Pro shop service

[Deleted Member 1156]

We have just appointed a new head Pro at my club. I have a Scotty putter that I want to get rid of so I took it in today and asked if they would stick it in the 2nd hand rack. He informed me that they don't do that, all 2nd hand equipment gets sent to Golfbidder and you get whatever they offer added to your account. I asked him to get £100 min for me but I'm expecting him to ring me tomorrow saying that Golfbidder have offered £50 or something silly.

To me this is a backward step, there were often some good bargains to be picked up in the 2nd hand section from our old Pro plus you could try out anything before deciding to buy it.

Is this a sign of the times or is our new Pro missing an opportunity? With the old Pro, anything sold through him went into your account so he got business from it via future sales in his shop.

 

[connor]

I know our clubs sell members old clubs in the shop if they are in reasonable nick. Not sure the deal they do as I have never sold or brought but I always look just incase there is a little something to catch my eye...

 

[moogie]

Yes, he prob is missing out on an opportunity
But sounds more like, he just cant be arsed, or doesnt want shop cluttered up with 2nd hand gear
Strange though, cos every club has its Bargain Hunters..........

 

[Karl102]

Sounds like he is being a bit daft there. Our pro does exactly like your old one. Anything that sells gets credited to your account and you use it to buy new shiny things! Can't see his logic really!

 

[duncan mackie]

I'm confused

Once upon a time there was no internet, no online SH market, and new products were sold on a margin plus trade in comfort factor (ie you got a bigger trade in value on a bigger marked up product)

Now, you walk in to a pro shop and expect to get a price on new products close to best (not average) intenet prices - and you want the pro to act as a trade in dealer too, with an implication that you expect a good price in advance (to he's now a cash factoring business too).

Take you putter to cash convertors and ask them a price - then take it to your pro and offer it to him at the same price, or just ebay/golf bidder it yourself......ie get real.

 

[DCB]

agree with duncan mackie here. The last thing the pro needs is old gear cluttering up the shop. Most that I know of will box it up and send it off to golfbidder. probably why golfbidder and ebay have bottomed out as so much gear gets passed on this way.

 

[Ethan]

If your pro is offering competitive new prices, I am not surprised. Sell Scotty here and you will probably do better.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

duncan

What is your problem?

I have a putter that I want to get rid of, let's say it is worth £100. I can sell it on ebay and then spend my cash anywhere I want on anything I want. Or I can ask my Pro to sell it in the shop and then credit my account with £100. That way he gets £100 or guaranteed business that he may not get if I spend my £100 elsewhere.

Bottom line is he is the one losing out. I'm not being unrealistic in my expectations, I think he isn't providing a quality service to his members.

 

[Foxholer]

duncan

What is your problem?

I have a putter that I want to get rid of, let's say it is worth £100. I can sell it on ebay and then spend my cash anywhere I want on anything I want. Or I can ask my Pro to sell it in the shop and then credit my account with £100. That way he gets £100 or guaranteed business that he may not get if I spend my £100 elsewhere.

Bottom line is he is the one losing out. I'm not being unrealistic in my expectations, I think he isn't providing a quality service to his members.

Agree with most of this. He is not providing the factoring business - club members are actually helping his cash flow slightly. However, if he Pro hasn't the space for the 2nd hand gear, or doesn't want the hassle involved, then that's up to him. I knew of 1 club where there was a 2nd hand area which went to Ebay after a certain period, with the Pro taking 10% for listing etc. Really depends on what Pro wants to devote his time and space to.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Foxholer

Correct me if I'm wrong or oversimplifying but surely it isn't about what the Pro wants. This is a private members club, the way I see it he is there to provide a service to the members? I fully appreciate he has a living to make but as he is brand new to the club and presumably trying to make a good impression, I don't think he is going the right way about it. I know I'll get the money I want for my Scotty but I won't be spending it in his shop.

 

[chris661]

The problem is if he isn't making any money cos his shop is full of second hand clobber so ups sticks and leaves then the members will be moaning that there is no pro there any more.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Seems from the majority of the comments on here that my expectations are unreasonable. Fair enough but as far as I'm concerned, my Pro has just lost out on £100 of sales as I'll be spending my cash elsewhere.

 

[moogie]

I DONT think your expextations are Unreasonable
Most Clubs in My area have a 2nd hand Rack......or, a Tour Bag stuffed full of 2nd hand gear
There IS a market for it, obviously
But, maybe your New Pro is just going down a different road, and cant be hassled with it, and wants something else for the shop........??

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

But, maybe your New Pro is just going down a different road, and cant be hassled with it, and wants something else for the shop........??

I think you are right, I could understand it if I was trying to get rid of a load of junk from the garage but I asked him to sell a mint condition Scotty putter, I doubt it would have hung around much longer than a week or two.

 

[Hobbit]

Our pro won't sell it for you but will take it at Golfbidder prices in part-ex. The majority he sends onto GB but if its in good nick he'll sell it himself. Part-ex'd my irons and thought the price a bit tight. Part-ex'd my woods and thought the price was good. The price offered was about 2/3 what GB sell at.

Personally I don't have a problem with how he does business, its his business and his choice. At the end of the day, if he's struggling will the club and the members bail him out? Of course they won't.

As for "I'm not spending my money there." Does that also go for if he his prices are the cheapest?

 

[duncan mackie]

duncan

What is your problem?

I have a putter that I want to get rid of, let's say it is worth £100. I can sell it on ebay and then spend my cash anywhere I want on anything I want. Or I can ask my Pro to sell it in the shop and then credit my account with £100. That way he gets £100 or guaranteed business that he may not get if I spend my £100 elsewhere.

Bottom line is he is the one losing out. I'm not being unrealistic in my expectations, I think he isn't providing a quality service to his members.

I don't have a problem

You are now arguing against you own argument - the pro out's it on golf bidder for you (that's a service and a cost to him) delivering the value of the club to you.

So far so good.

Your issue seems to be that the price someone is prepared to pay isn't what you perceive the club should yield you. That's life. ebay/golf bidder etc are the new reality.

You are, in my opinion, being unrealistic in your expectations re the pro's services as stated.

There's also the small matter of his lost margin on the sale of your putter rather than a new one from his stock.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

As for "I'm not spending my money there." Does that also go for if he his prices are the cheapest?

At all my previous clubs I've taken the stance of supporting my Pro because they have always been good to me. The old adage 'You only get one chance to make a first imperssion' is very true and my first impression of him has been that it's about what is best for him, not the members. The prices in the shop aren't particularly cheap, I drive past another club to get to mine and the shop there is always well stocked and very competitive so I'll be looking in there first in future. The only money I'll spend in my club Pro shop will be competition winnings.

 

[Val]

We have just appointed a new head Pro at my club. I have a Scotty putter that I want to get rid of so I took it in today and asked if they would stick it in the 2nd hand rack. He informed me that they don't do that, all 2nd hand equipment gets sent to Golfbidder and you get whatever they offer added to your account. I asked him to get £100 min for me but I'm expecting him to ring me tomorrow saying that Golfbidder have offered £50 or something silly.

To me this is a backward step, there were often some good bargains to be picked up in the 2nd hand section from our old Pro plus you could try out anything before deciding to buy it.

Is this a sign of the times or is our new Pro missing an opportunity? With the old Pro, anything sold through him went into your account so he got business from it via future sales in his shop.

You should stick your gear on here if you want rid.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

duncan

I think you are missing my point. If my Pro sells the club in his shop for me and gets say £100, that goes into my account and I then spend that money on his stock. Or he sends it off to Golfbidder who offer £50, which I then spend in his shop.

Bottom line is I spend £50 less on his shiny new gear. So he has done himself out of an additional £50 of business. Seems to me that way neither of us benefit.

 

[Foxholer]

Foxholer

Correct me if I'm wrong or oversimplifying but surely it isn't about what the Pro wants. This is a private members club, the way I see it he is there to provide a service to the members?

Depends on what his contract/deal with the club really is. Pretty sure most Pros are there to provide themselves a living - and the best they can. It's normally their choice about how they go about this, so if they decide it's not worth their while/too much hassle to provide what club members deem a service, then fine. The fact that the funds involved get spent in the shop should have an influence on his decision though.

There are plenty of Pros who are so burdened by ll the 'non-core' activity that is expected of them, for very little return, that they cannot do their real job properly. And if display area is limited, then he may be looking to free some display space up.

I know of 1 Pro who declined the retainer the club offered because the requirements/expectations were actually costing him money. After documenting what was involved he was actually offered 2.5 times the value an a contract for a significant period.