Worst Golf Shopping Experience Ever Today

I've been looking all around for a set of AMP Irons all over, I stumbled upon them at Dick's in the demo iron bag and fell in love. When I buy, I usually do my best to give small local guys a shot, I don't mind paying a little more if it helps put food on someone's table as opposed to a corporation who is gonna be just fine and dandy whether I give them my money or not. So I go in this store and wait and wait and wait to ask a salesman if they have any Cobra stuff for sale. The two guys working were too busy attending to this kid in there with his dad spending Daddy's money bragging about his banking degree, I'm a self proclaimed hacker, but this kids swing needed alot of work, I'm not one to judge because I was there when I first started until I put the time and effort into getting the ball to go straight, and these guys were basically lying to him giving the ridiculous gonna give you the x amount of yards spill.
So when I finally get the chance to ask the guy about the Cobra equipment he launches into this anti Cobra rant talking about how the company is about to go over and how Rickie and Ian don't play Cobra clubs they just wear the clothes and front the product (which is wrong about Ian because he wears his own line of clothing now), long story, long they just slander the hell out of Cobra Puma golf. After the guys got done dumping on Cobra they turned out to be kinda sorta friendly guys, that just left a extremely sour taste in my mouth. They gave me a few clubs to try (Wilson Ci11 and the Adams Idea Black CB3 Forged) and I liked both clubs and both felt pretty good but for whatever reason they just didn't do it for me like the Cobra AMPs did. I even had the oppurtunity to hid a blade today for the first time which was awesome, I know I'm not where I need to be to play that style of blade but one day, maybe. They just felt so awesome when you hit them and the beauty is in the simplicity (Mizuno MP68's I think). They even had some really good prices on the clubs, but I don't know, I just wouldn't want to do business with someone who slanders a OEM just because they don't carry them. Say what you will about Dick's Sporting Goods, but they have a great staff at my local store, the salesmen are knowledgeable, very friendly, and if you need assistance, you get it, but they don't hover over you like a vulture. I have a favorite guy there and he's my go to guy, if I ask him about a club or model or line if it's not good or the claims the compainies put out aren't true he's honest and straight forward with me. As much as I'd love to give my business to the little guy, I'm gonna have to keep going with DSG unless I can find another local shop with a friendlier staff. End rant, sorry I drug this one out so long.

So the "bad" guys were at the local shop? I'm a bit confused.

I've never had a good experience with a big box store personally.

Yeah man, I know that sounds ridiculous and virtually impossible but that was my experience. I'd really love to give the small guys my business but this just really rubbed me wrong today.

BogeyMan60 said:

Yeah man, I know that sounds ridiculous and virtually impossible but that was my experience. I'd really love to give the small guys my business but this just really rubbed me wrong today.

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I couldn't ask for better service from my local shop. There's one guy whose a bit of a jerk but he's still helpful, and everyone else is simply awesome. Never once have I heard them bash on anyone's clubs. One guy in particular can't stand TMaG but will still present only the facts when selling them to someone.

I had a guy tell me all my Taylormade stuff sucked, turns out he was a PGA pro who was sponsored by cleveland that I was playing with, BUT he set me up with a whole set of Cleveland stuff that I could try out at the demo event later that day lol but I ended up loving all the Cleveland stuff I tried out, but I've never had a small store bash an OEM like that, maybe he was trying to win your business with their Wilson stuff instead,

The right way to win business is not to trash one OEM and make the other look like a piece of heaven on a stick. The right way to do it is present facts and help the customer make the right choice. negativity usually hurts business, not help it.

JF said:

I couldn't ask for better service from my local shop. There's one guy whose a bit of a jerk but he's still helpful, and everyone else is simply awesome. Never once have I heard them bash on anyone's clubs. One guy in particular can't stand TMaG but will still present only the facts when selling them to someone.

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That's called being a good salesman. Most of the time, people who are selling golf equipment, will sell you whatever it takes to get you to the register.

QUOTE=JF;1988923]The right way to win business is not to trash one OEM and make the other look like a piece of heaven on a stick. The right way to do it is present facts and help the customer make the right choice. negativity usually hurts business, not help it.[/QUOTE]

Exactly, I mean this guy straight up told me Cobra was going under,lol like no more Cobra, just gone. I have no OEM preference, I go with what feels the best, right now I have a Cobra driver, Adams FWs, Cleveland wedges, a Ping Putter, and hopefully soon the AMP irons which looks like I'm going to end up having to buy offline because my search keeps coming empty.

Yeah, that's very unprofessional right there. The guys at my club are all super-awesome and kind. I wouldn't buy from anywhere else unless it was cheaper.

The guy was greasier than ol Vince from the Shamwow commercials,lol. I'm will give the Adams and Wilson Staff a different shot at a different location just to make sure they don't suit me better and all the guys negativity didn't turn me off of them.

I could say something kind of funny but I will restrain . Anyways the guys downing the snakes probably got snuffed/delayed on an order and now are trying to rub some dirt on a good company. Stuff like this always chaps my arse.

Do they work on commission at your local shop? That would definitely play a factor in their sales behavior.

To be honest with you, I'm not really sure. I'm not a member of a golf club anywhere but I think having the a pro shop like you mentioned above. The guy I mentioned above working at Dicks also works at a local golf course I sometimes play so maybe that's why I get the pro shop treatment at Dicks.

I try and give the local store my business, but the customer service at my local store is abysmal and has resulted in me going elsewhere.

I work in sales and I am always dumbfounded how little some people care about their own business.

Sorry you had a bad experience. I buy most if not all of my golf equipment from a local store. I prefer this to the big box stores, I have yet to find a big box store that carries an X flex shaft. At the local shop, they are friendly, knowledgeable and know me by name. I have been a loyal customer for about 6 years now and with that they give me discounts and perks.

Golfingmedic said:

Sorry you had a bad experience. I buy most if not all of my golf equipment from a local store. I prefer this to the big box stores, I have yet to find a big box store that carries an X flex shaft. At the local shop, they are friendly, knowledgeable and know me by name. I have been a loyal customer for about 6 years now and with that they give me discounts and perks.

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My experiences are similar to yours. When I inquired about a Covert Tour driver they quoted me for the price of a standard Covert. It will likely happen some time this spring.


THPing on Tapatalk

I would have been put off by the slandering too. I probably would have walked out. I'm not a fan of other people bashing something they probably really don't know much about in the first place.

That's crazy that they would even say stuff like that about an OEM they carry! I would report them to my local cobra rep if I could find out who they were.

Hopefully you can find another local shop to buy stuff at.

My guess is the spiffs on Adams and Wilson are higher.

golfinFF said:

That's crazy that they would even say stuff like that about an OEM they carry! I would report them to my local cobra rep if I could find out who they were.

Hopefully you can find another local shop to buy stuff at.

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They don't carry Cobra, I'm sorry if I didn't specify that or if it just got lost in all of my rambling, I was just so ticked off. They told me no players play Cobra, I said what about Rickie? They informed me Rickie plays Titliest clubs and wears just wears the Puma brand, correct me if I'm wrong but I thought he only played the ProV1 and had the Scotty Cameron putter, then I said what about Ian and they said nope, I just wears the Puma clothes, then I informed them Ian has his own clothing brand and I know he appears in the AMP Cell commercial but doesn't he game the Cobra ZL Encore? Anyways, thanks to THP I had plenty of ammo to retort with. I'm kinda considering emailing Cobra about this the more I think about it. One thing I love about Cobra is that if you go on to their website and look through the online reviews if anyone leaves a negative comment they always reply and try to get the reviewer to get in touch so the issue can be resolved. In this day and age of the almighty dollar actually caring about the customer's happiness means alot to me because let's face it, these things aren't cheap and are a pretty big investment.

Rule #1 in selling, particularly on a one time transaction, is that the customer is always right..............

Bogey: If you look on Titelist's website they currently have Fowler down for the ball only.

Here's a picture from him in December from the 3rd round at Sherwood with the Amp Cell Driver:
http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/...lenge+Presented+Northwestern+F5ZgWBZTfahl.jpg

I wonder if either Cobra wouldn't open them as an account or they lost their Cobra account. That could help explain their disdain for the brand. Their problem is they don't know how to get you into trying something else without making you feel stupid or ignorant about a brand you like...their loss.

ryebread said:

Rule #1 in selling, particularly on a one time transaction, is that the customer is always right..............

Bogey: If you look on Titelist's website they currently have Fowler down for the ball only.

Here's a picture from him in December from the 3rd round at Sherwood with the Amp Cell Driver:
http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/...lenge+Presented+Northwestern+F5ZgWBZTfahl.jpg

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I would print that pic off and bring it in there, but I've just decided not to go back in there? How's that AMP Offset treating you Rye? I have the same model and let them know it was my favorite club in my bag.

BogeyMan60 said:

They don't carry Cobra, I'm sorry if I didn't specify that or if it just got lost in all of my rambling, I was just so ticked off. They told me no players play Cobra, I said what about Rickie? They informed me Rickie plays Titliest clubs and wears just wears the Puma brand, correct me if I'm wrong but I thought he only played the ProV1 and had the Scotty Cameron putter, then I said what about Ian and they said nope, I just wears the Puma clothes, then I informed them Ian has his own clothing brand and I know he appears in the AMP Cell commercial but doesn't he game the Cobra ZL Encore? Anyways, thanks to THP I had plenty of ammo to retort with. I'm kinda considering emailing Cobra about this the more I think about it. One thing I love about Cobra is that if you go on to their website and look through the online reviews if anyone leaves a negative comment they always reply and try to get the reviewer to get in touch so the issue can be resolved. In this day and age of the almighty dollar actually caring about the customer's happiness means alot to me because let's face it, these things aren't cheap and are a pretty big investment.

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Clearly they have no idea what they're talking about.

My local guy spent a total of about 3 hours with me. Then he spent another 2 or so with my son. He watched me hit balls, measured me and ASKED what i wanted. Not the brand but the feel and look i wanted. I went to golf galaxey and got a quote. At golf galx the mgr and salesman got into an argument in front of my son and i. The mgr said his salesman was wrong on th1 degree upright lie i wanted. I went back to my guy and said order me callaway razor tour and taylor made driver, my son spent about $450, I spent $800, he was lower by $40. Then 2 week ago I spent another $400 on the wifes new clubs and shoes. Bottom line, my local guy at Chilli CC in Chilli, NY treated me very well. He will always get my business. He is a golfer who takes care of golfers.