I once worked for a short time with a gentleman who owned several bowling centers. We had regular meetings of all the managers of the centers, and this gentleman meticulously would review the weekly financial statements and question every number. In fact, he expected his managers to memorize the numbers and tell him exactly where each item fell at the drop of a hat.
Whenever one of us managers would talk of having a special promotion or tournament that would involve help from outside our organization, he would agree, "as long as it didn’t negatively affect our numbers." He would say something like, "OK, but what you really should worry about is only what happens between the four walls of your center."
Well, I didn’t last very long in this company because I thought it was more important to memorize customers’ names than numbers and because I believe very strongly in a bowling "community." All centers should work together to promote the sport and the business, and managers, not just owners, should be allowed to expand their horizons well beyond the four walls of their center.
The point is, there are many ways to find success in business. The gentleman I earlier mentioned still is doing well and probably always will be successful. I have the highest respect for his integrity and ability in business. I hope he has learned that bowling is a people business, and it’s bigger than any one center. No man is an island—and no center is an island.
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This compels me to comment on Jack McDonald’s success in signing up centers for Strike Ten Select, Strike Ten Entertainment’s program designed to make centers commit in advance (by paying $100) to promote future bowling promotions.
A lot of people are surprised that Jack has more than 2,100 centers on board (his goal was 2,000). Now, Strike Ten can aggressively go after corporate sponsorships with guaranteed coverage.
What still puzzles me, however: What happened to the other centers?
BPAA has 3,300 members. Why didn’t the other 1,200 sign up for this program? I know that 400 of these are AMF centers, and their reason for not participating is understandable. AMF CEO Doug Stanard told me that AMF supports Strike Ten’s efforts, but it prefers to do parallel promotions such as the Michael Jordan campaign. That makes sense.
So what about the other 800—or the 3,300 centers that are not members of BPAA? The 800 BPAA centers are progressive enough to join Strike Ten Select. Why not pay another $100 to reap the benefits of national promotions?
Could it be that they are practicing the "four wall philosophy"? I know as well as anyone that bowling is a tough business, and you must get your own house in order before you can get involved in outside promotions. However, no center is ever completely in order; employee turnover and facility maintenance are big challenges for most.
I challenge those centers that practice the "four wall philosophy" to try the "community philosophy" for one year. I think they will be amazed at what can be learned by expanding horizons just a little.
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If you are on this planet in the bowling business, I’m sure you have heard a thing or two about the big changes at AMF. I confess right here and now that I have participated in some of the interesting discussions—some fact, some merely rumor.
No doubt the changes are a direct result of falling stock prices. When AMF stock dropped from $31 to $8 in a short time, I’m sure more than a few investors started hitting panic buttons.
My sources in Richmond tell me two things have been major factors in the decline: the Asian economic crisis and buying too many centers too quickly.
I can’t speak about the Asian situation, but I can sure understand reason number two. AMF has purchased 250 centers in less than three years. As a former center owner and manager, I know that rebuilding a declining center is usually a two-year project—and that is only if good people are in place.
Many of the centers AMF purchased were in decline, neglected by owners who jumped at the opportunity to retire. A few others are doing very well. Logic says they should allow those centers doing well to continue their success. Let those managers teach others new ways to improve their service.
One of AMF’s major goals is to create the first "national brand" of bowling centers—they want to be the "McDonald’s" of bowling. So why not follow McDonald’s philosophy and franchise some of these centers?
With a franchise partner, centers are much more likely to succeed than with a manager making $20,000-$30,000 annually. Most managers will not enthusiastically work 12-14 hours a day and be on call seven days a week for those wages. Someone with a real stake in the business will.
AMF gave many people an opportunity to retire in purchasing all of these centers. Now, perhaps they should give others a chance to become entrepreneurs as franchise partners. And they should start with their best managers.
The new president of AMF centers in the U.S. is John Watkins, who comes to AMF from the Food Lion grocery chain where he was in charge of over 1,100 stores. He certainly should be well versed in crisis management, having dealt with the "tainted meat" accusations widely seen in the media.
My friend, Jim Self in Houston, tells me he is impressed with Watkins. I look forward to meeting him, and I sure wish him the best in his new assignment.
AMF has been at the top of the news for so long, we sometimes forget that it represents only about six percent of the 6,600 U.S. centers. Bowling has been a part of the American recreation and sports scene for more than 100 years, and I’m confident it will be here 100 years from now.
As for AMF, everyone associated with this industry should hope it succeeds because it is a big part of our national bowling community.
Jim Goodwin, a BWAA director and LPBT’s regional program director, is the award-winning editor/publisher of Stars & Strikes, in which the preceding originally appeared. Subscription rates are $20 per year (Pin Point Publishing, 2850 Red Valley Run, Rockwall, Texas 75087 ... voice/fax: 972/771-0069). His E-mail address is starsnxs@aol.com.