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Author Topic: just what does it cost??  (Read 11942 times)

badbeard

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just what does it cost??
« on: June 13, 2014, 05:17:55 PM »
i have been wondering for many years just how much does it cost to one pair of  oil lanes for league night on average.
here in east tx it is like they are  saving thousands by not oiling  the lanes or by using the least oil to get by   

 

Ratt_bowling

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2014, 06:29:53 PM »
The guy at my bowling center said it cost them $0.50 per frame to run things.  He does not look like an accountant though  ;)

Ken De Beasto

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2014, 08:18:02 PM »
I rum the lanes for my house and we'll it's like 120 to 150 for 2.5 gallon of lane cleaner but I mix it with water to last longer and about 120 bucks for 5 quartz of lane conditioner which is oil and it takes about 1/4 of each item for 44 lanes each time so I don't know exact number but yea don't think it's super expensive,  my guess 20 bucks for 44 lanes

BallReviews-Removed0385

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2014, 09:49:50 PM »

It's not expensive at all compared to chasing away your most loyal customers who WILL go somewhere else if there is another facility that will take better care of them.

I manage a 32 lane center.  Every lane gets oiled every day.  They get re-oiled before a league, so many of them get stripped and oiled twice in a 24 hour period.  It's part of the cost of doing business.  It's not optional, in my opinion. 

Compared to all the other expenses of the business, the cost of oiling lanes is minimal, and shouldn't be looked at as anything other than essential...

Ken De Beasto

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2014, 10:03:07 PM »
Yeah exactly should be by default required to oil the lanes. I oil them on morning and again before league. Centers shouldn't be worried bout a couple hundred bucks they should worry on that 30000$ electrical bill a month he he he that's just electrical , then again my house has a bar with many tvs but pretty sure most of the electricity is from the pinsetters.

batbowler

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2014, 07:17:35 PM »
Wow! $30,000 a month electric? We just have a small 20 lane center and our bill is about $2300 a month.
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itsallaboutme

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2014, 08:36:05 PM »
You wouldn't spend $30k a month on electricity for a 60 lane center in Phoenix with the thermostat set at 60 in August.

Dave81644

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2014, 09:56:34 AM »
$30,000 is way to much
i would bet its 3,000.00
I know of a center here that is double that size and quite busy, and its nowhere near that much

MI 2 AZ

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2014, 02:15:18 PM »

It's not expensive at all compared to chasing away your most loyal customers who WILL go somewhere else if there is another facility that will take better care of them.

I manage a 32 lane center.  Every lane gets oiled every day.  They get re-oiled before a league, so many of them get stripped and oiled twice in a 24 hour period.  It's part of the cost of doing business.  It's not optional, in my opinion. 

Compared to all the other expenses of the business, the cost of oiling lanes is minimal, and shouldn't be looked at as anything other than essential...

I wish more centers were like yours or at least that ours was. :)

24 lane center, last eight lanes have the automatic bumpers so that is where all the kids parties and most open bowling is placed.  Center has a policy of having four lanes available for open bowling at all times so no league can be larger than 20 teams which when this policy was first put into action, cost some leagues to lose teams and now it seems most leagues are shrinking rapidly.  Most of their weird policies are because the upper management (not the center manager) do not have a bowling background.  They are more concerned about the local golf course they run.

Center only oils before each league the lanes that will be used plus one pair for breakdown and as most leagues start on lane 1 that means that the high end of the house is dry.  Of course, those are the only lanes that are available for practise during or just before leagues.  One counterperson (a league bowler) will oil the entire center during their shift once a week otherwise the last few lanes usually only see oil maybe one other time during the week.  I have given up trying to bowl practise on those last four lanes unless I need to test a dry lanes ball. 

I have been told that they are trying to save money so that is why the lanes are not oiled as much.  I have to believe that the friction of the balls on dry lanes have to be causing more wear on the lane surface than if there was oil on them but they don't seem to believe that.

Nearest modern center is 70 miles away so no local competition for the center and no other lanes in town.
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BallReviews-Removed0385

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2014, 03:17:44 PM »
MI 2 AZ,

Thanks for the compliment.

We're far from perfect, and can always get better, but we'll keep trying.  One thing I do know is that happy bowlers spend money.  They come and practice between league sessions because they know they'll have something to bowl on.  It's just one area that we should not cut corners on.  Enough said.

avabob

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2014, 10:05:36 AM »
Friction is indeed a factor that people who don't want to oil the lanes should consider.  Unfortunately the world is full of examples of short term savings leading to long term expenses.  Lane oil is expensive, but necessary to preserve your investment as much as to provide a satisfactory playing environment.

Radical In RI

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2014, 10:50:59 AM »
We oil daily (every lane) no matter what.  Some days depending on league play we will oil twice per day.  Also on the weekends we will have a couple different lane patterns out for people to practice on, especially during the summer when we have a sport league going. 

The cost of oiling is far less than than the potential ramifications of not oiling for not only your customers but also your lane surfaces.

And to the above poster, 30K a month for electric?!?!?!?! I do not beleieve that number can be anywhere close to correct.  If it is you are getting hosed big time by either your service provider or something in your building draining that much power.

Ken De Beasto

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2014, 06:34:20 PM »
Iono u guess not 30 ggrand for the ex factory of panasonic nw turn into bowling/full arcade / full restaurant ccenter Im at . But my hydroponic( growing trees) lights 8 of emm running me 800 bucks already so iono.

milorafferty

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2014, 06:52:26 PM »
30K sound like for the entire facility. You could have that large of an electric bill if you have a lot of restaurant equipment like electric pizza ovens.
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northface28

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Re: just what does it cost??
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2014, 07:26:44 PM »
Iono u guess not 30 ggrand for the ex factory of panasonic nw turn into bowling/full arcade / full restaurant ccenter Im at . But my hydroponic( growing trees) lights 8 of emm running me 800 bucks already so iono.

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