I mostly buy used balls online and occasionally some new stuff. Just bought the wife a Diva Pearl through the pro shop and price was competitive to what I would've paid online plus having him drill it. A week later I  asked for a price on another ball and it was way out of line, so I purchased online and will take it in to be drilled. I take all my stuff and the wife's to the same driller. Is this frowned on by pro shops? Do they make enough drilling equipment that they don't mind it or is it more of hassle for them drilling stuff not being purchased through them? Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm still new to bowling and am just curious how this sort of thing works. Thanks.

Any money is good money. Write that down!

On line purchases is the reason a lot of pro shops are failing, as much as it hasn't been admitted on this post YES it does bother pro shop operators that you buy on-line. There really is nothing to give an analogy of the feeling a pro shop operator gets when they loose money to on-line. On line may save you money but it cost you so much more.

Why are balls so much more in a shop? Lets go over some things...

1. On-line has no inventory to deal with most just use drop shipping from distributors who the same pro shops order from, talk about a shady deal....
2. You're paying for a service... what i mean is the relationship you will build with the driller, he will take the time to order specs that fit you best and will get to know what you like personally not just from what you bring in.
3. If your ball splits in half from leaving it in your car or for any reason, the shop can get you a new one for the most part. Good luck dealing with the on line retailer or company directly.
4. The pro shop has bills, everything you see in his shop he has to pay for. He fronted the how ever many thousands of dollars for you to be able to walk in and see what every ball shoe bag etc. looks like in person not just in pictures.
5. The one that kills me the most is the misconception that bowling balls cost the pro shop 50 bucks or less. I had a guy come in one day and say "well, you're selling this ball for 200 dollars, I know you don't have more than 75 dollars in it". That couldn't be any more from the truth.


Next time you go in talk to him on a personal level, tell him you want to get things through him and ask if he can meet you at a median on price, you'd be surprised how well it works. As long as you don't expect everything for nothing he should be more than willing to help you.

The more volume you do, the cheaper you can do stuff for.  If you own AND operate, you don't have the employee cost, which is most of the time all the profit from the average shop. 

I'm a certified HVAC tech and electrician with a universal EPA license.  I've put more time and effort into learning bowling than I have that stuff, because a lot of it is cut and dried.  If you call somebody to service your AC or heater, even if they're only there 5 minutes and have to change some dinky little part, your bill will be over 100 dollars, which I think is fair.  The equipment used to drill a bowling ball costs MORE than the tools HVAC techs use, not to mention the schooling, and I've put MANY more years and dollars into bowling than I had to put into HVAC, but drilling a ball out the door should only be 30 bucks?  Yeah I don't doubt paying 60 or 70 bucks to get a ball drilled seems outrageous to the average person, but at that price I almost feel like I'M the one getting hosed. 

Quote from: Pinbuster on March 27, 2014, 09:40:38 AM

I don't care as long as they don't bitch because the drilling is more than $10.

We could get stock a little cheaper than internet pricing. But there is enough fixed cost in running the business you have to charge more.

We charged quite a bit less than suggested retail for our inventory with a markup comparable to our outside drilling cost. So they really didn't save anything, didn't get our advice on ball choice, and no warranty.

If you don't mind paying $50 plus for drilling plus slugs and inserts then bring them in.

I pay less than this with grips/slugs. My pro shop has been in business for over 25 years and I've been going to the shop for 23 years. He doesn't care if you buy on the internet or not. He does evaluate ones game too and will recommend equipment as well. The only thing that pisses him off is if you pick his brain and go through everything with him and don't buy the ball from him or have him drill it for you if you buy it online. I can't even imagine paying over $50 to drill plus grips/slugs.

All valid points, but it's not a question of necessity, it's a value for service.  And I need a vehicle to GET to the pro shop, so I considered that a wash.  Haha, and considering the vehicle I had when I was in the business, you could have bought 3 of those for the price of our drill press.

Necessity aside, the point I was making was that 60-70 to drill a ball for the market is a fair price.  If you're (in general, not you specifically obviously) getting it for any cheaper, great, but just because you're getting it cheaper doesn't mean it's the going rate.  If you get a ball drilled for 30 bucks, great, but be happy because that's a steal of a deal.  But don't consider that the going rate and say that people getting charged 50-60 bucks are getting hosed.  Now if you're basically doing all the guy's work for him, like ball selection, layout, already have measurements, and all he's doing is putting holes in it and handing it back to you, that's different.  Still gotta keep the lights on though, and that's more expensive than most people think. 

I would think we've evolved to the point that electricity and depending on where you live heating and/or cooling are a necessity.  Pretty hard to compare those to having a bowling ball drilled. 

And the HVAC tech needs to get to my house, so their equipment starts with a vehicle, and that costs more than all the pro shop equipment combined.

Been through several of the same scenarios, and it happens quite a bit.  But yes, a lot of the time people are paying for the TIME, not the cost of the service.  Time, as we know, costs a lot more than parts.  My dad recently got his head gaskets changed on his truck.  3000 dollar job, but the parts only cost 150ish.  The cost was the SEVERAL hours and expertise needed to take the motor out and change them.  Same story here. 

Actual scenarios:

1. Lady comes into my shop last three Thursdays wanting a new ball and wants recommendation. She takes 1/2 hour of my time each time that I could have put towards another customer that was patiently waiting. Last night she brings in a ball bought online and wants it drilled. Is this not worth $50 as she took 1 1/2 of my time. Then to top it off, I have to listen to her bitch because they sent her the wrong ball.

2. Guy kept coming in and asking for my advise on a new Hammer. Gave my recommendations and 3 times he has walked into bowling with the ball I recommend that was bought and drilled online because he saved $20. Buddy you are not getting another ball recommendation from my shop. Go ahead and support a business in another state. Try supporting your local economy!

3. Bowlers who have gotten advice and purchased from me and my employees have a higher success rate in our town than the bowlers who buy and get drilled online.

Quote from: Perfect Approach Pro Shop on March 28, 2014, 10:12:46 AM

Actual scenarios:

1. Lady comes into my shop last three Thursdays wanting a new ball and wants recommendation. She takes 1/2 hour of my time each time that I could have put towards another customer that was patiently waiting. Last night she brings in a ball bought online and wants it drilled. Is this not worth $50 as she took 1 1/2 of my time. Then to top it off, I have to listen to her bitch because they sent her the wrong ball.

2. Guy kept coming in and asking for my advise on a new Hammer. Gave my recommendations and 3 times he has walked into bowling with the ball I recommend that was bought and drilled online because he saved $20. Buddy you are not getting another ball recommendation from my shop. Go ahead and support a business in another state. Try supporting your local economy!

3. Bowlers who have gotten advice and purchased from me and my employees have a higher success rate in our town than the bowlers who buy and get drilled online.

1.  It is perfectly acceptable to not do blank drills.  Only drill balls purchased in you shop.  It is your business and you can run it how you want.

2.  Part of the business is being a salesman.  Why aren't you selling yourself when the guy comes in the second time and you know the first time he bought elsewhere?

3.  Are you advertising the success of your customers?

Being the salesperson, I am. I even stayed an hour after I closed one day to and let the individual throw 4 of my ball that he was interested in. To him. My time is free and the $20 savings he got is beer money. Every ball I have recommended to him he has since purchased online. With him, I would rather sell a .20 piece of tape to another customer than be shit on by him again.

As for advertising, we make it a point to congratulate them and let other bowlers know where it was purchased.

As for the lady, I will drill low end reactives all day for $50. It was more than I made by selling her one out of my shop.

When I ran my own shop, I had a decision to make regarding what it was I was willing to deal with. Downward economy, saturated marketplace in the area I am, and people undercutting me. I chose to get out of the business. I love it and miss it and wish that I could make a feasible living at it. It's not because I am not good at it, but because of the market.  I have several friends that are in it still, and they're mostly hurting. The investment of time and energy, along with sales periods that swing like a bipolar person, wasn't anywhere near equal to my compensation. It makes me sad to this day. If money wasn't an object, if I knew I could take care of my family with a pro shop job, I would open one tomorrow. No lie. However, I am not able to.

Make a choice. Either change your business policies, change your prices, or change your profession.