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Author Topic: Funny Pro Shop Stories  (Read 1530 times)

mrteach3

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Funny Pro Shop Stories
« on: September 29, 2009, 10:31:46 PM »
Let's hear them.  I will start with two.

Several months ago, a guy walks in the shop with two bowling balls, one fairly old and one new.  Neither of them came from us in the first place.  He was complaining that one ball didn't fit like the other.  After talking with him for some time and taking measurements, I told him I could make his new one fit like his old one since they were different.  Here's the catch:  He was upset that his old ball didn't fit like his new one, not vice versa as most people would say.  I told him I could fix that too.  He said, "Oh forget it, I will just get used to throwing them both not feeling the same."  Such is life.  

Lady buys shoes about three weeks ago.  She tried on several pairs of shoes and finally settled on a discontinued pair that of course were marked way down in price and that were actually too big for her.  Over and over I asked if she was sure she wanted them since they were big.  She said she would just put on an extra pair of socks.  Well...as one could imagine she walks back in three weeks later and was unhappy about the fact her shoes didn't fit.  Duh!!!  If gets better, she said she went to another pro shop, who told her that the shoes we sold her were men's shoes because it had an "M" on the box.  WHAT?!?!?  Anyone knows the "M" on a box of shoes stands for Medium, not mens.  No matter how many boxes of women's shoes I showed her with an "M" on it, she would not believe me.  I guess she wanted me to eat her dumb mistake in the first place.  No such luck.  Try again.
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Who needs a 300 or 800, when I have a 294 and a 295!?!?!

 

Bigmike

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2009, 08:24:43 AM »
I have heard a good story about one of the kids who worked at our store when it was with the previous owners. This kid was doing some spinner work and accidently started a flash fire with a rag that had some acetone on it. He went running out of the pro shop screaming Fire! Fire! The kicker: This kid was enrolled in the Columbus Fire Academy!!   stupid is as stupid does!

We get the folks who pick up a brand new ball after they have gorged on lunch and there thumbs will be swollen. Well after working out there thumb almost another size up and explaining that if it is too big they might need tape, they come back complaining about how loose the thumb is.
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"Why don't you call me sometime.....when you have no class" ~~Rodney Dangerfield to Sally Kellerman, his college professor in Back to School ~~1986

Mike Craig - Storm Products Pro Shop staff -Columbus, OH
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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2009, 08:30:18 AM »

A few years ago I had a guy come into the shop who claimed to release the ball "just like Pete Weber".
He practices every day and still averages about 180 on a house shot... so needless to say...


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Lane Carter, Strike Zone Pro Shops - Salt Lake City, Utah
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.

Pinhammer

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2009, 09:08:42 AM »
Back last year we had a senior bowler come in and bye a new 14lb One.  He wants the ball to hook so the recommended drill was put on this ball for him.  It had to have a weight hole to bring the ball to specs.  He picks up the ball everything is great. Well the next week he comes in and says "I think you drilled my ball wrong" of course we ask what do you mean. He says "Well it hooks a ton and there is an extra hole in it. I think that hole is illegal."
We gladly explained what the hole was for and it was ok.  The man left smiling but a bit confused.
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Roger Carroll
Pinnacle Pro Shop
Clarksville, TN
Pinnacle Pro Shop
Clarksville, TN 37043

mainzer

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2009, 10:51:28 AM »
^^^ The old guys that come into the shop always make me laugh.

My favorite story is about '' Maximum hook all of it on the back'' guy. One guy is bowling next to my pro shop owner, as the night goes the guy comes over to my pro shop guy and says ''I want a Virtual Gravity'' Pro shop says ''cool how do you want it drilled?'' Other guy says '' I want it to go down 55 feet then go dead left.''

Next day the Pro shop guy drills up the VG Pin is up, high drill angle to get it down the lane, Guy comes picks it up and uses it for about a week. Comes back and says ''Dont work in heavy oil.'' Pro shop guys says ''DUUHH.''
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kidlost2000

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2009, 11:14:49 AM »
Guy brings an older black reactive ball into the shop and says he would like to have it cleaned. Keep in mind this house has wood lanes, metal gutters and is 50+ years old at the time and the lanes were used when it opened. The lanes have been flipped and resurfaced more then anything should be. Well after a little light sanding we come back with a little polish and bam shiny black ball. Guy then looks at it and goes you scratched my ball. Because of the house of course he had a million small scratches around his ball(tracked-out) from where it rolled over the lanes and the polish made it visible. Needless to say he refused to believe it.

My other favorite is when some one comes in wanting the dullest biggest hooking ball on the market and you say ok what are you wanting the ball to do? Go long and snap....The answer is always go long and snap lol


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" hand, don't step on the lanes without some "
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NoseofRI

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2009, 11:29:50 AM »
Quote

My other favorite is when some one comes in wanting the dullest biggest hooking ball on the market and you say ok what are you wanting the ball to do? Go long and snap....The answer is always go long and snap lol
Quote


Similar to this, in our area we always get everyone coming in asking for a ball that hooks early AND flips hard in the back.

johns811

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2009, 11:48:47 AM »
I was at mrteach3 shop once and a guy wanted a ball sanded to 80 grit so it hooked alot. Despite their best efforts to convince him that it was not a good idea, they handed him something back that looked a ball of concrete. I watched him bowl a few shots. It went about 2 feet, turned left and rolled out about 1/2 down the lane before it dropped into the left hand gutter.


jls

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2009, 12:34:43 PM »
My favorite story goes back to 1982...

Cabbage patch dolls and the Black Hammer were the rage...

Now when the Black Hammer first came out, people were not use to seeing dull sanded balls...

The Black Hammers were such a hot item, that seldom did a pro shop have them in stock... Usually all were sold before the order hit the door...

One day a lady ordered one for her husband.. He was going to a tournament and needed the ball by a certain date...

We got the ball in and called her.  When she came in to pick it,  she complained that the ball was dirty, dusty and scratch... We tried to explained to her that this is the way they come...

Of course she thought because she was a women,  we were trying to screw her..

She demanded her money back... $110.00 plus tax...

No problem...We had the ball re sold before she left the shop...

She went home and told her husband...

About an hour latter she comes flying back into the shop wanting HER ball back...  Your ball I said...

Sold it, so sad too bad...

She was flipping out... My husband is going to kill me...

Again, so sad too bad... _ITCH.

I guess when her husband found out what she did, he flipped out..

And I think he beat her real good.....
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jls

Edited on 9/30/2009 1:25 PM

rymacatthedisco

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2009, 03:18:43 PM »
one of my favorites was an older gentleman came to the shop i was helping out at and he a grand to spend. sweet. well he picked out his balls and then wanted to lay them out himself, even though me and the owner were obviously trained in how to layout balls for people. well he decides he wants them all drilled the same, a total nv, the one, angular one, and black widow pearl...he shows us the layout he wants and it is pin 2 inches left of the middle finger the cg above the fingers and the mb above and like 2-3 inches right of the ring...afte trying to talk this guy into not drilling his stuff like that he said he would take his money elsewhere so the pro shop owner said f it and drilled all his stuff like that.

2 weeks later guy comes back n and gets all 4 plugged and redrilled to wut we suggested...now he is much happier...


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RYAN MCDANIEL...University of Wisconsin Whitewater Men's Bowling...5th place at nationals in 07/08

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Xcessive_Evil

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #10 on: September 30, 2009, 03:25:35 PM »
Not really funny I guess:

He has a BWP in the shop that he's trying to sell for $240 drilled.  

This same guy said I needed to send my VG back because the "layout etching" he saw he swore up and down that was a defect from the company.  Seriously?  The defects just "happen" to be exactly where my fingers/center of grip/etc are???
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Mr Straight Ball

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #11 on: September 30, 2009, 03:28:21 PM »
One time I was in the shop and had to stop from laughing. Dude walks in and is telling my friend (driller) what he wants the ball to do. So my buddy ask, how do you throw it. He answers "I get more hop on the ball then Ko." The fool is talking to Ko! Ko just shook his head and said "If you get more on it then him, you get a lot on it." We were back in the drill room in tears!!!
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Smash49

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Re: Funny Pro Shop Stories
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2009, 03:54:37 PM »
We have a sign in our shop from my when my dad owned the shop.  It states: We drill holes in bowling balls not talent.  My father would guarantee the balls he sold.  Well a guy came in and wanted the biggest hooking most aggressive thing he could get and wanted it drilled to hook.  My dad ordered it and drilled it for him.  About a week later the guy comes up and says " I guess you know your going to refund that ball".  Pop goes "why?" It doesn't hook.  So my dad goes down and watched the guy.  The man was playing straight down the 4th arrow and rolling it end over end.  Pop says "let me see it".  He moves his feet and target and flushes 10 in a row with it.  The man says "but I don't play there."  Pop says" maybe you should because God couldn't hook it how and where you were playing".


Lady brings in a cork bowling ball from the 20's and wants me to plug it....   I told here no but I would give her any ball in the shop for it in trade.


Smash49
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Smash49

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