Fitters/Builders/Shop employees, what are your "that customer" stories?

[WristySwing]

Since it is the silly season in golf, I thought it might be a fun topic idea for builders and fitters (past and present) to share some stories of the more colourful characters they have come across.  Working with the public is never easy, but hopefully some can let us have a laugh at their expense.  Please keep in mind this is a light hearted thread so I hope nobody is going to get too bent out of shape about a tale or two in here.  Also, if we can keep it away from bashing store employees, that would be great.  There's countless threads on here about that.  For once I'd like a thread dedicated the other way.

 

1) When I worked big box retail I had a customer come in with a Ping ISI fairway.  Those who remember them, they had a hosel sleeve not unlike today's modern woods that were designed for specific ball flights, such as RUD (Right, Upright, Draw).  You will also remember these came out in 1998.  Customer comes in with one where head and shaft came apart, not rare for these and definitely not rare for this being around 2013 and likely it had seen many a warm trunk in its life time.  Customer wanted it sent back to PING, for free, because when it was purchased at some defunct golf shop long ago, it was sold with a lifetime warranty.  Unaware of this, I called PING to verify if this was true.  The rep admitted it may have been at some point in time but they had been with PING for >10 years and it definitely was not the case with this club or in their tenure with the company.  I told customer, they didn't believe me.  I put rep on speaker phone to repeat their warranty to prove I wasn't lying.  Once rep said "unfortunately PING does not have..." customer spun on their heels, face bright red, muttering under their breath, visibly agitated, and didn't even stand around to listen to the last part before they were out the front door.  We charged $10 to reglue heads but the customer made $10 their hill to die on and have a useless club instead.  

 

2) At fitting studio I worked at for the last few years of my golf career I fit an older gentleman coming in with Burner Bubble graphite irons.  These were easily 20+ years old at this point.  All said and done, customer picked up 20 yards on their 7i, dispersion you couldn't walk out there any tighter, no more fat shots, and peak height and spin in optimal window.  All in all, a 5-star fit in my books.  After customer gets clubs and goes away back to their country I get a scathing email from them that I had misfit them horribly.  The irons they actually used (2 year old Taylormade CGB Max Titaniums) were just as long and forgiving as these.  Why would I sell them clubs when their own clubs were no better than what they already had?  I had to remind them that what they brought in were not the CGBs to the fit, but their old burners.  They claimed that shouldn't matter and I needed to have taken this into consideration.  They shipped the clubs back to us for a full refund...which to my annoyance since it was not even remotely my or the studio's fault here, but was part of our purchasing policy so we agreed.

 

3) Also at the fitting studio.  Customer comes in saying they shoot 80 on the regular and are using GI clubs and want to make the next logical step forward to Player's Distance irons or even a combo set of GI and PD.  Makes sense, I am all for that.  They warm up and it isn't pretty but I just chalk it up to nerves/rust.  In this scenario I am filling in their customer profile and just kind of semi-interviewing them in a very non-intrusive way. "Oh how long have you played?  Where do you play?  Same group or with different people?  What did you think of the tournament this weekend?  Do you think Tiger is going to beat Nicklaus?"  You know, just general questions to see where their head is at and to let them relax.  20 minutes in on their warmup there isn't one shot that has come within 50 yards of distance or direction of the green they told me to set out for.  I tell them to keep warming up and I'll be right back (my typical way to see if it is really nerves and me being out of the picture completely results in good shots.  Sometimes this is the case).  Come back 5 minutes later, same thing...just a shotgun blast of balls nowhere near the green, with most of them being a super heavy shank like thing with the face pointing about 65* open at impact.  1/3rd of the shots aren't even registering on the GCHawk they are that bad.....I'm in trouble.  I gently suggest to maybe start warming up with something like a 8i instead because its a bit easier to hit.  No better.  Yikes.  I ended up giving them an hour-long lesson with a couch arm cushion on the ground by the ball so they would stop coming 50000 degrees over the top, stabbing the heel in the ground and then having the heel jam the face wide open.  It got so bad that a fitter on break in the next bay came over, who also happened to be an instructor for a while (as I am not, I just know a few pointers here and there) to help.  Nope, didn't do a thing.  We didn't hit one usable shot except with a Callaway BB21 iron that went dead straight and high and landed on the green, but they expressly told me that GI clubs were off the table.  Okay then.  No charge for the fit fee, hit the range, here's some instructors we work with if you're not working with anyone now, if you are, fire them and go elsewhere (jk!), hope to never see you again buh-bye.  On the way out, "man today was rough, I really do shoot around 80, just felt off today."  As the door shut the other fitter looked at me and said "if that guy has ever shot 80 in his life I will quit golf right now" and walked away.  I get it, people have bad days, but to tell me that you are like a 12-15 handicap and then hit 150 balls in a row that a kid who has never seen a club before could outperform makes me think you're lying.  Maybe just a smidge.

 

[JCAG]

I owned a one man (myself), custom fit and custom made golf shop from 1985 until 2000. Over those years I "fired" several customers. I had to go to court to collect money from a few that bounced a check on me. I heard every sob/proposition story there was to be had.

 

I did have one customer who was a "rocket scientist" (really) that wanted all type of "weird stuff" done. At first I "fought" him on some of the stuff he wanted as it was well outside the norms of club building. Then I learned to listen and tell him how much I wanted to do such. He went away and I am not sorry he did.

 

Dirty looking guy comes in one time and asks me if I buy used clubs? I said I might, show them to me. We go outside. He has a dirty lookig, half dressed girl in the front seat. He opens the trunk of his car and in there are several sets of clubs in travel storage bags. Obviously stolen. I looked at the clubs and  I said no thanks. Then I said there is a 2nd hand golf shop down the road, try them. I run back into my shop and call the Chief of Police who was a golfing buddy. I told him the story, a description, and where they were headed. Chief of Police calls me back later and says they arrested them.

 

As others post I might come back with some individual stories.

 

[Adam C]

I had a guy who would "tip" me for the club work I did for him by bringing me food and deserts. Only sounds kind of odd until you realize that I was working for Golfsmith and the guy was carrying bags of food through the store back to the shop for me. Got some confused looks.