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Another "Tipping" Story


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Just by chance yesterday I went into a golf store. My wife was checking out a second hand store, and the golf store was near by. 

I was not shopping for anything particular. Just looking at stuff, sometimes drooling a little. 

A young man was in there getting a club fitting of sorts. The store clerk/pro had him swinging a club on a lie board. 

Several minutes later, the customer was done, shook the clerk's/pro's hand, started to leave.

The clerk/pro then proceeded to stop the customer, and tell him that in golf, it is customary to tip your pro $20. The customer looked dumb founded and pointed to a sign that read "free club fitting-no purchase necessary". A little.more conversation ensued, and the customer walked out, probably never to return again. 

I was purchasing a bag of short designer (?) tees, and could hear the clerk/pro complaining to another employee about "cheap bastards" and such. 

I left the store thinking that clerk/pro certainly didn't have much of a future in the golfing business. 

In My Bag:
A whole bunch of Tour Edge golf stuff...... :beer:

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Tipping... in a store? I have to say, I've never heard of such a thing.

KICK THE FLIP!!

In the bag:
:srixon: Z355

:callaway: XR16 3 Wood
:tmade: Aeroburner 19* 3 hybrid
:ping: I e1 irons 4-PW
:vokey: SM5 50, 60
:wilsonstaff: Harmonized Sole Grind 56 and Windy City Putter

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3 minutes ago, Patch said:

Just by chance yesterday I went into a golf store. My wife was checking out a second hand store, and the golf store was near by. 

I was not shopping for anything particular. Just looking at stuff, sometimes drooling a little. 

A young man was in there getting a club fitting of sorts. The store clerk/pro had him swinging a club on a lie board. 

Several minutes later, the customer was done, shook the clerk's/pro's hand, started to leave.

The clerk/pro then proceeded to stop the customer, and tell him that in golf, it is customary to tip your pro $20. The customer looked dumb founded and pointed to a sign that read "free club fitting-no purchase necessary". A little.more conversation ensued, and the customer walked out, probably never to return again. 

I was purchasing a bag of short designer (?) tees, and could hear the clerk/pro complaining to another employee about "cheap bastards" and such. 

I left the store thinking that clerk/pro certainly didn't have much of a future in the golfing business. 

If this was a national chain store, I can almost guarantee that the “pro” was trying to get a little sumptin’ under the table in complete violation of the company policy.

If it were part of my business unit, I’d want to know about it so I could promote that employee...

...to customer.  

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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Idk if it was a national chain or not. It was called "Pro Golf, or Golf Pro. Something like that.

If my wife had not seen the 2nd hand store, we'd never have stopped in that parking lot to begin with. 

 

In My Bag:
A whole bunch of Tour Edge golf stuff...... :beer:

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That doesn't sound right at all! Clearly the sign said "free club fitting - no purchase necessary" and the customer took them at their word. Tipping is never "required" at any establishment. Customers of any service choose whether to tip or not.I'm glad the customer refused.

 

 


  • iacas changed the title to Another "Tipping" Story

This guy is there to establish a relationship with customers and sell clubs. What an epic fail on both accounts.  Instead of disgracefully pandering for a tip, how about giving the customer a business card and telling him to call or stop by any time? And, god forbid, suggest some appropriate clubs and products in various price ranges.  He went from a potential lifelong client to nothing in 10 seconds flat.

  • Upvote 1

In the Bag:

Tour Edge Exotics Driver, 3W, 3H, 4H, 5-PW, Adams Golf 54 and 60 Wedges, Wilson SW, Ray Cook putter.

 

 


On 8/11/2019 at 1:47 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

I could go for a $5 tip from everyone reading this... each time I write a comment.

Darn. Fresh out of fivers. Think I might have a nickel in my pocket. 

I'll leave it on my desk for you to pick up.

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Yikes, not a good look. The big-box golf stores (i.e., Golf Galaxy and PGA Tour Superstore) will generally let you hit and even give you a bit of a fitting without buying anything. Pushing a customer towards those stores is not good business. Especially if it's only lie angle and length, because those take like 5 minutes to do.

-- Daniel

In my bag: :callaway: Paradym :callaway: Epic Flash 3.5W (16 degrees)

:callaway: Rogue Pro 3-PW :edel: SMS Wedges - V-Grind (48, 54, 58):edel: Putter

 :aimpoint:

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19 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

Darn. Fresh out of fivers. Think I might have a nickel in my pocket. 

I'll leave it on my desk for you to pick up.

Thanks.  You know the old saying, "If I had a nickel for every nickel tip I got... I'd have a few nickels." 😁

  • Like 1

What a tragedy for the store.  I echo the sentiment to let management know.  I know part of why Roger Dunn's chain has earned my regular patronage is how well they treated me when I was starting out, ranging from returns to hitting bays (with my awful circa 2006-07 swing) and such.

As for this:

On 8/11/2019 at 10:47 AM, Double Mocha Man said:

I could go for a $5 tip from everyone reading this... each time I write a comment.

You'll get nothing, and like it!

  • Thumbs Up 1

-- Michael | My swing! 

"You think you're Jim Furyk. That's why your phone is never charged." - message from my mother

Driver:  Titleist 915D2.  4-wood:  Titleist 917F2.  Titleist TS2 19 degree hybrid.  Another hybrid in here too.  Irons 5-U, Ping G400.  Wedges negotiable (currently 54 degree Cleveland, 58 degree Titleist) Edel putter. 

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6 hours ago, Shindig said:

You'll get nothing, and like it!

ha ha...

From the land of perpetual cloudiness.   I'm Denny

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26 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

ha ha...

Don’t you people have homes!?

:ping: G25 Driver Stiff :ping: G20 3W, 5W :ping: S55 4-W (aerotech steel fiber 110g shafts) :ping: Tour Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* :nike: Method Putter Floating clubs: :edel: 54* trapper wedge

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7 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Don’t you people have homes!?

Ya, but I'm a kept man....It's just a couple hours before my golf lesson.  

From the land of perpetual cloudiness.   I'm Denny

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Customer service is like common sense nowadays...it is not common anymore. I’d let management know about the incident, maybe they’d want to know why they have no business.  Tip or no tip, they are not supposed to talk about a customer infront of other customers. 

 

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10 hours ago, Shindig said:

What a tragedy for the store.  I echo the sentiment to let management know.  I know part of why Roger Dunn's chain has earned my regular patronage is how well they treated me when I was starting out, ranging from returns to hitting bays (with my awful circa 2006-07 swing) and such.

As for this:

You'll get nothing, and like it!

So far I have one nickel, sitting on the corner of a desk somewhere in Troy, Ohio.


  • Moderator
4 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Don’t you people have homes!?

The world needs ditch diggers too.

  • Like 1

Scott

Titleist, Edel, Scotty Cameron Putter, Snell - AimPoint - Evolvr - MirrorVision

My Swing Thread

boogielicious - Adjective describing the perfect surf wave

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If I was that customer, I would have cancelled my order right there on the spot.

  • Like 1

Bill - 

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