glass of water

K

kaznj

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Many pool rooms and bars let league use the tables for free in order to sell food drinks. But, some people just want the free table time. They want to practice and play their matches. They feel the league dues are all they want to spend.
What do you do when you have some people who just want a glass of water?

I once played in a league post season tourny in a bar that was charging a $1 for a glass of water. I don't think this was ridiculous considering that the whole bar was taken over by the tourny.
 
If I had a place I would have a water cooler in the corner. The only water I would serve would be with food or in a bottle. The rent, utilities and labor go on no matter what and table time won't pay the bills. The owner isn't providing a place for people to just hang out it's a business.
 
I'd never put a water cooler in. We sell the midsize (16oz or so) cold bottles for 50 cents. We sell tons of them and make no money, lol. I don't give away the pool time, but I would if I had to. The league players here spend a lot of money. Before I'd charge a buck for glass of water, I'd sell bottles for a buck. More perceived value, even though it's probably the same stuff.
 
There are 4 major and 4 minor APA venues in the city, call them competitors if you want. It is standard to charge $5 greens fees per team at all venues. The only time I give away pool is for a benefit tournament. Water only drinkers? We charge $1.00 for 16 oz bottle of water. But I'm lucky that most of our customers enjoy food and drink.
 
water

We just started bottled water sales. We offer free pool on Sundays and it turned into a bar filled with freeloaders. You'd have groups come in, shoot for 4-6 hours, drink water than not even tip. We finally put a $5 min. purchase stipulation to shoot free pool and now we're the most stingy, greedy people in the world. $5 to shoot all day on clean, level, extremely well maintained Diamonds, that seems like a fair deal to me. Then everybody wonders where all the Halls are going. Brian.
 
I got cussed out one day by a now banned customer. I was all about the money.
 
a1712 said:
We just started bottled water sales. We offer free pool on Sundays and it turned into a bar filled with freeloaders. You'd have groups come in, shoot for 4-6 hours, drink water than not even tip. We finally put a $5 min. purchase stipulation to shoot free pool and now we're the most stingy, greedy people in the world. $5 to shoot all day on clean, level, extremely well maintained Diamonds, that seems like a fair deal to me. Then everybody wonders where all the Halls are going. Brian.
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Thats a screamer deal! I dont know how anyone could complain about that!
 
a1712 said:
We just started bottled water sales. We offer free pool on Sundays and it turned into a bar filled with freeloaders. You'd have groups come in, shoot for 4-6 hours, drink water than not even tip. We finally put a $5 min. purchase stipulation to shoot free pool and now we're the most stingy, greedy people in the world. $5 to shoot all day on clean, level, extremely well maintained Diamonds, that seems like a fair deal to me. Then everybody wonders where all the Halls are going. Brian.
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A place around here has free pool 11-5, with 10$ food purchase. Good daytime business in there.
 
Most the places that had the "Too good to be true" pool or food deals have stopped around St. Louis for the most part. Some of them were last ditch efforts to get some business in. Alcohol and retail sales seem to be the only thing that get people in the door. A voucher program might be better. Spend X amount a dollars and get a voucher for Y number of hours of free pool on next visit?
 
Yes you are providing a hang-out for pool players, if the venue, lets say in this guys case is a league, and the league dues require them to pay league dues, and if someone chooses not to buy anything, which is not uncommon for pool players, since most are cheap, they do not have to buy anything. Charging for free water, is a great way to make sure that you get NO BUSINESS and to piss off potential people who might come back and spend money later.

I know I would be pissed if someone tried to sell me water, as for a water cooler that is free, thats fine too, it works, and it fullfills a basic need water.

What's going to happen next, are people going to get charged to go to the bathroom?

Pool players hang-out, thats part of the culture, thats the way things are, they watch and hang out, they are not required to pay for anything. And if your a room owner and start becoming nit picky, like I have seem some room owners get, you will drive more customers away, and you will gain a reputation that is not wanted.

Just give them the water, and be happy, and thankful that they came into your place, and filled the parking lot, and made your place look popular. Just because one of a bunch wont buy anything does not mean that some others won't, its a part of doing business. Just like some will tip and some wont, serve them all as if they were your best customers, do not pick and choose to serve better tippers than non tippers, you do not have to be happy about them not tipping, but a tip is not required.

My point is serve all people the same, equally, treat them all with respect even if some do not buy, do not make people pay for water...

Come up with a better idea than that for sure....!
 
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jeromyh13 said:
If i do order a water i make sure i tip as if it were an alcoholic beverage.
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Exactly, the bartender would not give one iota of giving a free water to you, if you throw them a tip, just as if you bought something else, I do it all the time, sometimes I buy diet coke, some times water, but always tip, I've never had a problem....
 
It's part of doing business. I give everyone water if they want it. Usually they are with people who will buy food or drink. And usually they tip the waitress or bartender. Just part of good will. On other occasions they may surprise you and order something.
 
jeromyh13 said:
If i do order a water i make sure i tip as if it were an alcoholic beverage.
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I also tip the waitress or bartender,same effort is required on their part so they should receive same compensation,unfortunately not everybody see's it that way.:rolleyes:
 
As a non-bar owner, I think that if a customer likes the business they frequent, they have to support it financially. Pool halls aren't in business to break even. If you think it's okay to hang out for hours on end and drink free water, then you should just buy your own pool table and have people over at your house every night.

However, I also think that the customer should be charged accordingly. If the pool hall is a really nice upscale place, then the customer should get charged for everything, even tap water. But, if the pool hall is a hole in the wall with crappy tables that never get cleaned, then they deserve to go out of business.
 
pletho said:
Yes you are providing a hang-out for pool players, if the venue, lets say in this guys case is a league, and the league dues require them to pay league dues, and if someone chooses not to buy anything, which is not uncommon for pool players, since most are cheap, they do not have to buy anything. Charging for free water, is a great way to make sure that you get NO BUSINESS and to piss off potential people who might come back and spend money later.

I know I would be pissed if someone tried to sell me water, as for a water cooler that is free, thats fine too, it works, and it fullfills a basic need water.

What's going to happen next, are people going to get charged to go to the bathroom?

Pool players hang-out, thats part of the culture, thats the way things are, they watch and hang out, they are not required to pay for anything. And if your a room owner and start becoming nit picky, like I have seem some room owners get, you will drive more customers away, and you will gain a reputation that is not wanted.

Just give them the water, and be happy, and thankful that they came into your place, and filled the parking lot, and made your place look popular. Just because one of a bunch wont buy anything does not mean that some others won't, its a part of doing business. Just like some will tip and some wont, serve them all as if they were your best customers, do not pick and choose to serve better tippers than non tippers, you do not have to be happy about them not tipping, but a tip is not required.

My point is serve all people the same, equally, treat them all with respect even if some do not buy, do not make people pay for water...

Come up with a better idea than that for sure....!
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I highlighted in red(above) what most people seem to overlook. Appearances are everything in business. If your lot is full of cars it looks like you have a hot spot, either for entertainment or action for gamblers.

I like the voucher system mentioned to give something back to the customers spending more at the bar. It reminds me of a cash back option offered by credit cards, the more you spend the more you get back. Heck, you would probably have a few customers that got free pool all the time...lol

Even the cheap skate that only orders the free glass of water is taking up a parking spot. So....he is at least making your place look popular :)
 
We charge $1 for a bottle of water and the rate of return is extremely high for this (but the volume for this is very low). However, if someone asks for a cup of water, then we provide that free of charge (I believe it may be state law for us Californians), not that I mind.
 
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