Author Topic: Are bowling owners going down the right path? (Read 4530 times)

MSC2471 · « **on:** August 15, 2004, 01:59:47 AM »

I was talking with the owner of my fall league house in Winchendon, MA and he spoke about the troubles of getting a consistent draw of people to go bowling. He believes that it is best to go with mini-leagues and open bowling to try to gain more business, and that longer leagues are the wave of the past and don't work as well in 2004. I try to counter with him that I think you need both mini-leagues and long format leagues, as there are a lot of older bowlers who are willing to commit to 8 and 9 month long seasons, all you have to do is get out there and promote yourself. The days of a bowling center just putting out a sign and people coming in like they did 20 and 30 years ago are long gone.

I do like one of the ideas he put forth for a mini-league. He developed a 19 week "Survivor" league that will work on a lot of the same principles as the telvision show. People will be voted out of the league if they lose team games, and eventually there will be one winner. People will also compete for immunity challenges and get special prizes that have been donated from the community if they win these challenges. The eventual winner of the league will get $1,300. And the handicap for each person is based on 100% of 210.

What do you think of your home center(s) and are they going about business the right way to keep a healthy base of new and familiar customers happy?

Matt

scotts33 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 15, 2004, 10:09:59 AM »

Matt-I believe you need both to survive in this day in age. The days of a proprietor opening the doors and expecting business are long gone. The house owners that believe that are not going to be in business down the road.

Scott

seadrive · « **Reply #2 on:** August 15, 2004, 11:33:19 AM »

Hey Doc, seeing as how you are filthy rich and retired, why don't you buy the place? Then you could ask all of us here for our brilliant bowling business ideas, and you would be disgustingly rich.

Whaddya think?

Our local house is about to become a CVS pharmacy. The owner was another one of those guys who think that because his doors are not locked between 10 AM and 10 PM, that the money should just be flowing into his cash register. Guy shows up twice a week to pick up the money, then wonders why so few people are bowling, and his leagues are down 50% from last year.

Spent $50K on glow bowling equipment, instead of fixing the leak in the roof, or fixing the air conditioner, like he promised the summer league for two years in a row. What, you don't want to bowl because it's 85 degrees in here?

Bathrooms are filthy, customer service is... wait, what customer service, there isn't any.

Poor business practices in the industry are as much to blame for the decline as anything.
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seadrive
Cogito ergo bowl

mumzie · « **Reply #3 on:** August 15, 2004, 03:24:35 PM »

Clean restrooms are apparently one of the most important things to keep people coming back. This includes the men's room....

My home house got bought out by the long time center manager a year and a half ago. He's remodeled the center, put in new pinsetters and scorers, remodeled both bathrooms (all good), removed the nursery/day care area (bad), and re-vamped the snack bar and bar (good).

The house is actually full two nights a week IN THE SUMMER!!! and signups are hot and heavy for the fall leagues. I'm thrilled for him. On Friday, the 6:30 league went from 22 teams 2 years ago to 30 this coming year. Our scratch league, which was 12 teams 3 years ago, went to 16, then 20, and I understand it'll be somewhere around 28 this fall.

He's doing something right!!!
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If winning isn't important,
why do they keep score?
---
Vince Lombardi

Lane Bed · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2004, 03:35:05 PM »

A "Survivor league" that throws people out of the league and the center. What a brillant strategy. I can't believe that more proprietors did not think of that one. How about a Fear Factor league where the owner stands by the door and shoots real bullets at his customers as they try to enter. The live ones get to bowl. And we wonder why bowlers are not coming back!

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EvEryOnE rOlls OvEr thE lanE bEd

gbushman · « **Reply #5 on:** August 15, 2004, 03:56:59 PM »

Survivor league - I do NOT understand the full CONCEPT of this one.
If you vote a bowler OFF each week, then that is one LESS bowler each week = less LINEAGE, less PRIZE fund. How is that going to INCREASE income for the league and the HOUSE? If a bowler gets VOTED off, what would make him/her WANT to come back - obviously NOT wanted there. How MANY are voted off EACH week?
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TOO many IDIOTS, so LITTLE time.

ThongPrincess · « **Reply #6 on:** August 15, 2004, 04:52:53 PM »

There has to be more to the Survivor Leage thast you left out. If not then it seems that as others have said it takes away from rather than adds to the increase of business. Once a team/member is voted out, I would assume they no longer pay league fees, so that means the winner has also paid in the most to the league.

On to what proprietors are doing right. The owner of my home center has an interest in 3 separate centers and all 3 are in better shape then when he came on the scene. One of the things he does to bring in bowlers is a Quartermania. There is always a waiting list and people start calling in reservations at 4PM for the 9PM start.

Another thing he did was start a Newcommers league. It is short in duration, about 10-12 weeks, the league fees are about 1/2 the cost of sanctioned leagues, it is non-sanctioned, and they get free game cards for every week they bowl. It gives the bowler a taste of a real league with minimal investment. Several of the teams have moved up to sanctioned competition.

He has also put money into remodeling the bathrooms and Kiddie Room. He has also redone the scoring systems, recarpeted the concorse, and for the most part he keeps the centers clean. One other plus is he knows how to hire people who are personable and friendly and believe in customer service.
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Age is only a state of mind. I lost mine years ago, I will always be young

gbushman · « **Reply #7 on:** August 15, 2004, 06:18:42 PM »

quote:
Another thing he did was start a Newcommers league. It is short in duration, about 10-12 weeks, the league fees are about 1/2 the cost of sanctioned leagues, it is non-sanctioned, and they get free game cards for every week they bowl. It gives the bowler a taste of a real league with minimal investment. Several of the teams have moved up to sanctioned competition.

This is GOOD. Too often the BEGINNERS and YOUTH are ignored. Youth bowlers SHOULD be invested in as THEY will be the adult LEAGUE bowlers of the future.

quote:
One of the things he does to bring in bowlers is a Quartermania.

What IS Quartermania?

quote:
He has also put money into remodeling the bathrooms and Kiddie Room. He has also redone the scoring systems, recarpeted the concorse, and for the most part he keeps the centers clean. One other plus is he knows how to hire people who are personable and friendly and believe in customer service.

MORE good IDEAS that too many either IGNORE or FORGET about. Its NOT just HIGH scoring conditions that keep bowlers.
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TOO many IDIOTS, so LITTLE time.

ThongPrincess · « **Reply #8 on:** August 15, 2004, 10:43:45 PM »

Quartermania is a deal where you pay an admission fee, $6. After the initial fee the cost is $.50/game, $.50 for shoe rental, sodas $.50. Right now they hold it on Sunday and Monday nights from 9PM until midnight. The house is full the whole time. There is a mix of league bowlers practicing and the typical open play, social bowler taking advantage of the Quartermania.

As for the youth bowlers, Saturdays are filled from 9Am until noon with the junior leagues. My only complaint about the Junior program is females are not coached or encouraged to stay in the program like the boys. But that is for another post.
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Age is only a state of mind. I lost mine years ago, I will always be young

MichiganBowling · « **Reply #9 on:** August 17, 2004, 01:21:47 AM »

Thong, quartermania is one of the concepts that is absolutely destroying our sport. You get people used to spending nothing to bowl, then they will not be willing to pay the $2/line that is required for the center to just break even, or the $3.75 national average that helps the centers make enough money to modernize and upgrade every so often, not to mention buying new parts to keep their machines running rather than using duct tape to quick fix. Unfortunately, the dumpy, bought-and-paid-for centers that are not modern at all have to give away their bowling to get people in the door, then they hope to make the money on beer, video games, and snack bar.

Mumzie's post shows us the potential of bowling centers, and Seadrive pointed out that main problem. Poorly run bowling centers is absolutely the #1 cause for the decline in numbers. There are numerous centers in Michigan that are actually doing things correctly and are having very few problems keeping the place full.

I believe the recreational bowling only concept is a very short-sighted concept indeed, and many proprietors have jumped on the bandwagon. In their opinion (and for now they are right), the recreational bowler doesn't complain about lane conditions and is willing to spend $3-$4 per game or more to open bowl. It's a fun night out for $20-$30 for a young couple or a couple of friends. So I cannot blame the proprietor for catering to these bowlers, but why woudln't they want to have their cake and eat it too? Promoting competitive bowling AND recreational bowling just makes good sense, and once your bowling center gets a bad name with the competitive bowlers, it's very difficult to get them back later on.

I could write a book here, but I guess I'll refrain

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Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

guzmand19 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 17, 2004, 02:28:07 PM »

I don't think Quartermania is as destructive as you think. Most people look at it as a huge discount, but is it really? Going by ThP's stats, its $6 a person cover, then 50 cents per game plus 50 cents for shoes.

Cost at the house I bowl in is 8.50 for 3 games or 3.00 a game. If a person plunks down their $6, then they get shoes, they have to bowl 3 games, all they saved was a whopping 50 cents. (6.50 + 1.50) If they only bowl 1-2 games, then they are paying at least (7.00-7.50) and the house wins. Had the people come in any other night, their costs would have been 3-6 dollars plus shoes. Once the people bowl at least 4 games each, then beginning the next game the house loses.
I don't think too many people would actually stay there that long. I know I do, whenever I get the chance. I will bowl at least 7-10 games and get more than my money's worth.
Most of these people bowling quartermania aren't going to gripe about shot conditions, and are going to bring friends to the lanes and all of them will be buying drinks and food the longer they stay so there is a good chance you're going to make money in some way.

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D <~~~~ Used to be terrible wiffing 10 pins. Now through much practice, can wiff any single pin spare at any time.

Darrell Guzman
guzmand19 - Yahoo IM and MSN screen names

MichiganBowling · « **Reply #11 on:** August 17, 2004, 02:44:54 PM »

So Darrell, they're going to rent shoes only if they do quartermania? Is that what you're saying? You forgot to add the regular price for shoes onto your $8.50/3 games rate. Also, in quartermania, 5 games plus shoes = $9 which is less than $2 per game and the shoes depreciate with no revenue to the center.

Sorry man, cheap bowling is baaaaaaad for bowling. I think occassional discounts are good. Quartermania once in a while maybe, but too many centers run these specials way too often.

I'm not saying centers need to rob people, because there are enough that do that without ever upgrading their centers. But there is a middle ground that most nice, modern, clean bowling centers should find.

Give the bowlers a fun and exciting night out, and they'll want to come back again. Give the bowlers a lousy time in a dirty, falling apart center for half off, and they probably won't be back too often.
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Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

hotwire13 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 17, 2004, 03:08:55 PM »

hey Michigan Bowler, did it ever occur to you that if these discounts didnt exist so frequently that only a fraction of the people would even be interested in going? if you dont give people a reason to want to come, such as a discounted price, then why would anyone looking for something to do come to a bowling alley when they could be spending their money on something that might be more recreational to them? and how much does it really hurt the center?...they make money on shoes that keep getting reused, the lanes dont need to get reoiled, and you have an entire center's worth of people going back and forth to the snack bar. doesnt seem like the center is losing any money to me, especially since theyre making guaranteed money at the door regardless of how many games are bowled. for the consumer, it is up to them how much of a discount they really want depending on how much they want to bowl...and unless you bowl one game, in which case the people would have to be complete idiots to do, you will end up saving some money. i dont know of ANY houses near me that have waiting lists at night when theyre paying $4.00 a game...for the price of 2 games, you could be watching a $100 million movie. and thats without shoes and food.
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RED STRIPE

ITS BEER
HOORAY BEER!

MichiganBowling · « **Reply #13 on:** August 17, 2004, 04:14:29 PM »

I suppose this is one of those subjects that will vary regionally.

Hotwire, the reason that people should want to bowl is because IT'S FUN, not because it's nearly free. You say you don't know of any centers around you that have waiting lists during prime time for $4/game, well I do. Almost every center that charges $3.50 + have waiting lists in most of Michigan on Friday nights and Saturday nights. The reason they can do this? Because they offer a fun and exciting night in a clean, modern bowling center with all of the bells and whistles like cosmic/glow bowling and loud music. It's a club-like atmosphere and the young people love it!

Again, this is a regional difference. I don't doubt that things are different in your area. I am curious where you live Hotwire and Bring-Your-A-Game.

I will tell you Bring-Your-A-Game that every center in my area that is modern makes way way way more on prime time than the crappy bowling centers make with quartermania. And yes, as far as I can tell, only the crappy bowling centers run quartermania around here. They cut corners with their league bowlers every chance they get because they cannot afford to run things properly. Machines break down, poor service, bla bla bla. Those centers also get all of the riff raff that the modern centers don't get as well.

Understand that I'm not making this stuff up just as I understand that you're not making your stuff up either, please! I suppose I'm spoiled up here in Michigan.
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Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

MichiganBowling · « **Reply #14 on:** August 17, 2004, 04:19:01 PM »

One other thing...

I've seen numerous bowling centers go out of business in that last 10 years, and they were all of the centers that did $1 bowling and other such nonsense. So it is in fact hurting these centers financially to give away their bowling like this.

Also, I never said "never do any discounts", Mr. Hotwire. I said that too many places run cheap bowling way too often.
--------------------
Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

Author Topic: Are bowling owners going down the right path? (Read 4530 times)

MSC2471

Are bowling owners going down the right path?

scotts33

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

seadrive

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

mumzie

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

Lane Bed

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

gbushman

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

ThongPrincess

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

gbushman

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

ThongPrincess

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

MichiganBowling

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

guzmand19

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

MichiganBowling

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

hotwire13

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

MichiganBowling

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?

MichiganBowling

Re: Are bowling owners going down the right path?