American Golf...

[HomerJSimpson]

And this is what boils my piss Martin.
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
If you are adamant that you are never going to buy another club from them, why should you expect people to bend over backwards and get you what you want????
You are continually slagging off American Golf. Continually. Whenever anybody comes on here saying that they are going to American Golf you will put them off. Every time. They may well be really excited about going there, about spending some money, (their money not yours), and you will tell them in no uncertain terms what a bunch of ********s they are in American Golf and not to buy from them.
Yet you continually go in there and want to hit every new club that comes out with absolutely no intention of buying yet you expect people to bend over backwards to help you and slag them off if they don't.
I've got to be honest.....if I worked at an American Golf branch near you and saw you walking in to try some clubs, I'd tell you to **** off and not waste my time. In no uncertain terms.
Personally I wouldn't serve you. I wouldn't want to talk to you. Why should I waste my time on you? Does that make me a tosser salesman in your eyes? I know I'm not a tosser salesman. I was the top salesman at my dealership both in March and April. But I won't waste my time on tosspots.
I might lose my job, but so what.
It's people like yourself that make the salespeople in American Golf the plebs you describe them to be. Maybe if they sold something now and again they might want to be a little more helpful in future.
Sorry for the rant. I buy most of my stuff online. I buy very little from American Golf. But I don't go in there and waste their time and then post on here telling people what a bunch of gits they are and moan about getting bad service.

I'd love to copy and paste all of the crap you have written about AG over the years and forward it to your local store manager. You'd not only get told to feck off the next time you went in there but I reckon you'd run the risk of getting on the end of a good shoeing.

Point is they have got so bad now I don't even use them to try new clubs. I only used the Bird Hills store when I knew people in there. It was a convenience thing done by people I knew, usually at quiet times and with their knowledge and co-operation. Even the sales assistant I knew has moved on which is why I don't go there anymore. As it happens a lot of the time AG hold demo days to promote new gear anyway and so I take advantage of those rather than specifically going to the store, although of course I've done that as well

The range I have my lessons at get most of the big name brands in and are happy for me to hit them until my hearts content. I'm spending my money via the lessons (and other stuff like clothes) and to be honest the guys are often out there themselves having a bash anyway. I've known some of them since they were juniors at the Downshire so again its only taking advantage of a long standing "relationship" and not me turning up off the street on a casual basis. There is a difference

I nearly signed on the dotted line when my friend was running the Bird Hills store three years ago so it isn't as if I've anything against the company per se but the quality of the current staff at Bird Hills in particular isn't very good simple as

I've actually said on previous posts that I accept there are some stores that are better than others but unfortunately not near me. I think AG as a whole need to invest time ensuring their staff know their product lines and if they are going to give a C/F session that they are capable of doing it and interpreting the data from the launch monitor. I am average height and do need and have never been measured anywhere near +3 degrees upright like I was at Camberley when I asked about C/F R11's

You are entitled to your opinion on whether I've abused the co-operation of the AG staff and to be honest don't really care either way as it's now a mute point. They do do some good stuff and have some good deals on clothes and shoes and so there are plenty of plus points too. The Bird Hills store is also very, very good at ad hoc things like grip changes. However I can only call it as I see it and to be honest they have been lacking.

I've never bothered to enter any of the AG/GM events for fittings as I think it would be hypocritical to take advantage of their generosity and that of GM and walk away with a freebie if I don't think the company are very good. If my local stores improve then I would go back

 

[Scottjd1]

And this is what boils my piss Martin.
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
If you are adamant that you are never going to buy another club from them, why should you expect people to bend over backwards and get you what you want????
You are continually slagging off American Golf. Continually. Whenever anybody comes on here saying that they are going to American Golf you will put them off. Every time. They may well be really excited about going there, about spending some money, (their money not yours), and you will tell them in no uncertain terms what a bunch of ********s they are in American Golf and not to buy from them.
Yet you continually go in there and want to hit every new club that comes out with absolutely no intention of buying yet you expect people to bend over backwards to help you and slag them off if they don't.
I've got to be honest.....if I worked at an American Golf branch near you and saw you walking in to try some clubs, I'd tell you to **** off and not waste my time. In no uncertain terms.
Personally I wouldn't serve you. I wouldn't want to talk to you. Why should I waste my time on you? Does that make me a tosser salesman in your eyes? I know I'm not a tosser salesman. I was the top salesman at my dealership both in March and April. But I won't waste my time on tosspots.
I might lose my job, but so what.
It's people like yourself that make the salespeople in American Golf the plebs you describe them to be. Maybe if they sold something now and again they might want to be a little more helpful in future.
Sorry for the rant. I buy most of my stuff online. I buy very little from American Golf. But I don't go in there and waste their time and then post on here telling people what a bunch of gits they are and moan about getting bad service.

I'd love to copy and paste all of the crap you have written about AG over the years and forward it to your local store manager. You'd not only get told to feck off the next time you went in there but I reckon you'd run the risk of getting on the end of a good shoeing.

To be honest I was about to write a similar piece, I quite like AG in that they are an easy to access retailer on the high street, personally i know a few golfers who began a little bit wary of how to get into golf and have gone to an AG, walked out with a full set of clubs for a couple of hundered quid, gone to play golf, enjoyed it - then change clubs later where possibly the local pro/other maybe better. they serve a purpose,

I go into both my local ones quite a bit, often pick up some of the deals they do, have a chat etc.

At the end of the day to all the AG haters, no one makes you go there.

One final point about the so called local pro who will alwyas so the best for you, they too are retailers and I know of situations where they have flogged gear over priced, and innapropriate to clear stock (they too have a business to run).

 

[MadAdey]

At the end of the day to all the AG haters, no one makes you go there.

Exactly Scott, I do not go there as when I tried the one in Hull many years ago I got given the service I mentioned earlier in the post. I have been to other AG and found the sales assistants to be of a lower quality than the ones I have come across in Direct Golf. But others may say the same about them also. It is all about pot luck when it comes to these discount stores on the man running them. Some are good some are bad.

 

[Oddsocks]

ok, LONG POST alert, for those who are of the mature nature, please do not read this, life is limited and i wouldnt want your last breaths to be used up reading this.

ok... now the disclaimer is out the way heres my thoughts on AG as a company. It seems very obvious that AG are trying to move into the serious golfer market, with the addition of custom fitting bays being added to most if not all stores, they are trying to let trackman stats do the work. This in theory should effectively rule out any need for pushy or influenced sales as you can see hard figures for yourself. BUT... and this is a big but, it will only work if you hit your prospective club back to back there and then for comparrison, if your not prepred to do this then any fitting is pointless. we all know machines can be "tweeked" to give ego inflating results, but if you get the results back to back against your current club how can they be wrong.

now, over the past couple of years ive had mixed experiences with many stores, mainly croydon, purley, sidcup and more recently morden for the AG fitting comp.

Purley branch pissed me off big time around a year ago, i wanted to buy MPT10 wedges from them and although advertising a price match policy, they refused to match a direct golf price which really got my back up. this was the second time that they had got on my bad side, the other occassion was when i visited the store with cash in pocket looking for burner 09 irons, or cally x20's. the salesman went big time pushy sales mode for wilson di7, they wasnt a bad club but i clearly stated many times what i had narrowed my choice down to, but it was clear he was set on selling di7's. between situation 1 and situation 2 i spend a good few hundred pounds in there, but after the refusal to price match, i refused to spend any more money in there. i didnt spend a penny in there for over a year. but it seems a new manager in purley branch with some new staaff and the store is ctually very good. One of the guys ordered some shoes for me and even beat the best price i had seen, called when they were in and even stayed on a bit later knowing i was running ten mins late, so as a rule although i have had bad experiences purley branch has turned around big time.

Croydon (long lane), I suppose im lucky enough to have an established relationship with the guys in there from the days when it was bill woodmans. they guys know if they cut me a deal they have my cash, and from when i was running my society i spend aa large amount in there for prizes as well as a good percentage of my personal spends, including the spend for the period of when i was on a no spend ban with purley branch, ive had lessons there and so on so its always a good basis for a decent service. they have always discounted futher even on sale items because they know im not a window shopper, and even when i won the AG/GM fitting comp, they offered to build 5 clubs to spec for me to try so i had some idea what i did and didnt like before i got to the morden fitting. They done this with no possible sale to gain knowing that i had won the comp, but likewise to ensure i got the most from it done what they could to assist me. for this reason i estiamte since the fitting i have roughly spent £400 in there on clothing and bits & bobs, not because im bound over, but because i appreciate the fact that their manager spent 30 mins of hes evening building a I20, R11s, D910 to spec for me to try. Also, before christmas i purchased 2 pairs of shoes from sidcup, one of which i wore for 9 holes which crippled my feet, i took them back to croydon branch and although they didnt stock them, they phoned sidcup and done all the donkey work ensuring sidcup took them back for a full credit. (double thumbs up to croydon branch) :thup: I have also had a few friends come into the game that have all purchased used clubs from this branch, and although the price wasnt discounted, they were more than happy to chuck in £25 range ball vouchures as part of the deal.

Sidcup branch, as above in relation to the croydon branch were happy to take back a pair of shoes that had been worn but was uncomfy and the new pair for the same reason. now im assuming some of this was due to the relationship that i have with croydon branch, but either way they done what was needed to keep the customer happy.

I think from the above its quite clear that AG as a company are progressing very well in our market. They have a large range of brands all under one roof and as a rule will price match genuine online prices which is good. If you can build a relationship with a store they tend to go that bit further for you which is always a bonus, but its quite clear in homers case there are bad stores out there, id be interested to see if a strange went into that branch whether they would get the same level of service that homer gets, or if because they knew that there was a potential sale would go that bit further. The only thing that does grip me with AG is the fact that people who have little knowledge seem to get pushed towards their brands with maximum markup.. Nicklous and Wilson for example..... BUT.... if your a complete novice are wilson and nicklous really a bad starting point. One guy i play with has nicklous irons, ok hes a 20 capper but hes 5iron in regular still goes over 220 yards which drives me bonkers.

We also have to be thankfull that GM & AG gave a partnership that see's mega support back to the forum users, i reckon around 5-6k in stock has been given to users of this forum for free, and this doesnt include money that is invested into the mag in the form of advertising.

I would advise people that aare going to use a store to try and do some product research, know what you are looking for or at the very least a short list, and try and work on building a relationship with the staff aat the branch you will be using. Its quite clear that if they know you intend to spend, and spend on a regular basis this guys will push the boat out to make sure your happy.

 

[Scottjd1]

So what are you trying to say then....:rofl:

 

[Oddsocks]

they have i20's in store with a special offer discount on shovels that re px'd, get there quick!:thup:

 

[chrisd]

Could you try summerising that lot in about a 1,000 words for me OS

 

[Oddsocks]

Could you try summerising that lot in about a 1,000 words for me OS

told you not to waste your time old man, you'l be stiff by the second paragraph.

but ill do you a favour.

AG, judge each branch on its merits, not all bad, some are actually pretty helpful and will givee service that you would expect from your club pro.:thup:

 

[chrisd]

you'l be stiff by the second paragraph.

That'd be a refreshing change!

 

[Imurg]

Times change though.

Not saying AG are the best but to dismiss them because of something that happened "many years ago" is a little short-sighted.
My local AG is very good, some decent players who at least have an idea what they're talking about.

So you don't subscribe to the well known maxim that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour?

That may be so but if you don't give them a chance you'll never know.

Back in the early 70's Japanese cars were the worst - many said they'd never buy Japanese again.
Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi........etc etc

See what I mean..?

AG may have been crap 10-15 years ago - doesn't mean they all are now....

 

[Oddsocks]

mentally scared for life.... thanks mister.

 

[munro007]

I have to say AG fitting, is it really fitting. Your options for shafts are very limited, so i my case, the only shaft that really worked for me was Scandium E21 in my irons and my wedges. Now AG don't have access to shafts like this, and the big companies won't allow you to put certain shafts in the heads. So will you really get what works for you, or will you get sold anything just because its a sale. So AG is ok up to a certain point, if you know what works for you, and that is it. All the above is just my opinion

 

[SocketRocket]

Horses for courses.

If you know your club pro and trust him then go for it.

If you are looking for a wide range of options and maybe are not a member of a club then AG or NB's will be worth a look. What they may lack in personal knowledge may be made up in wider options.

If you are a really serious golfer and want the very best kit that is optimised for your personal characteristics then go to an independent golf fitter who has formal fitting qualifications and can put together a set of clubs fitted especially for you. They may use clubs that you may not be familiar with though like Wishon and Maltby.

 

[bobmac]

I have to say AG fitting, is it really fitting. Your options for shafts are very limited, so i my case, the only shaft that really worked for me was Scandium E21 in my irons and my wedges.

What do you play off?

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I use AG in Corstorphine, Edinburgh on many occasions. And each time I cannot complain about the service. The staff are chatty and friendly, interested in what you are wanting not what they think you need.
I don't think it's fair to generalise all stores because some have had a bad experience at others, that's like me saying I wouldn't buy from BMW again because I didn't like my local dealer - but the dealer I got my new car from was superb.

The new one near Livingston is the same but with the added bonus of having a range attached.

 

[pbrown7582]

On slightly different matter than customer service a PSA anyone interested AG have a members discount weekend this week 20% off quite a few items. Mizzy wedges adidas clothes bushnell amongst others.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Mizzy wedges

I wish you hadn't said that :|

 

[SAPCOR1]

The new one near Livingston is the same but with the added bonus of having a range attached.

The Livi store is good, Kenny there is a decent golfer and nice guy and the former assistant pro from Pumpherston has just started working there, again nice guy

 

[need_my_wedge]

Point is they have got so bad now I don't even use them to try new clubs. I only used the Bird Hills store when I knew people in there. It was a convenience thing done by people I knew, usually at quiet times and with their knowledge and co-operation. Even the sales assistant I knew has moved on which is why I don't go there anymore.

I nearly signed on the dotted line when my friend was running the Bird Hills store three years ago so it isn't as if I've anything against the company per se but the quality of the current staff at Bird Hills in particular isn't very good simple as

Just a question Homer, how do you know that the current staff are no good if you haven't been there for so long......?


With regard to the thread in general, it's already been said above, but it's like any shop and sales person, you get good and bad. The Milton Keynes store has some helpful staff in there, as does the local DG. I use both stores, I have bought from both stores, if I see something I want and the price is right. Having said that, the pro at my place is a great guy, he stocks Ping, TM and Tour Edge sticks, Titleist and Cleveland wedges, Rife, Scotty and Odyssey putters, not many of each, but will also order whatever you want and price match. He'll let you take clubs out on the course and play with them for as many rounds as you want, he'll even loan you a demo club if you've left one behind.

I now try and support Maurice whenever I can, but that doesn't stop me going to AG doesn't stop me buying from them.

Slightly detracted from the OP but the store local to me have never tried to push clubs on me whenever I've tried stuff and have always been helpful when I've had questions to ask.

 

[BTatHome]

I have to say AG fitting, is it really fitting. Your options for shafts are very limited, so i my case, the only shaft that really worked for me was Scandium E21 in my irons and my wedges. Now AG don't have access to shafts like this, and the big companies won't allow you to put certain shafts in the heads. So will you really get what works for you, or will you get sold anything just because its a sale. So AG is ok up to a certain point, if you know what works for you, and that is it. All the above is just my opinion

So basically anyone that could not fit you for the Scandium shafts was not performing a fitting (pretty sure thats a very limited set of fits) and if you find another shaft that performs better in the future then this one wasn't a fitting either. How do you know that another shaft isn't even better for you, but just isn't available from your fitter?

Basically fitting is very dependant on where you go, it is diminished or improved based on the amount of variables available, but a simpler fitting of shaft type, shaft length or loft, lie does not mean its not worth having. I'm sure the guys that went to the PlayYourBest challenge at Ping would consider that they had a very very good fitting and yet they probably didn't do an awful lot more than choose a shaft from the standard set of available ones in Ping products.