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Author Topic: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....  (Read 5079 times)

perfecone

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BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« on: May 04, 2004, 08:14:37 PM »
is a league contract not really a league contract?  guys I need your help, or at least some advice.  I am the secretary of our league, we signed a contract to return next season to the same house we bowled in this season, An AMF owned house, here in sunny Grand Rapids michigan, and I was just contacted by the center manager and told that he needs to inform me that our contract has been rescinded. No information as to why, just the company line, over and over again, your contract has been rescinded.  6 weeks agao when they were pushing for our contract it was all good, but something has changed and he woudnt tell me wht it was.  I contacted his district manager who told me that it was simply "a business decision"  it seems that they have another league that wanted to move to our spot and they could guarantee more teams, and get this,"he was doing me a favor and letting us know early enough so we could find another house before it was to late"....he was the good guy, not honoring our contract was actually a good business decision, in his mind, and we shouldnt be to upset, because they were just helping us out by making sure we knew early enough.  well guess what, ther are few league openings for out whole league, we dont know what we will do and other than not doing business with amf in the future, I am at a loss.  any suggestions would be appreciated.
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any day bowling is a good day
go mets
strikes can win the game but spares can win the tournament
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JOE FALCO

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2004, 11:31:35 AM »
Just for curiosity .. how big is your league (number of teams/bowlers)? How many weeks were you scheduled to bowl? What was the time slot you had agreed too? How long had the league been bowling in that center? Is it a MIXED/SENIOR or what type of league?

If you have a copy of the contract .. was there anything mentioned about RESCINDING the contract? I've heard rumors about possible closing of AMF CENTERS .. you mention it's due to another league coming in .. have you heard other leagues in the same house talking about RESCINDED CONTRACTS?

I have NO ANSWERS on possible actions .. but wanted to know as much as possible for future reference .. THANKS!
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Hit them light and watch them fight
      J O E - F A L C O
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perfecone

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2004, 12:23:30 PM »
more info on our league.............we swithced the prev. year from another house because the shouse had turned into a dump.  when we switched the amf house was thrilled to have us, all was well. our leaguew was 8 teams, but 2 never showed in sept. so we started with 6.....we then lost 1 and bowled all year with 5 teams and 1 sub team( we let anyone bowl  on this team and just charged lineage, so they house would benefit a little)  BUT......we had a good season, some of our former teams want to come back, we were planning on 10 to 12 teams next year......we were back on track.  more later........gotta go back to work....hehe
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any day bowling is a good day
go mets
strikes can win the game but spares can win the tournament
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perfecone

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2004, 02:19:20 PM »
the decision came from above the mgrs....it was the district mgr.  He was nice enought to take my call and basically explainrd  to me that it was nothing but a business decision, and oh yeah they were doing us a favor by letting us know now and not in the fall. so I guess we should be grateful.  he also is willing to give us a great rate at asother AMF house in the area if we wanted to be that foolish and trust him.  I asked him this question, what is the point of a contract for the leagues to sign when it can  br rescinded if the house feels like it wants to.  The contract essentially guaranteed us nothing, no lanes, no pricing(I suppose they could raise the rates if they choose to), and not even the courtesy of their help if they felt our league was stuggling.  It only guaranteed them that the lanes would be filled, but not byu who, I guess.  he agreed, reluctantly, and wasnt sure why they have contracts if it is this easy for them to change thier corporate mind.
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any day bowling is a good day
go mets
strikes can win the game but spares can win the tournament
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JOE FALCO

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2004, 05:15:38 PM »
I'm not saying POSITIVELY .. but .. it may NOT have been a CONTRACT that you signed .. MAY have been a COMMITMENT (a PLEDGE) to be back next season.If it was a CONTRACT did the CENTER SIGN AS WELL .. or was it only THE LEAGUE? Assuming it was a COMMITMENT I don't think you have much of a LEGAL action ..

Appears that with 5 teams and a lot of maybe's .. the CENTER doesn't have a TOUGH DECISION to make! Can't understand why the house can't FIT IN a small group like that! Either it's a VERY BUSY NIGHT or a FAIRLY SMALL CENTER! People on BR say that bowling is DYING .. if you have a CENTER that is FULL ON LEAGUE NIGHTS .. maybe things are TURNING AROUND!
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Hit them light and watch them fight
      J O E - F A L C O
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perfecone

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2004, 11:45:31 PM »
hey guys thanks for the feedback.  I hope to hear from some of the heavy hitters on this site like sawbones(the voice of reason here) and maybe sterner etc.   to clarify, we signed the standard league contract, they rescinded our contract, their words exactly, not a committment, a ontract.  secondly we have committments from at least 10 teams for next year, our league was growing, I have to tell approximatly 50 bowlers, hey guess what guys, AMFtold us to F--K  off.  They admit that what they are doing is wrong but since it is good business, so what.  I wonder if they are getting more for the lineage as well, I dont know that, that might be the real underlying reason.  I just dont know what to do.  I intend to write a nice long letter and send it off to amf corporate, I also will call their 800 number jsut to vent....any other ideas, please share with me.
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any day bowling is a good day
go mets
strikes can win the game but spares can win the tournament
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AMP750

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2004, 01:11:04 AM »
Hey Cone
What is the name of the center and where it is located at??
What is there AMF Center number??
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If you knock down 10 pins always smile,no matter how they fell. An X on the 1st ball is 1 step closer to 300.

perfecone

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #7 on: May 06, 2004, 09:04:11 AM »
comet lanes........grand rapids michigan.....during my calls to other house looking for an available slot for our league to move,still no luck,the other house were amazed and shocked that any house would do this. Throwing a league out that had a contract is apparantly very rare, especially so that you can bring in a different league. The independant houses have said to me,"they did what?"....and  "thats unbelievable"  etc.  I am still pretty ticked off and not sure what we are going to do.....things have a way of working out, The LORD has a plan, even when it comes to silliness like this.. guess he wants us bowling in a different house.
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any day bowling is a good day
go mets
strikes can win the game but spares can win the tournament
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card79

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2004, 09:21:17 AM »
Well no matter if they can get more money from somebody else or even fill more lanes the guys statement to you is crap that this is a business decision.  As a business man here is how I look at it.  They are setting a legal precident that there contracts are worthless they won't even follow them so why should anybody else.  Secondly This is a public relations nightmare.  My best advertisement is word of mouth it can also be the biggest kick in the shorts.  Hum imagine if the local sports section got a hold of that WOW.
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I don't really play cards and I am not 79, but it fits together somehow.

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LuvThatWhiteDot

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2004, 09:29:24 AM »
quote:
This is a public relations nightmare.  My best advertisement is word of mouth it can also be the biggest kick in the shorts.  Hum imagine if the local sports section got a hold of that WOW.


I'd copy the contract and write a complaint letter to the local association and local newspapers.  Does your association have a weekly or biweekly bowling mag?  If they do I'd send it to them as well.
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White Dot
Making life miserable for 10 pins everywhere
http://faldo.atmos.uiuc.edu/FBL/mkting.html

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AMP750

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2004, 10:34:27 AM »
Hey Cone
Send me a copy of your letter and your contract. I know some people at AMF and I will see what I can find out ??
Thanks!
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If you knock down 10 pins always smile,no matter how they fell. An X on the 1st ball is 1 step closer to 300.

perfecone

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2004, 06:28:40 PM »
ttt
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any day bowling is a good day
go mets
strikes can win the game but spares can win the tournament
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Juggernaut

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2004, 06:44:04 PM »
Sounds to me like they are changing their names meaning. Maybe they got tired of "American Machine & Foundry".  Sounds like they're going for "Absolute Mother Fu**ers"!

  I would try to make as much negative publicity about this as possible!  Get word to the newspapers. Journalist just LOVE a juicy story with blood all over it, kind of like sharks. If it comes down to it, let the manager and the district manager know about it.

  If you get enough publicity, you might even be able to start not only a boycott against those lanes in particular, but one of A.M.F. as a whole. Lots of people are unhappy with the service and quality of the houses that A.M.F. has taken over the last couple of years.  Might not be as hard as you think.

  Hit them where they will notice, IN THE POCKETBOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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michelle

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2004, 07:40:22 PM »
Another possibility, given how many centers they have managed to close down is that the center may be close to being shuttered for good...have there been any other leagues in that center getting similar recissions of their contracts?

I can only bring back to the top again what a particular District Manager *cough cough*Jairo*cough cough* told me during an interview for a managerial position in Austin--League bowlers are not important.

And, to be perfectly blunt, they DID do you a favor by telling you now instead of in a couple of months.  At least now you have the opportunity to explore your options with other centers, many of whom would probably be willing to cut you a better deal for at least the first year to get you in for the season.
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perfecone

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Re: BOYCOTT AMF LANES or when....
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2004, 10:28:41 AM »
hey guys, as a side note, I did call the district mgr, mr Paone, and invite him to address our league at our bowling banquet next week, so that he could tell all the bowlers about the favor he is doing for us(sarcasm),  he respectfully declined citing a business meeting in Richmond va. all week.
Go figure, he doesn't want to face the music.  I am writing a letter and mailing it off to corporate after I get it signed by all the league. maybe it will help, we will see.
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any day bowling is a good day
go mets
strikes can win the game but spares can win the tournament
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