American golf fitting good/bad?

[elmoag]

Hello i felt compelled to register and comment after this thread was brought to my attention.
I work for american golf in a senior management postion and we often look at great sites like this to see what views fellow golf lovers have on equipment the latest innovations and sometimes our brand when it is commented on as it has been in this thread.
We view feedback both good and bad as a fanatstic insight into how we can improve.
I welcome your comments but felt the need to give clarity on a few points raised in this thread.
We invest very heavily in providing high quality analysis in our stores these are a great tool to assist with club selection as we strive to match the perfect clubs for your game.
We absolutely would NEVER give an instruction for the results of this analysis to be influenced in anyway which would give the customer a false impression of the performance of the clubs.
We offer a free fitting service with a pga pro available in all our stores to help select the correct clubs and our main concern is that these clubs enhance our customers ability and enjoyment of the game.
We have recently launched our 7 step fitting process which is working well in ensuring our offer is more consistent across all our stores.
By providing the correct advice we ensure that we maintain custom going forward as we grow further as the biggest golf retailer in Europe.
Love the site and we share your passion for the game
i hope you dont mind the intervention but i felt that point was very important.

 

[car.crash]

I went into a AG store and was fitted for ping g20 irons.
I was told 3.75 degree upright and a inch longer.

So I got std black dots (long story)

Anyway today I had a fitting with a proper club maker with my current black dot pings and he moved them 2 degrees upright and left the length alone.
I wouldn't hesitate to use a proper club fitter again but not sure I would trust any retail shop now.

 

[Rooter]

Good to see AG come on and defend themselves. I for one will also back up my 2 local stores, as I think 99% of your experience is with the staff. Both newbury and Swindon have PgA pros who I know and they are good guys. Chris at Swindon was my coach for a while and I know he would only fit you for what is best for you, not what is going to get him in a free draw.

 

[Foxholer]

Hello i felt compelled to register and comment after this thread was brought to my attention.
I work for american golf in a senior management postion and we often look at great sites like this to see what views fellow golf lovers have on equipment the latest innovations and sometimes our brand when it is commented on as it has been in this thread.
We view feedback both good and bad as a fanatstic insight into how we can improve.
I welcome your comments but felt the need to give clarity on a few points raised in this thread.
We invest very heavily in providing high quality analysis in our stores these are a great tool to assist with club selection as we strive to match the perfect clubs for your game.
We absolutely would NEVER give an instruction for the results of this analysis to be influenced in anyway which would give the customer a false impression of the performance of the clubs.
We offer a free fitting service with a pga pro available in all our stores to help select the correct clubs and our main concern is that these clubs enhance our customers ability and enjoyment of the game.
We have recently launched our 7 step fitting process which is working well in ensuring our offer is more consistent across all our stores.
By providing the correct advice we ensure that we maintain custom going forward as we grow further as the biggest golf retailer in Europe.
Love the site and we share your passion for the game
i hope you dont mind the intervention but i felt that point was very important.

Thanks for the comments.

I think you might have your work cut out convincing a few of those who have bad experiences in the past.

I've frequented AG stores in many parts of Britain over the years, including a quite pokey little one in Warrington (bought a set of TP-9s there to practice with that got me loving blades) that may have had some significance in the company!

As you've probably noticed from posts in this, and other, threads, there have been the usual mixed experiences and probably the usual ratio of good experience comments:bad experience comments - though, on a forum, the number of potential recipients is the same.

Unfortunately, bad experiences always seem to get far more visibility than good ones.

I haven't been into an AG store, as a customer, for some time but my old experiences have also been mixed, ranging from absolutely first class service to obvious cases where knowledge/training was inadequate and, indeed, some instances where Launch Monitor results seemed so much better than expected that I suspected they'd been manipulated. These experiences were actually quite similar to those with other similar retail outlets, both golf related and non-golf. You may not instruct staff to manipulate results, but the existence of different incentives and the aspirational nature of golf provide an environment where such manipulation might seem advantageous.

My congratulations to whoever proposed and implemented the 'Pro in every store' strategy. I'm certain that has and will raise the quality of knowledge and the resultant customer experience. My most recent experience of AG - wandering through a well organised 'full of product' store on the way to the range at West London Golf Centre certainly gave that impression. I'm almost certainly going to be an 'active' customer there.

And for the occasional instances where things don't go as both customer and retailer would hope, I always repeat the line from a very successful whiteware and electrical good retailer from 'back home' - 'It's the putting right that counts'!

I wish you all the best in synchronising and raising the quality of customer experience. It seems the way to increased profit too!

 

[Ethan]

I can believe that there is no central corporate directive to game the launch monitors. That is somewhat different to saying it doesn't happen by sales people under pressure to move stock. The internet contains much chatter about how to do so.

I am rather under impressed by individual testimonies of people that had a good experience. Like that is worthy of acclaim. It should be the case every time.

Bad experiences should be rare, but they seem rather too common. You can waste 50 decent experiences with one bad one. I have been in a few different AG stores (in the Berks/Surrey area) and have seen some of this myself, including my 280 yard drives with 100mph swing. I have also played with a guy who was clearly given a stock item to get rid of it. This was a guy the size of a rugby back, with a swing to match, playing Rifle 6.5 irons, and he was "fitted" into a Nicklaus hybrid with an A flex shaft, which they just happened to have in stock. Even an idiot would know that was a very poor fit. The guy needed something in the S/X range, and not a draw biased Nicklaus at all. Naturally he hooked the blazes out of it. I advised him to have a word with the person who fitted him up.

 

[TheJezster]

I really dont get this AG bashing that goes on all the time. I think it's a fantastic shop, it has everything you need, and if you really wanted you could try different clubs without obligation to buy and then look to purchase in the internet.

Alternatively, they will price match any other store for you.

They have a wide range of goods to choose from and the one in New Malden has one of the largest ranges in Europe attached too (actually I heard at our golf club AGM that its the 7th largest in the world and the largest in Europe, but dont have the facts to back this up).

Everytime I go in the staff are friendly and willing to help out and I have NEVER experienced them trying to sell me something I neither need nor want, just to get a sale.

Great place, wouldnt hesitate to recommend and will continue to use.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

I can't believe anyone who wants to buy a set off ping clubs in the uk would go to a discounter like direct/American golf when it's worth a day out of anyone's diary to go to gainsbough and get them set up correctly. We all want the best from our games and short cutting is not the answer. We travel for miles to play the game so why not travel and get the job done properly. You can even get a couple of rounds local whilst you are up here. There are some cracking courses in Lincolnshire.

 

[leonneab]

AG no way, been into several and all they want to do is sell. Feels more like a used car sales place. The one in Northampton doesn't have any flight scope tech, just solid range balls which give no feedback at all. Last week I watched an older gentlemen with a very slow short swing being sold an used 9.5 stiff shaft driver!!!!!!!! direct golf is the place to go far more golfer friendly

 

[stevie_r]

AG no way, been into several and all they want to do is sell. Feels more like a used car sales place. The one in Northampton doesn't have any flight scope tech, just solid range balls which give no feedback at all. Last week I watched an older gentlemen with a very slow short swing being sold an used 9.5 stiff shaft driver!!!!!!!! direct golf is the place to go far more golfer friendly

Was there a gun pointed at his head?

 

[BTatHome]

I can't believe anyone who wants to buy a set off ping clubs in the uk would go to a discounter like direct/American golf when it's worth a day out of anyone's diary to go to gainsbough and get them set up correctly. We all want the best from our games and short cutting is not the answer. We travel for miles to play the game so why not travel and get the job done properly.

Damn, I now feel well and truly told off. Must be something seriously wrong with my game/swing now.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Damn, I now feel well and truly told off. Must be something seriously wrong with my game/swing now.

not telling anyone off but can't understand anyone spending £400 plus and not getting them custom fitted. I made the mistake last time and I won't do it next time.

 

[BTatHome]

not telling anyone off but can't understand anyone spending £400 plus and not getting them custom fitted. I made the mistake last time and I won't do it next time.

i did get them custom fit !

 

[Deleted member 17920]

i did get them custom fit !

Fair enough and apologies

 

[deanobillquay]

Wish I'd gone there, might've saved a fortune on re-shafting my irons!