Price gouging because of SBE

[Rain-Man]

If you charge 5.00 per hour today and next week the show starts you prices go up to 7.00 per hour your a greedy bastard. Pretty simple!!!!!

Also I would never go there again, it's not the money just the principle.

Now, you tell me why it's ok to raise your prices show week.

Then go somewhere else, or just stay at home. Its still a somewhat free country, and that is your choice...
Now, my situation isnt the norm nowadays. I provide a top notch place, with excellent service, and am busy almost every day of the week, due to what I provide but also due to being the only game in town that caters to the serious player. When I raise my prices, it is done for various reasons. One, because business demand dictates that I can, but also to keep this type of person away. When the chronic bi*chers/complainers, cheapskates always looking for something for free, freeloaders, and low lifes start coming in on a regular basis, I know its time to raise the prices. It keeps the undesirables out and going somewhere else, and quite a few of my regular customers actually THANK me for it. They are happy to pay an extra .25, or .50 on something just to keep the environment the way they've come to expect and appreciate...

 

[rjb1168]

You can play there if you don't mind getting gouged. If they raised it just during the expo they are greedy bastards period! That's how I feel. I didn't post to debate this.

 

[Koop]

Crap, we were at Sandcastle on Friday night, felt like we played all night, and the bill was around $50. Seemed very reasonable to me.
I was honestly expecting it to be higher.

 

[SUPERSTAR]

The subject was brought up in discussion, when the typical comparison of this expo vs last years, happened.
This room is great, that room was a dump, expo was too small, expo was perfect, etc etc.

There will be no finger pointing at one room or another.
Quite frankly because i wasn't at the expo or any of the local pool rooms, and didn't see things for myself.
BUT, i did have 4 different people who did go to the expo, who have been at the local rooms a bunch of times before, tell me the exact same thing.

Many of us have watched practices like this happen in one way shape or form over the years at each expo.
The tourists rarely pick up on price increases because they are only in the room during the expo, one time a year.

But I can understand both sides of it.
On the one hand, if the tourism of the expo means the pool room makes bank, and they get to stay open, i feel that it's good for pool.

On the other hand for instance, if i were a regular customer, and i am used to buying a hot dog for a $1, they are completely out of their minds if they think i am going to spend $3 on the same hot dog, when it will be back to a $1 when everything is over.

I was just wondering people's thoughts on it in general as some people get really pissed about it, and others just don't care.

 

[Sandman]

Who was gouging? I'd like to know.

I briefly skimmed through this poll/thread and am one that does NOT believe in price gouging personally OR in business.

Just an FYI for out of towners and locals alike;

Most rooms in this area charge $9.50/hour per player and drop $.25-$.50 a player as more join a table. The closer you get to NYC and in NYC it ranges from $10-$13/hour per person.

I cut out all that nonsense and simply charge $6/hour per person by day and $8/hour per person after 6pm. That's 15% LESS than anyone else right from the gate.

IN ADDITION to that, I run a daily special prepaid daytime pass - ALL DAY from 11am-6pm for ONLY $10.00!!! (subject to table availability of course) That's 7 hours of play for LESS than $1.50 an hour!

AND... regular players at Sandcastle ALSO get an additional 20% off their table time. (That does not apply to the $10 day pass)

THESE PRICES WERE NOT ADJUSTED DURING THE EXPO. THAT WOULD BE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE IN MY BOOK.

I left behind a prestigious IT career with full benefits and 401K (402b) and all to save a "players' room" from closing down and set the standard of conditions for pool rooms in the area. I am dedicated to the players and the game. My decision was of PASSION for the game and NOT the $$$ as we all know there is little money in the industry and I knew what I was getting into. Other locations in this area however, are ONLY interested in the $$$ and don't care about the players, the game OR the industry at all! I'd say at least 70% of the room owners and their clients wouldn't know Efren, Strickland, SVB, Mika or Darren if you asked them or if they walked into the room! I think that's a damn shame!

Not only THAT, when I approached local room owners several years ago, I offered to work with them on a fun inter-poolroom competition to bring players together and expose them to competitive high calibur play. Their response was, "I'm not interested in holding tournaments. They don't make me any money." I just shook my head and asked, "So why do you run a pool hall?" He replied, "It's a business."

I invited another room owner in the area to be my guest at an event one time that featured Mika Immonen vs Darren Appleton after Darren won back to back US Opens. He said, "Thanks, but I'm not really a pool person."
Are you KIDDING ME?!?!?!

Anyhow, these are the ones that leisurely players SUPPORT and PATRONIZE and make TONS of $$ for while I struggle to make ends meet at not even minimum wages. I work 18 hours a day 7 days a week for FREE as I'm trying to give pool CPR and a heartbeat again.

All in all, I APPRECIATE the game and the players of all levels whether they realize and appreciate what I do or not. It's all for the love of the game! We ALL need to focus on all the positive out there and support that instead of focusing on the negatives and supporting those that DON'T give back to THE GAME for ALL of us!

I am just curious to see, WHO DID raise their prices? You can and SHOULD point them out - they deserve it. They got PAID for it!

 

[satman]

It happens

What do you guys think about local billiards establishments close to the expo, jacking up their prices on things as a result of the expo being in town.

From food items to table time, etc etc.

Do you agree with this practice or not?

In the early 80's, I was at a Pro event with a couple of friends. They had a separate room for the tourney. Table time in the pool room area, was double what they normally charged, because they figured you were gambling. Their regular customers, still got charged the regular rate, whether gambling or not.

 

[Sandman]

Can any whiners answer the question please???

I briefly skimmed through this poll/thread and am one that does NOT believe in price gouging personally OR in business.

Just an FYI for out of towners and locals alike;

Most rooms in this area charge $9.50/hour per player and drop $.25-$.50 a player as more join a table. The closer you get to NYC and in NYC it ranges from $10-$13/hour per person.

I cut out all that nonsense and simply charge $6/hour per person by day and $8/hour per person after 6pm. That's 15% LESS than anyone else right from the gate.

IN ADDITION to that, I run a daily special prepaid daytime pass - ALL DAY from 11am-6pm for ONLY $10.00!!! (subject to table availability of course) That's 7 hours of play for LESS than $1.50 an hour!

AND... regular players at Sandcastle ALSO get an additional 20% off their table time. (That does not apply to the $10 day pass)

THESE PRICES WERE NOT ADJUSTED DURING THE EXPO. THAT WOULD BE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE IN MY BOOK.

I left behind a prestigious IT career with full benefits and 401K (402b) and all to save a "players' room" from closing down and set the standard of conditions for pool rooms in the area. I am dedicated to the players and the game. My decision was of PASSION for the game and NOT the $$$ as we all know there is little money in the industry and I knew what I was getting into. Other locations in this area however, are ONLY interested in the $$$ and don't care about the players, the game OR the industry at all! I'd say at least 70% of the room owners and their clients wouldn't know Efren, Strickland, SVB, Mika or Darren if you asked them or if they walked into the room! I think that's a damn shame!

Not only THAT, when I approached local room owners several years ago, I offered to work with them on a fun inter-poolroom competition to bring players together and expose them to competitive high calibur play. Their response was, "I'm not interested in holding tournaments. They don't make me any money." I just shook my head and asked, "So why do you run a pool hall?" He replied, "It's a business."

I invited another room owner in the area to be my guest at an event one time that featured Mika Immonen vs Darren Appleton after Darren won back to back US Opens. He said, "Thanks, but I'm not really a pool person."
Are you KIDDING ME?!?!?!

Anyhow, these are the ones that leisurely players SUPPORT and PATRONIZE and make TONS of $$ for while I struggle to make ends meet at not even minimum wages. I work 18 hours a day 7 days a week for FREE as I'm trying to give pool CPR and a heartbeat again.

All in all, I APPRECIATE the game and the players of all levels whether they realize and appreciate what I do or not. It's all for the love of the game! We ALL need to focus on all the positive out there and support that instead of focusing on the negatives and supporting those that DON'T give back to THE GAME for ALL of us!

I am just curious to see, WHO DID raise their prices? You can and SHOULD point them out - they deserve it. They got PAID for it!

Can any whiners answer the question with some FACTS please? Anyone? Anyone? Beuler? Beuler? LOL I guess not. Just crickets in here now...