[Ozzello]

January this year I decided to take up golfing again, after about 12 years. Wanting to play my best, I started with replacing my outdated driver. Went to Edwin Watts on 466 and a clerk helped me through hitting 3 or 4 drivers. He explained the results on the launch monitor and I bought a nice used Cobradriver for 100 bucks.

A few weeks later I decided to replace the old irons. I went straight to EW. Browsed the racks and saw some like new used Pings for 5 or 6 hundred. The 7 iron had some tryout marks on it already, so I grabbed it of the rack, and asked one of the clerks if I could hit a few balls with it. The guy didn't answer me, but started walking REAL slow toward the launch monitor, and asks me "How much money you got?"
Now I giggle a bit, and turn to roll a ball up to hit, and this guy isn't cracking a smile, nor setting up the monitor. I thank him for his time, and leave.
Yes I am a bit younger (48) And I was wearing a t-shirt..but it was clean, and I make around 100K a year, I can afford any set of clubs in the store. heck, I almost bought a set of Honma irons.
Bought a set of Nike VR irons, and a set of Callaway X tour forged irons. Elsewhere.

Then in June, I decide I want a new putter. Yes, I got it bad. Being left handed, there aren't many demos for us, so I make the rounds to all the shops in the area. One crabby clerk isn't going to cause me to stay out a store. I stop in and putt a couple with every LH putter in the store. Nothing seemed better than the 2-ball putter I have, so I smiled and headed for the door. The nice guy that had helped me get the driver says " Thanks for using our air conditioning!" Yea, got to be the t-shirt.
Bought a Ping Anser, A Callaway Tank, and a Callaway Versa Metal X.... elsewhere. I like the Tank best.

Since then, I have bought a $400 Hybrid rangefinder, New Cobra 3 and 5 woods, several hybrids, 3 new Cleveland wedges and 5 Vokey wedges. I use 4-5 gloves a week and have another shop order them in bulk for me. I also bought one of those cart bags that your clubs spin around in. 2 pairs of shoes so far, and about $50 a week in balls. I would list the rest of what I have bought in the last year, but I want to get back to the real subject.

Last week, after much research, I decided to try some Winn dri tac grips out. I stopped at, yes, EW on 466. I asked if they had them, and they did. But they didn't have red and black, just the plain black. I grabbed a wedge and had them put one on for a trial run. I liked it so far, so I went and bought 10 red and black grips online, and on the way to the range, stopped in at EW ( hey, it is on the way to the range where I spend ... well nevermind) and ask if they had time to put on a set of grips. "Sure! This guy here will do it".. I tell them I have my own grips, and they both look at me like I spit on the floor. "Well, actually, he is about to leave and won't have time." Another clerk is walking up.. " Oh and, we are running a really big sale today and can't tie up anyone to do it". I am the ONLY customer in the STORE.

Well Edwin W. I don't care if you have a magic set of golf clubs that would make me a tour winning pro and no one else has them, I will NOT set foot in YOUR STORE again.

[Walter123]

A gripe about grips and a magic set of clubs! I want a pair of shoes that will let me walk over water hazards! Oh, and a ball that floats......

[fred53]

"I use 4-5 gloves a week"

Something doesn't add up...

[DonH57]

I wouldn't have returned there the first time I was treated that way. Why go back?

[golf2140]

That's like buying motor oil, then taking it to a service station to have it replaced in your motor vehicle. Just my thoughts!!

[Fourpar]

...I'm sure they will miss you.

[Ozzello]

No they won't. And though the vocal minority reading this (5/325 at the moment) have snide comments, I believe the majority of those reading this see the point I am making here. Should a person always make a purchase if they step into a store?

My mother was a waitress in a small diner many years ago. She was the 'new girl' there. Three scruffy men in old clothes came in and sat at one of the other girl's tables, but they made my mom wait on them. She treated them with the same sweetness and respect she would have given any other customer. They were millionaires in town fishing for a couple weeks. They left her a $100 tip, back in the 1960s.

The clerks are probably just lazy, and figured some pick up truck driving guy with a southern accent was no one that would ever talk to the manager, or anybody else about the crappy treatment. Like the waitresses in that diner making my mom wait on what they thought were just three poor country bumpkins, they were wrong.

[Ozzello]

Originally Posted by fred53

"I use 4-5 gloves a week"

Something doesn't add up...

I play or practice several hours a day during the week, and all day on weekends.. and like as good a grip as I can get. You know, like with a new glove?

[Ozzello]

Originally Posted by DonH57

I wouldn't have returned there the first time I was treated that way. Why go back?

I see your point. And now I won't.

[redwitch]

I understand the complaints and why you were unhappy. I do, however, have an issue in your behavior. You should have spoken to the manager, give him a chance to make things right for you and teach his employees how to treat customers. If the manager did nothing, then don't go back. Complaining here is good in that it warns us what to expect in an establishment, but only the manager or owner can make a difference.

[Ozzello]

Originally Posted by golf2140

That's like buying motor oil, then taking it to a service station to have it replaced in your motor vehicle. Just my thoughts!!

The new golf store east of there on 466, actually seemed glad to do it, for $1 a grip instead of the $3 per grip EW charges. Crazy huh? Almost like they like what they do, or knew somehow that I am a loyal kind of guy, that will return there to make my larger purchases.

By the way, I worked at an oil change place, and we had several regular customers that brought in their own oil, because we didn't carry the kind of oil they wanted to use.. you know, like wanting a certain color grip...

[Ozzello]

Originally Posted by redwitch

I understand the complaints and why you were unhappy. I do, however, have an issue in your behavior. You should have spoken to the manager, give him a chance to make things right for you and teach his employees how to treat customers. If the manager did nothing, then don't go back. Complaining here is good in that it warns us what to expect in an establishment, but only the manager or owner can make a difference.

I talked to the asst. manager. Got a glib apology. Also told him I planned to post here. Will speak with the manager Monday. If he apologizes I will post that he did. He does anything more than that, I will remove this post.

[ajbrown]

If you use gloves that fast check out this site:

MG Golf: Cabretta Leather Golf Gloves, Golf Gloves ...

I like the 'DynaGrip Elite Glove'. They often run sales where that glove is $12.95 (for two).

I use a glove every 4-5 rounds and then I transition them into 'range gloves'. I thought that was a lot before I read your post . I never forget playing with my Dad who would use a glove forever. It would come out of the bag like a dried up leaf, might even have a hole or two.

I used to joke with him: "You know you can buy a new glove without replacing your whole set of clubs".

Anyway, I have no point except to share a place where IMO you get quality (soft cabretta leather) gloves for a decent price...

[John_W]

Originally Posted by Ozzello

The new golf store east of there on 466, actually seemed glad to do it, for $1 a grip instead of the $3 per grip EW charges. Crazy huh? Almost like they like what they do, or knew somehow that I am a loyal kind of guy, that will return there to make my larger purchases...

What is the new golf store east of there on 466, I'm not aware of any?

EW I've been in about 40 times over the past 3 years. They usually are polite but due seem to be quite loud with their conversations and comments about sports teams, players and whatever else is on their mind. Makes me feel like I'm in an office with other workers but I don't know any of them. I've bought clubs there because they take trades and I'm sometimes too lazy to sell them on eBay.

I've been using Nike Dura-Feel Gloves for about 4 years, they are about $10 to $12 at most places. You can find them online, a four pack for $25. I play about once a week 18 holes on a championship and they last me about 2 to 3 months.

I've had gray Wynn Dri-Tac grips on my clubs for the past year, they feel great at first but don't keep the tackyness for long. I had bought them and had them installed at the Sarasota Pro Shop in TV. They charged $10 a club for grips and labor. I had them replaced last week at Jim's Golf Shop with Golf Pride Tour Wraps in white, grips and labor was $90. That's a nice shop owned by a Villager in front of Target, between the Century Link Store and Jersey Mike's Subs.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

The clerks in all of those big box golf stores are all on commission. They don't want to talk to anyone that they don't think they're going to make any money from.
There is also an attitude of we need to make money right now and the heel with the future that permeates these kind of operations today. Most decent PGA professionals will try to spend time with you to build a relationship. These stores don't care about that. At the end of each day all they look at is how much did this salesman sell and how much profit was there from it. I know, I worked for a couple of them and I witnessed this first hand. They'll say one thing and do another.

I would only go to a PGA professional at a golf course or a small one owner shop for any golf equipment. Of course you won't see the selection there, or you might pay a few dollars more, but you will get what you need and you will be treated right.

The deal with the grips is a bit murky. If someone came into my shop with their own grips, I would have put them on and then let him know that I can provide grips at a lower price. I would also let him know that when he needs grips in the future, I would be happy to measure him and make sure that he has the right size and model grip for his hands. I would maybe charge him a bit more than I would for my labor than I would if he had gotten the grips from me. After all, if he comes and gets grips from me, I would charge him for the installation and the price of the grips on which I would make a small profit.

The customer doesn't see the price broken down like this, but there is the cost of the grip, my time and my expertise in addition to any equipment that I own and materials that I use.

In other words I would take care of the customer and hope to build a relationship with him in the future. Big corporations don't think like that. They only want to know how much money they made today. They aren't interested in building a relationship. They depend on having a great selection and lower prices to keep their customers from coming back. That's why I couldn't work for them any more. I didn't like them and they didn't like the way I operated.

Unfortunately, a lot of customers see only lower prices. That's why these companies are so successful.

So, do yourself a favor. Find a good PGA professional that you like and get a long with. spend some time building a relationship with him or her. The support that person that you can trust to always do the right thing by paying a bit more for the peace of mind.