The guy who owns our local pro shop, Skip, is very nice.  He is knowledgable, and will drill a retail price ball with inserts, and will help us bowlers who are confused or just don't know.

But on the other hand, some dumb employee who works there sometimes, I don't like.  He seems to have no knowledge of anything, and gives nothing at all except drilling.  Whenever I get a ball drilled, I just wait until Skip is there.  I remember, when I got my first reactive ball drilled, the guy didn't even explain the difference between conventional and finger-tip, I went with finger tip, and then had to shell out more money to get it plugged and redrilled.  But when Skip was there.

I'm not even going to bother with the other guy anymore, when for the same price, I get help, intelligence, and inserts from Skip.  

Obviously I seem to have both sides, the knowledgable, helpful good driller, and the kind who knows nothing, and just wants money.

Either they're not paying attention or they don't really care.  Then of course there are the other ones that are constantly hounded by people who want their ball drilled NOW, and get very impatient if their ball takes so much as a minute longer.  The customers aren't the only ones who have a right to get upset, they can be very unreasonable, and it happens most of the time.  They want something now, perfect, and cheap and expect you to get on your knees and thank them for coming to you.  If you want something done correctly, bring it to me, sit down, and shut up.  How many of you squabble about getting a ball drilled, but will go right out and drop 300 bucks on a new driver or softball bat without even thinking about it?  All the guys at those stores just ring you up, they don't have to specially calibrate it or anything.
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The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from Shrek!

"You know how you tryin to give somebody the hint, but they won't leave, then there's that big awkward silence, you know . . . ."

FORUM allows you to speak your piece .. others have .. this is NOT a direct response to ANYBODY .. just thoughts from what I've read: Do I need certain pitches in my thumb/fingers? Am I growing every time I buy a ball and my SPAN changes? Am I unhappy with the drilling of my CURRENT ball? If I answer NO to all these questions I asked myself .. Do I want to spend $75 for a DRILLING or spend 1/2 that and have the ball drilled like my last one! I guess there's a lot of questions I have to ask MYSELF!
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Hit them light and watch them fight
      J O E - F A L C O

In the grand scheme of things, who is to say what is too much?  The market says.  Joe Falco, Sheet, and others have their opinions, and that is all they are is opinions.  If this guy can get $75.00 for drilling, is making his customers happy, is doing a good job as far as they are concerned, then MORE power to him.

Joe F, the reason that you haven't gotten any drillers to admit that $75.00 is too high is because any GOOD driller would like to be making that much.  Unlike what Bamaster said, I charge $50 for drilling.  I give enough service that it is worth it.  GOOD drillers do that, we can let our work speak for itself.  Unknowledgeable, less talented drillers have to lower their price, because they can't do as good a job, $50.00 would be too much for their lesser service.  You get what you pay for.  The GOOD drillers know what is involved in giving good service, the cost of tools, maintenance on said tools and equipment, etc....

What happens when I suggest a ball for a customer and it is the wrong ball, period.  I eat it.  The ball comes back to me and I replace the ball with one that will perform to expectations, given that Isuggested this ball.  It was my mistake.  Luckily, that doesn't happen often.  A lesser pro shop would not do that.  That guarantee is part of why I can charge more.  Better service.

Somebody said that I said something about the Tour truck, which I haven't, but I will.  Last year it was $25.00 for drilling, milling holes was more.  They don't keep anybodies specs, you have to know your own.  They don't finish off the holes, you do.  They don't glue in the grips, you do.  If they make a mistake, too bad, usually.  They have one guy marking off lines, and 1-3 guys mashing holes.  Very streamlined, but they drill alot of balls.  They have a monoply, you can't compete with them, too expensive.  You also couldn't make a living trying to.  I'm lucky, I know my own specs and marked off my own lines.  They don't give much advice on layouts, surfaces, anything, just mash holes, they don't have time.  The ball company reps do the other things, but you have to ask for their advice, and their staff players come first.  I'm lucky again, I know most of those guys, so I can do ball talk pretty easily.

Somebody mentioned that you gotta be able to hit the lines.... If you don't mark off the lanes the same way every time, doesn't matter if you hit them or not.  Ball drilling requires more than most of you understand to do an excellent job.  I see work from some so called "pro" shop operators all the time.  I know who did the work just by looking at it.  I also DON'T see balls from a couple other shops very often, they do good work.

Unfortunately there are two large majorities in this industry.  The majority of bowlers don't want to pay for quality work, they mostly started off with crappy work and therefore don't want to pay for better.  The large majority of pro shops do shabby work, and have to lower their price in order to make sales.  A guy such as myself is seen as the bad guy, because I'm trying to make money.  I know more, do more, experienced more, provide more, therefore I can charge more.  That's business, supply and demand.  It has/is very hard to stick to my guns and charge my price to keep new people from going down the street.  BUT, the people that really want MY service will pay for it, those that don't won't, they will get what they pay for.  You don't see any pro shop owners drive around in Suburbans or Escalades too often.  If you do, their wife makes good money, or their family has money more times than not.  

Just like you say you did Joe Falco, I work hard, very hard, seven days a week.  I want to be compensated for my effort and expertise.  Why am I a bad person because I'm trying to provide for my family and have some of the decent things in life?

Maybe the knowledgeable people on here should do reviews for FREE.  Maybe I should get paid for everytime somebody clicks on my review.  I like that.  Then if you don't want to read a knowledgeable review, you get to read a crappy one for free.  Yeah, that's the ticket!!!!!  LOL!!!!
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Mike Austin
Mike Austin's Precision Pro Shop
Houston, TX
strikes4days@sbcglobal.net
Storm Pro Shop Staff Member
Vise Grips Staff Member


Onward through the Storm!!!!

Check out my web site - www.BirdDogBowling.com