to the car and got a few tools and took off the sides and reassembled the table with everything where it should be all tight and ready to play on. I go out to my car and put everything away and come back in. I am completely covered with dust and dirt, you know what the inside of a table looks like. I sit down at the bar and order a large soda and the wife says that's is $2.25.
This same woman imposed herself on Dennis Searing for a lesson when he was trying to practice, he is a good player by the way and charged him table time when he came up.
Where the "F" do these people come from and why do they have to buy pool rooms especially when they don't play or have a clue about the game?

kevin s · Mar 2, 2011

heres some stuff we try

We are a smoke free/no alcohol family poolroom. we offer a free hour of pool for anyone buying $5 or more at lunch. we also have dollar sundays where we offer pool rates of $1 per person per hour, corn dogs , hot dogs, school pizzas , sm fries , sm drinks all for a buck. I always give my hardcore and very regular customers breaks on pooltime,soda refills,etc. i believe you gotta get people in the habit of coming in first.

supergreenman · Mar 2, 2011

Jimbojim said:
How long have you been playing at that specific room? Do you get free pool or a discount on table time? Is it a poolroom with an atmosphere catered to the players or are they trying to be a nightclub with pool tables?

Tell me how they treat you at your favourite poolhall!

Let's see, they hold 2 tables for me and my team to goof around on every tuesday. They give us a great deal on the table time, and they treat us like we're thier best customers.

I would say they cater less to pool players and more to regular customers of all varieties. They're not a night club, yet they aren't a regular pool hall either.

They have high end drinks and a first class menu.

The Schwartz · Mar 2, 2011

macguy said:
I don't really hang around pool rooms anymore but in the past I always saw the same pattern. Once you become a regular you are taken for granted. They will bend over backwards for some guy who comes in twice a month and runs up a nice bill. Mean time you are spending ten times that because you are there every night. I have seen this pattern in every pool room I have ever gone into and please don't say it must be me, no, it is with any regular.

They take for granted that you will come in and you are almost be treated with contempt. You may even hear a comment like, "Doesn't he have a home". Pool rooms in general are some of the worst run business I have ever come in contact with. They act like the hate their customers and every minute they have to be there.

Think about it and I bet you will be rubbing your chin thinking, He is right, I have experienced that.

Maybe you should start tipping better, or find a different room. I've been rubbing my chin for 5 full minutes and still have never experienced any of those things at my local pool hall. They take extra good care of me and everyone I know.

dmgwalsh · Mar 2, 2011

Like a king. :thumbup:

John Lavin usually bows when I come in.

But I think he may do that for everyone.

They have daytime special rates that are good. During league, table time is included. Otherwise, they usually charge a little less than the going rate.

They buy me a beer once in a while. John has given me some free t-shirts.

Treated very good by Lavin and the rest of the guys.

Not so good by his partner. (Maybe that is because I sued him once.)

How does you local poolroom treat you?

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