


The guide to working in a big-box golf store
#31
Posted 21 November 2012 - 08:07 PM

Callaway 816 14*: Graphite Design AD DI 8X
Callaway GBB 18*: Graphite Design AD DI 9X
Tour issue 913HD 20* Graphite Design AD DI 105X
Bridgestone J38 DPC 4-PW: KBS Tour 120 S
Vokey TVD'S 52 KBS C Taper 125, TVD 56,60 KBS Tour 120s
Scotty Cameron Circa 62 #1, #2/ Scotty Cameron Studio Select Squareback 2
#32
Posted 21 November 2012 - 08:22 PM
Callaway XR Pro 14 w/Diamana D+ 80
Callaway Steelhead XR 3 iron w/S300
Callaway Apex Pro 4-PW w/S300
Callaway MD Forged 52,56,60 w/S300
Odyssey Versa Works 1W Tank
#33
Posted 21 November 2012 - 10:29 PM
#34
Posted 21 November 2012 - 10:36 PM
2016 M1 15˚- Rogue Silver 70X
TaylorMade UDI 20˚- Recoil 110 F5
TaylorMade RSI TP 4i, Tour Preferred MB 5-PW - X100
Vokey SM6 52F, 56S, 60M - S400
Odyssey White Hot Tour #7
#35
Posted 21 November 2012 - 10:40 PM

#36
Posted 21 November 2012 - 10:48 PM
"Guy that thinks club fitting is all a hoax"
Ping G20 3-wood
Ping I-20 Hybrids
Ping I-25 Irons
Ping Gorge wedges
Ping 303 Milled Anser 2
#37
Posted 21 November 2012 - 10:58 PM
Ping G20 3-wood
Ping I-20 Hybrids
Ping I-25 Irons
Ping Gorge wedges
Ping 303 Milled Anser 2
#38
Posted 21 November 2012 - 11:21 PM
TaylorMade M3 3HL w/ Diamana BB
PING Eye 2 1i w/ Proforce VTS
Nike Vapor Speed 4i w/ AxivCore Blue
Srixon 765 5 - P w/ Modus Tour 120
Cleveland RTX 3 50* 55* 60*
Odyssey O'Works #9
#39
Posted 21 November 2012 - 11:27 PM
That was great.
You forgot the guy who know everything about clubs but doesnt want to undermine the salesman so he pretends to listen!
AP2 718 PX 6.0 3-PW
Vokey SM7 52F 56S 60M PX 6.0
Scotty Cameron Futura 5W
#40
Posted 22 November 2012 - 06:22 AM

Ping i20 15* wood TFC707 X
TM RBZTP 17.5* Rul 80X
TM MC TP 3-PW w/ DG X100
TM ATV 54*, Vokey 60*
Bettinardi BB1 with Superstroke Mid
#41
Posted 22 November 2012 - 07:36 AM
Petethreeput, on 21 November 2012 - 10:40 PM, said:
Funkey, on 21 November 2012 - 06:12 PM, said:
First off, Jeff very funny article. I have never been to a big box golf store, but I believe there are these types of shoppers in all retail stores.
Second, To blanket a whole population as stupid is, well, er... stupid. GolfWRX isn't the place for you to put down fast food workers and box store employees because of a misplaced myopic, condescending, and generally inaccurate view. I wouldn't be surprised if many of these part-time workers/ students don't go on to be very successful. Perhaps because they have learned how to deal with all types of customers, even the condescending ones.
Your wrong. If you have never been to a big box store how can you state facts about them? You think they require a PGA school degree to work there? They are min wage jobs. You can go in a week later and it's all new employees. The manger may know whats going on but he/she is the only one. Your on your own.
#42
Posted 22 November 2012 - 08:30 AM
Salesman: "can I help you?"
Me: "yes I want a Titleist 975 D".
Salesman: "What is your handicap?"
Me: "sixteen"
Salesman: "Can you punch a 3 iron out of the woods, under a tree and get the ball back in play?"
Me: "yes, sometime"
Salesman: "Good, with a 16 HDCP, if you buy the Titleist, you are going to need that shot!"
Salesman: Yells to another salesman, "Hey Joe, would you sell a Titleist 975D to a 16 HDCP?"
Other salesman: "No, he needs the new Taylormade."
By then, several customers and sales guys were laughing. I left the store, went to a Edwin Watts store, bought the Titleist. After about 3 rounds, I realized the Golfsmith salesman was right!!!
PING K15, 5w
PING K15, 4 hybrid
PING Gmax, 5-SW
PING G20, LW (bent to 60*)
PING Nome
#43
Posted 22 November 2012 - 09:04 AM
pingman1, on 22 November 2012 - 08:30 AM, said:
Salesman: "can I help you?"
Me: "yes I want a Titleist 975 D".
Salesman: "What is your handicap?"
Me: "sixteen"
Salesman: "Can you punch a 3 iron out of the woods, under a tree and get the ball back in play?"
Me: "yes, sometime"
Salesman: "Good, with a 16 HDCP, if you buy the Titleist, you are going to need that shot!"
Salesman: Yells to another salesman, "Hey Joe, would you sell a Titleist 975D to a 16 HDCP?"
Other salesman: "No, he needs the new Taylormade."
By then, several customers and sales guys were laughing. I left the store, went to a Edwin Watts store, bought the Titleist. After about 3 rounds, I realized the Golfsmith salesman was right!!!
I was in the golf business for 12 years and now that I'm recently out (1 year) I can't tell you how many times I've heard big-box sales guys say "those pings are too harsh, you need Taylor-made" , or "Titleist clubs are for good players, you need RocketBallz". Basically, you can fill in any conversation and at the end, Dicks sporting goods employed is going to say....you should buy the Taylor Made.
Ping G20 3-wood
Ping I-20 Hybrids
Ping I-25 Irons
Ping Gorge wedges
Ping 303 Milled Anser 2
#44
Posted 22 November 2012 - 09:19 AM
pingman1, on 22 November 2012 - 08:30 AM, said:
Salesman: "can I help you?"
Me: "yes I want a Titleist 975 D".
Salesman: "What is your handicap?"
Me: "sixteen"
Salesman: "Can you punch a 3 iron out of the woods, under a tree and get the ball back in play?"
Me: "yes, sometime"
Salesman: "Good, with a 16 HDCP, if you buy the Titleist, you are going to need that shot!"
Salesman: Yells to another salesman, "Hey Joe, would you sell a Titleist 975D to a 16 HDCP?"
Other salesman: "No, he needs the new Taylormade."
By then, several customers and sales guys were laughing. I left the store, went to a Edwin Watts store, bought the Titleist. After about 3 rounds, I realized the Golfsmith salesman was right!!!
haha, not exactly sales 101....but that's pretty funny!
Callaway XR Pro 14 w/Diamana D+ 80
Callaway Steelhead XR 3 iron w/S300
Callaway Apex Pro 4-PW w/S300
Callaway MD Forged 52,56,60 w/S300
Odyssey Versa Works 1W Tank
#45
Posted 22 November 2012 - 09:21 AM

#46
Posted 22 November 2012 - 09:54 AM
honketyhank, on 21 November 2012 - 02:56 PM, said:
But sometimes I will see something I want to try out. After the above, I think many sales folks are turned off. And then, they are hard to find.
So how do you sell something to me besides the measly grip I came for in the first place? (Not that I really want to spend more money than planned, but just curious.)
They don't, and after they figure out what you're doing they stop trying, as you've noticed. You're what's known as a "tire-kicker". People run away from you because, as you admit, you're just there to try things out and not spend any money beyond a few bucks on a grip/tees/tape/etc.
Which is fine, so long as you don't waste too much of anyone's time, you don't get irritated and complain to the manager when the clerks eventually focus more on someone else, and you don't hog the simulator/monitor for 45 minutes while people are waiting.
I kick tires sometimes. We all do when we're genuinely browsing. But that's not the kind of guy we're talking about. We're talking about the serial tire-kicker who can even make a game of it, to see how much he can get away with before he's cut off. There was one guy who came in like clockwork every week or so (and at every demo day or product release) to hit everything in the store, often just to kill time or practice, and never to buy. We used to call him "The CEO" because he was the "head tirekicker at Bridgestone".

(article was dead on, btw...nice job)
I would also add (from my retail days) the type of customer who is what I call the "Mindless Question Generator". He asks an endless stream questions that often make no sense, seemingly out of habit. This person is barely listening to your answers and doesn't wait for you to finish. Some keyword out of your mouth (like "bounce") or in his head (could be anything...maybe an image of a bear on a unicycle) starts a new question/tangent. He rarely buys and is using you like a Golf Google. Not to be confused with someone who is genuinely interested and just has some questions.
There's also the "Check With My Wife Guy", who isn't buying anything and is using his wife as an excuse to leave. Sometimes this guy can be sold, but not often. Oddly enough, the information about his wife being the decision maker isn't provided until the end of the hour-long hitting session. Hmmm...
And of course, there's the "Ebay Guy". He's using your time and equipment to test out something he KNOWS he's buying online. Total waste of time. Sometimes he lets slip that he's looking at a club online. When you hear that, it's over. Tape him up and go help someone else.
Again, great article, Jeff.
#47
Posted 22 November 2012 - 10:01 AM
I wanted to include a few more "guys" but the thing was i didn't want the article to be too long. If it's way too big i worried people wouldn't want to read it so i just put some of the funnier, or more common ones. But there's definitely a few more like "guy who's just taking up golf, and has learned a few buzzwords on the internet", "guy who haggles you over trade in value"
haha...maybe there should be a part 2!
Callaway XR Pro 14 w/Diamana D+ 80
Callaway Steelhead XR 3 iron w/S300
Callaway Apex Pro 4-PW w/S300
Callaway MD Forged 52,56,60 w/S300
Odyssey Versa Works 1W Tank
#48
Posted 22 November 2012 - 10:09 AM
Petethreeput, on 21 November 2012 - 10:40 PM, said:
Funkey, on 21 November 2012 - 06:12 PM, said:
First off, Jeff very funny article. I have never been to a big box golf store, but I believe there are these types of shoppers in all retail stores.
Second, To blanket a whole population as stupid is, well, er... stupid. GolfWRX isn't the place for you to put down fast food workers and box store employees because of a misplaced myopic, condescending, and generally inaccurate view. I wouldn't be surprised if many of these part-time workers/ students don't go on to be very successful. Perhaps because they have learned how to deal with all types of customers, even the condescending ones.
#49
Posted 22 November 2012 - 10:31 AM
#50
Posted 22 November 2012 - 10:35 AM

#51
Posted 22 November 2012 - 11:17 AM
Awesome article. I worked at Bobicks years ago and I learned the unfortunate truth that you can't make enough $$ working in a golf store to buy the stuff you're selling. I love the technology aspect of the game and an am enamored by the physics, even though I don't understand all of it, but if I could make a decent living selling golf equiipment, I'd do it in a hot minute. What could be better than talking golf all day and getting paid for it? Awesome.
Tour Edge Exotics CBX 16.5* 3w Aldila NV 2KXV Green 75-S
Callaway Apex Hybrid 20* PX LZ 75g Stiff
Callaway Apex Hybrid 23* Kuro Kage 80 Hy stiff
Taylormade P770 5-PW Project X LZ 6.0
Vokey SM6 48* F Grind Steel Gray
Vokey SM6 54*/08* M Grind Steel Gray
Vokey SM6 58*/08* M Tour Chrome
Evnroll ER8 34.25" 2* flat and 1* weak.
Titleist AVX
#52
Posted 22 November 2012 - 11:21 AM
I see every one of these customer types on a regular basis and the ones I find most difficult are the ones who know everything (arrogant) and the onses who think they know everything ( rudely arrogant). All the rest can be great fun to deal and work with.
Maltby KE4 14* 3w , Axe Excaliber R flex tipped 1"
RBZ 25* hb; RBZstage 2 19* hb
Mizuno MP30 5 - PW, AXE Excaliber stiff, Hogan Apex PC E Wedge (50*) TT DG s300
GM Never Compromise GM2 putter
54*, 58* TM TP wedges 3* flat
#53
Posted 22 November 2012 - 11:23 AM
Guilty as charged, but only after doing my due dilligence of researching the equipment on WRX and then hitting the three finalists I have selected multiple times at an outdoor range. Of course, once I get them I tweak them on my loft/lie machine and re-shaft them to my specs.
Tour Edge Exotics CBX 16.5* 3w Aldila NV 2KXV Green 75-S
Callaway Apex Hybrid 20* PX LZ 75g Stiff
Callaway Apex Hybrid 23* Kuro Kage 80 Hy stiff
Taylormade P770 5-PW Project X LZ 6.0
Vokey SM6 48* F Grind Steel Gray
Vokey SM6 54*/08* M Grind Steel Gray
Vokey SM6 58*/08* M Tour Chrome
Evnroll ER8 34.25" 2* flat and 1* weak.
Titleist AVX
#54
Posted 22 November 2012 - 03:11 PM
#55
Posted 22 November 2012 - 04:45 PM

Titleist FD 15* Diamana Blue Board 80x
Adams a12 pro 20* Hybrid Diamana whiteboard 90x
Bridgestone J15 CB 4-PW DG Pro
Nike VR Pro 52*DG s400
Nike VR Pro 56* DG s400
Titleist SM5 60* S grind DG s400
Scotty Cameron Squareback 34"
#56
Posted 22 November 2012 - 04:51 PM
G400 14.5* Tour 75
G400 19* Tour 85
G400 Crossover 22* Tour 90
G700 6-UW{pwr spec} Recoil 110
Glide 2.0 STEALTH 50* 54* 58* Recoil W Proto
iwi Craz-e
#57
Posted 22 November 2012 - 10:56 PM
#58
Posted 22 November 2012 - 11:47 PM
#59
Posted 22 November 2012 - 11:54 PM
You nailed it man...! I have been at my GG for three years and I believe on last Sunday during my 7 hour shift, I dealt with almost everyone in your story.
Callaway GBB Epic SZ FW 13.5 VA Composites Raijin 74 04
Callaway Steelhead XR 4+, Veylix Rome 888 S
Callaway BB Alpha 815 Hybrid 20*(Set to 19*)Veylix Rome 988 S
Callaway BB Alpha 815 Hyrbid 23* Veylix Rome 988 S
Srixon 565/765 Modus 3 Tour 120 X , Apex Pro 16 Modus 3 Tour 120 X
Toulon Garage Long Island, Tad Moore Seve TM2
Callaway MD3 50/54/58 Modus 3 120s/ Vega 50/54/58 Modus 125 Limited Blue
WITB Link
#60
Posted 23 November 2012 - 12:01 AM

Edited by makaveli, 23 November 2012 - 12:27 AM.
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