Difference between ?

[teh_jackal]

I know this may sound silly but can anybody tell me the difference between 3 games of league bowling and 3 games of normal play in reference to pricing?. I bowl at an AMF centre and the league pays $17.90 for 3 games but when i walk in off the street at anytime i can pay $16.50 for 3 games or better still $18 for 4 games at the same centre. I'm just perplex as to why this is?....

I cant think of any other business that would charge a customer who, shows their loyalty by paying week in week out and showing up at a set time more than someone who may or may not show up at all..... please help as this is keeping me up at night

 

[gregb]

The $16.50 is your practice rate,if the average joe was to walk in he would be charged more.
At my center it would be $22 for 3 games,for the public.

My practice rate is 3 games for $10.00 for any league player,hope this helps.

 

[BOBBA]

Carlos,

The $16.50 price that you are paying is the league bowler practice rate because you bowl in a league at AMF. Normally for a 'social' bowler off the street it would cost $24.50 for 3 games.

Hope that answers your question

 

[teh_jackal]

Sorry i don't think i explained myself properly, i understand that $16.50 is the practice rate and $17.90 is the league rate but i still don't understand why i am getting charged more for doing something on a regular basis(ie league bowling) than something i may or may not do(ie practice bowl). I know it sounds silly but as a league are we not then better off just coming in week in week out for "3 games of practice"?

 

[androooo]

Extra $$ = prize fund

Our better leagues cost $25

 

[teh_jackal]

No prize fund. that's extra, the league gets charged $17.90 for each player that bowls. We as players pay $21, the centre gets $17.90 for 3 games and $3.10 goes towards our price fund. From what i understand, the league is paying $1176 per season just to be called a league.

My calculations are as follows 7 teams of 4 bolwers =28bowlers

Thus 28 bowlers paying $1.40 = $39.2 per week ($1.40 is the difference between league rate $17.90 and practice rate $16.50)

Thus $39.2 by 30 weeks in a season = $1176 more for being called a league

So once again i ask whats the difference between league games and practice games?... does the centre put down some special type of oil on the lane to help me bowl better or do i get different service for the counter staff?.......I am just trying to understand why as a customer(ie league bowler) i am paying more for some thing i do on a regular basis.

Now have a think about this and just think how may of us are regular customers(ie league bowlers). I know of one centre that has 1500 league bowlers...1500 loyal regular customers that pay there money week in week out. Do the sums.... its amazing. I just wonder what are we getting for being regular customers? Please someone help, i still can get to sleep

 

[Roysa]

No prize fund. that's extra, the league gets charged $17.90 for each player that bowls. We as players pay $21, the centre gets $17.90 for 3 games and $3.10 goes towards our price fund. From what i understand, the league is paying $1176 per season just to be called a league.

My calculations are as follows 7 teams of 4 bolwers =28bowlers

Thus 28 bowlers paying $1.40 = $39.2 per week ($1.40 is the difference between league rate $17.90 and practice rate $16.50)

Thus $39.2 by 30 weeks in a season = $1176 more for being called a league

So once again i ask whats the difference between league games and practice games?... does the centre put down some special type of oil on the lane to help me bowl better or do i get different service for the counter staff?.......I am just trying to understand why as a customer(ie league bowler) i am paying more for some thing i do on a regular basis.

Now have a think about this and just think how may of us are regular customers(ie league bowlers). I know of one centre that has 1500 league bowlers...1500 loyal regular customers that pay there money week in week out. Do the sums.... its amazing. I just wonder what are we getting for being regular customers?:confused: Please someone help, i still can get to sleep

BOLD #1
But you arent paying more you are paying less than the average Joe off the street.

BOLD #2
Really cheap practice rates, i think $18 for 4 games is good value. Might even be 5 for $20 or similar i think.

I do see your point about the small amount per game you are paying more to be in a league over what the practice rate is but put it this way, if you arent in the league then the practice rate does not exist for you and you would become Joe off the street.

 

[ganopes]

By bowling in a league you get rewarded with cheap practice rates. That is your benefit.

The bowl does not have to charge you cheap rates outside of your league, they could charge you more for practice compared to what they charge social bowlers. So by returning your being a loyal customer and they are rewarding your for that.

 

[RobbieB]

Jackal,
If you didn't bowl in a league (at the $17.90 rate) you wouldn't get the $16.50 practise rate. So it is a reward for being a loyal customer.
And ouch - our practise rate is $3/game.

 

[GoTheCell]

The point here is being charged more to bowl league games than social games. Thats just wrong. Even worst case scenario is the games should cost the same full price that someone off the street pays.

I would like to know how AMF justifies charging leagues more for their league games than the full game price for a social bowler. Cheap practise rates is not a reason.

The more I hear of AMF and the stuff they are doing the more it sounds like everyone should find other centres to bowl in.

 

[Roysa]

GTC he isnt paying more than the guy off the street. The guy off the street doesnt bowl league.

The facts are:-
He is paying less than Joe off the street
He is paying more than the league practice rate
He would wouldnt get the league practice rate at all if he didnt bowl league....

chicken or the egg scenario.....

 

[Andrew S.]

I know of one centre that has 1500 league bowlers...1500 loyal regular customers that pay there money week in week out.

An Australian Centre that has 1500 League bowlers?
Which one?

 

[teh_jackal]

I think Gary understands what i'm getting at. I just keep hearing that AMF are pulling out sponsorship from tournaments (ie the SA cup is no longer going to run) I've also spoken to 3 different league presidents all of which have said their game rates are going up, so they are reducing their price fund portion to keep bowlers keen to bowl.
I think we don't see ourselves as customers and thus are prepared to just keep taking this from the AMF. Imaging for a moment if you will, if regular customers of say a major supermarket all decided to shop elsewhere for a week or even not shop at all. What do you think that supermarket would do?.So then imagine if all the leagues in your centre decide not to bowl for a week or two. I'm sure questions would be asked by the powers that be as to why the bottom line of it's centre is so low.
I can insure you that league bowlers provide a rather large percentage of most centres bottom line yet i keep reading post after post about how bowling is going backwards as a sport due to lack of support by the biggest bowling company in Australia.We need to start to see ourselves as loyal paying customers not just bowlers in a league. I assure you that as one bowler taking a night off the centre would not care but if whole leagues started taking nights off and powers that be would start to take notice. There seems to be a mentality that we need them more than they need us but if you add up the numbers as i have you would surly see this is not that case... in fact imagine for a moment your local centre with out league bowlers for for weeks on end.... pretty empty. why do you think there is no or little break between league seasons?... I believe, and this may sound radical that we need a bowlers union in which that ppl in charge of bowling in Australia feel the true impact and strength that we have in numbers.

 

[wchester]

For that $1.40 per week extra you benefit by receiving the following:

1) Your lanes are guaranteed to be available at the time your league bowls..no waiting for a pair to become available to use. It would be tough to have a league when you didn't know for sure if you could get lanes to bowl on.

2) Depending on your centre's policy, you get 5 -10 - or 15 minutes warm up for no added charge. Easily worth the extra $1.40 all in itself.

3) Secretarial service (ie. standings and results sheet)

4) Discounted open play rates (as a paid up league member)

All that said...i have to agree that AMF has overpriced the market with its per game rate.

 

[Roysa]

An Australian Centre that has 1500 League bowlers?
Which one?

Good question. It might be the case but that would consist of double and triple ups where a person bowls in multiple leagues getting counted as a league bowler 3 or 4 times.

I think Gary understands what i'm getting at. I just keep hearing that AMF are pulling out sponsorship from tournaments (ie the SA cup is no longer going to run) I've also spoken to 3 different league presidents all of which have said their game rates are going up, so they are reducing their price fund portion to keep bowlers keen to bowl.
I think we don't see ourselves as customers and thus are prepared to just keep taking this from the AMF. Imaging for a moment if you will, if regular customers of say a major supermarket all decided to shop elsewhere for a week or even not shop at all. What do you think that supermarket would do?.So then imagine if all the leagues in your centre decide not to bowl for a week or two. I'm sure questions would be asked by the powers that be as to why the bottom line of it's centre is so low.
I can insure you that league bowlers provide a rather large percentage of most centres bottom line yet i keep reading post after post about how bowling is going backwards as a sport due to lack of support by the biggest bowling company in Australia.We need to start to see ourselves as loyal paying customers not just bowlers in a league. I assure you that as one bowler taking a night off the centre would not care but if whole leagues started taking nights off and powers that be would start to take notice. There seems to be a mentality that we need them more than they need us but if you add up the numbers as i have you would surly see this is not that case... in fact imagine for a moment your local centre with out league bowlers for for weeks on end.... pretty empty. why do you think there is no or little break between league seasons?... I believe, and this may sound radical that we need a bowlers union in which that ppl in charge of bowling in Australia feel the true impact and strength that we have in numbers.

- Dont know about you but i find iit hard to bowl without a bowling centre.

- We have mini unions if you like, its called your league committee. Speak up to the people running your league if you think you are getting a bad deal with the centre, otherwise move to another centre.

 

[Roysa]

For that $1.40 per week extra you benefit by receiving the following:

1) Your lanes are guaranteed to be available at the time your league bowls..no waiting for a pair to become available to use. It would be tough to have a league when you didn't know for sure if you could get lanes to bowl on.

2) Depending on your centre's policy, you get 5 -10 - or 15 minutes warm up for no added charge. Easily worth the extra $1.40 all in itself.

3) Secretarial service (ie. standings and results sheet)

4) Discounted open play rates (as a paid up league member)

All that said...i have to agree that AMF has overpriced the market with its per game rate.

Good post... i was going to ask exactly how much are we talking about here and for $1.40 i see it as worth it.

At least i can guarantee i will get 3 games with the lights on and no birthday parties on both sides of me where its highly likely i will knock a 6 year old past the arrows.

 

[bluebird]

dicounted price is a thank-you for bowling outside of league. An off the street bowler generally pays more as they are casual bowlers just say thanks and enjoy the discount.

 

[Fitzy]

At least i can guarantee i will get 3 games with the lights on and no birthday parties on both sides of me where its highly likely i will knock a 6 year old past the arrows.

So you don't bowl at an AMF centre then!!!

Over pricing in AMF does not stop at the lane rates either, $10 hamburger anyone??

Jokes aside, it is a strange situation we find ourselves in. AMF seem to support tenpin with the sponsorship they are putting in to next years masters on one hand and on the other, they time and time again, try to price us out of the sport.

I am not business minded, so maybe there is method in the madness ... maybe!

 

[teh_jackal]

For that $1.40 per week extra you benefit by receiving the following:

1) Your lanes are guaranteed to be available at the time your league bowls..no waiting for a pair to become available to use. It would be tough to have a league when you didn't know for sure if you could get lanes to bowl on.

2) Depending on your centre's policy, you get 5 -10 - or 15 minutes warm up for no added charge. Easily worth the extra $1.40 all in itself.

3) Secretarial service (ie. standings and results sheet)

4) Discounted open play rates (as a paid up league member)

All that said...i have to agree that AMF has overpriced the market with its per game rate.

1) On several occasions there have been social bowlers still playing when we have arrived to bowl league. This has happen to me and others that i know at various centres. In fact it was only last month that i had to ask 5 drunk guys to settle down as they were yelling and caring on like yobbos. They weren't drunk when they arrived but were served copious amounts by the inexperience counter staff. Then when the **** hits the fan as it did, am i supposed to go ask the 2 teenage girls that are running the front desk or the teenager that served the alcohol irresponsibly in the first place.?This league is the premier league in this centre with 28 bowlers competing for inexcess of $30000 in prize fund.To me this just doesn't add up.

2) 5 mins with pins in the other league i bowl in. 4 ppl a side, so maybe 2 throws each and that's when the lanes are running correctly. So i hardly see that as value.When i practice i have the lanes on for as long as i like with no pins.

3) We have our own secretary.

4) Agreed.

I understand that some ppl have to stand up for the hand that feeds them and that is ok.I just wonder what AMF has done or is doing to increase the profile of our sport. I'm not having a go, or maybe i am depending which side of the fence you sit on. I just am interested in seeing where the powers that be see the game heading, are they more interested in the ave joe or the loyal league bowler?

 

[Geoff300]

The fact it the price per game is tooooo high, full stop
That is why loyal people like you and me can only bowl 1 league per week