Shame Woden Shame

[partyanimal01]

I seem to be having a problem with Woden AMF! I have been a member for the past 2 years and am commencing my 3rd Season there. We have arrived for our second night to once again no score sheets, no greeting, no communication what so ever as we had to ask to be taken off Practice 15mins after we should have been done to be told how many hands does the staff member have. NOT ENOUGH if this is a issue. For the last 6 months of bowling we were told it was under new management and that all the OLD problems would be gone in 1-2 months. We have not seen this and assume it is not going to happen!!!! So i thought that i would ask for comments on Tuggeranong and their service. :x :x :x :x

 

[partyanimal03]

Hallelujah! Someone took this one step further at last!!

I am a part of the same league at Woden, also going into my 3rd season. While I wholeheartedly agree with the comments made below I would like to stress further that the level of service we have received as a league has been shoddy at best since the league began. On far too many occasions the score sheets and lane allocations have not been done we have arrived - last night we chose our own lanes. Communication between the staff and the league members is mimimal (this includes notification of practice, lanes turned on, competitions etc) and on more than one occasion we have been made to feel bad for complaining if this is a problem with one of the lanes etc.

Our end of season functions have also been a joke, to the point where we have decided to organise our own this season off site. The improvements that were promised with the change of management have not eventuated and don't look like they ever will, in fact it's getting worse.

Good job, Woden - if you wanted to systematically get rid of your league bowlers, you're well on your way to succeeding.

 

[Levithian]

So your leagues are totally controlled by your center? that was thrown out the door long ago with pretty much every league ive bowled in. The secretary usually puts out the score sheets and the treasurer puts out the money envelopes (the only exception i have seen is a high roller league where the center did most of the work because they subsidised the prize fund at the end of the year). That is what we elect league officials for, if you are having problems relying on your center to do the work, adopt a similar solution.

Lane allocation, switching the lanes over to play, all that sort of crap is utter rubbish. That should be routine, the staff should be able to do it without even thinking. You know what I think the problem is? they need a kick up the arse, from the sounds of it, you guys have just put up with it instead of doing something about it. Have your president go straight to the manager, that is what he is elected for, any discussion within the league dealing with the center should go through him/her. If the manager fails to rectify the situation, call a general meeting within the league, suggest moving the league to other centers, vote on it, then have the president confront the manager again. I dont know any center that would turn down another established league, if they wont come to the party, maybe start talking with belconnen or tuggerenong. Im sure they would do everything they can to make you feel welcome.

 

[bigblue2]

It seems quite a shame to see such an attack on woden bowl. I bowl in two leagues one at woden and one at belconnen and believe I bowl in the league in question.
After having read the comments made, it is very obvious who has made them as they seem to be made out of spite and with very little truth.
Some people need to have a long hard look at themselves before they attack others as the major problem with our league seems to be from within.
A certain group of people who claim to control our league are disliked by other bowlers because of there treatment of the staff and other bowlers.
After our last week of bowling I was disgusted at comments made towards a member of staff and have discussed this with the manager and was pleased with the professional way this was dealt with.
Woden has suffered from poor management in the past no question of that but the recent changes have been refreshing.
If things are still so bad why would we join for the third year?
I do not like poor service but being a poor customer is worse.
The people in question dont get excellent service like some of us but do not deserve it.
Keep trying Woden!

 

[princess]

As a league bowler at woden for many years, i can see where you are comming from on the whole management thing. YES it has suffered from very poor management in the past but recent changes have been a HUGE improvement (with the exception of their 2IC :twisted: ). I think we all know who the original post was made by (Fatass sisters) and it comes as no surprise they are bitter after losing their jobs to the company prior to all there "problems" with staff. It turns out that woden really didn't want their league bowlers after all was said and done and look as though they will no longer be open for long. That being said, good luck to woden and their new opening times. :?

P.S. Get a clue and subscription to Jenny Craig !

 

[bad_ass]

i belive if i was grahem would of cloked u from this site for usen such prefanity to big ppl

 

[princess]

No offense ment. Just a dig at two certain inderviduals( :evil: ) . Sorry if taken wrong way. Just voicing my opinion.

 

[partyanimal01]

I was not fired and i have never tried to hide my identity but obviously you have no idea what your talking about i left for all the crap that was going on and been at tuggeranong where i have had excellent service and 90% of our league went there if you have a problem with me talk to my face and not behind a computer i can take criticisim but that was uncalled for as i left of my own accord like the last 7 staff members before me. I enjoyed my job but not the a**holes that worked there.. :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

 

[partyanimal03]

Whatever, "Princess"...not all the complaints were from so-called Fatarse Sisters. Now who's being spiteful? And how exactly did you expect that remark to be taken? For your information the disorganisation started long before those particular people even left AMF as employees OF THEIR OWN ACCORD I might add. I believe the lack of customer service we were shown as a league stemmed from the fact that several of it's members were employees of the centre at time and therefore were not regarded as deserving of the same treatment we would have shown to other customers. This may have not been intentional, but the fact remains that we were treated as such. They have been having "problems" with staff for far longer than this - I have never seen a place with the turnover of employees that that place had...that has to suggest something wasn't right??????????????????????????????????

I am also a former employee of AMF Woden who left on good terms with the management and staff there so my observations about the service were not made out of spite. I am disgusted that this whole issue has become a forum for personal attacks - yes we can pretty much guess who is who but the point was to raise the customer service issue with the hope it would improve things Quite obviously they couldn't be bothered to even attempt to do so. Why bother when you can take the easy way out and just tell people to take a hike?

Maybe if Woden had gotten their act together and not systematically driven away a large portion of their customers they wouldn't have to be going down the hill to closing.

 

[bigblue2]

I guess the powers that be must of reacted to the comments of past employees as it seems no one can benefit from Woden any more as it now has removed all league bowlers and changed its operating hours.
It seems a very big case of sour grapes when people who used to work there try to kick the hell out of a centre that has been struggling for years.
I just hope that the staff left there trying to do there job dont read this as it must be a hard thing knowing that the place that pays there bills is looking down the barrell of closing for good. Then to have to read spitefull comments from past employees must really be a kick in the guts.
Maybe these so called past employees should hang there heads in shame as if they were doing a better job Woden may not be on the verge of closure.
I really hope that Woden does not close as a small piece of bowling in Canberra will be gone for ever.
Good luck Woden.

 

[partyanimal03]

Did you not even read the above post? I cannot believe you are suggesting that 2 or 3 ex employees could possibly have had the reach to cause Woden's impending closure. Try bad management and treating your staff like crap and you'll be coming closer to the truth.

I feel sorry for any current employees as well - and not only because the centre may close (which I agree is bad for those who currently work there) but because I know what it's like on the other side of the counter. And unless you have worked there, you are in absolutely no position to comment - because what you see as a customer and what goes on behind the scenes are two totally different things and you have no idea of some of the situations we've had to work under. So get your facts straight "bigblue" or don't bother sharing your opinions.

And if it's sooooooo terrible that Woden had to turn away all their league bowlers why do they still have 3 active leagues?.

 

[Tangles]

OK... here's my two cents. I live nowhere near Canberra, and honestly have no intention to - but speaking as somebody that has worked in "our" industry for the past 5 years and is currently Assistant Manager of a privately-owned centre I have this to say...

If you have a problem with the staff and/or service, approach the Manager or Assistant Manager. That is what they are there for and I'm sure would be happy to assist you with your concerns. A public forum such as this was not intended as a place to criticise and "back-stab" any bowling centre or their employees, therefore such comments need to be left out of these mediums. Let the people who enjoy bowling, and perhaps enjoy bowling at Woden, enjoy it without a certain few unhappy customers ruining it for everyone.

A constant change in staff does not show anything relative to the business. You will find (as I have) that this is common in most businesses, especially those with high public contact. Look at McDonald's for example - not really in our industry but it seems that every time you go in they have different staff. This may or not be true, but a high staff turnover does not reflect on whether the business is doing well, or not so well.

Bottom line is.... if you don't like it, don't bowl there. Like someone said - if you weren't happy with the centre in general, why sign up for a third season?? As mentioned above, let those that enjoy it, enjoy it in peace.

 

[princess]

FYI - I am a past employee of AMF Canberra. It was people like you that made my job a little less enjoyable. I feel for current employees - to watch your job walk out the door. Woden shot itself in the foot the moment they made leagues walk. Lets take a look at past managers shall we ?

From memory... Ramond something (no comment). The next manager Lawrence Goldie in my opinion was their most promising manager to date. I think Peter was the next manager but was only keeping the seat warm till the then Regional manager could place one of her friends in the position, which brings me to the next so called manager who ran the place to rather large debt (from my understanding, which is a pretty good one !). Now there is Ben Wright, a good manager with great support, if ever the place was going to succeed, it would be now. It's only through no fault of his that the place has reduced it's trading hours. I wish him all the luck he can handle!

I trully believe that the past poor running is due to the ex-regional manager ( and her son ).

 

[DrewC]

Woden

Princess,

Why don't you take this topic offline with the people you obviously have an issue with. It would seem this topic has gone
from bagging Woden to bagging individuals. If you are going to lay the blame for the demise of Woden squarely at the feet of previous centre management then you should probably do them all the courtesy of putting your name to your posts and also getting something resembling fact together. Mostly this looks like a non too subtle attempt to hide a personal agenda.

Woden was for sure a great little centre in its time and perhaps it's new direction will be a positive step, perhaps not, only time will tell. Good luck to Ben and his staff.

Drew

 

[princesss]

Oh Dear !

What has happened now - my cherished AMF Woden is, *gasp* closing...?

Wow - I didnt see that coming a mile away.

Maybe AMF centre wont shoot themselves in the foot again by opening up so-called 'Boutique Bowl'. It was a stupid idea from the start, and a disaster waiting to happen.

I just feel for the only innocence of the matter -

The staff - Who could only quit or stand around waiting for their job to disapear.

I feel for them *sniff* I really do.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

:twisted:

 

[roil]

Well princasss

You would indeed be a worthy addition to any organisation that would take you on. Especially since you must have a degree in stupidity

For a start – Woden was doing very well even without your patronage.
It is closing purely for commercial reasons ie to make the sale of AMF more appealing.

Look at Warrawong closed for commercial reasons only and AMF bought Illawarra Strikezone.

Woden as a Boutique Bowl was an excellent idea and was paying off. As you have no real business sense I wont bore you with the reality of the private sector, except to say that if you can find a niche you will then make money.

Sorry because you only have a small vocabulary:
Niche – a specialised but profitable corner of the market (Oxford Dictionary) :shocked!:

Since you were one of the above under a different persona Woden must have had very good reasons for asking you to leave.

As for the staff, that are still there, I understand that they will be taken care of.

As a person that bowled there in the 80’s and 90’s and in the 2000’s, it is with some sorrow that Woden which has been an icon for some 30 years will close its doors.

Good luck to Ben and to all his staff at Woden

 

[Graham]

Woden is closing this Sunday.

 

[bowlingbuddy]

its a shame to walk past woden now, knowing that an icon in the canberra bowling industry is no more