Linage control (how do you do it?)

[billman]

Our Center has no linage control sheet at the front desk!! Never has. And they wonder why I am always telling them to "use some different friggin lanes!" This is a common problem in the industry. The same 8-10 lanes of every house get the hell beat out of them and the end lanes look new. I have the scratch league ask me why one lane hooks and the other skids, and I bite my tounge and say I don't know.(I do know that there was a birthday party of 10 bumper brats on one lane for 2 hours before their league) How do you control lane usage at your center?

billman

[KL Kevin]

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

It's a little easier when the house is small, but we'll typically start the day running odd lanes, then cycle back to even, keeping a lane between people most of the time if possible. We tend to run the low end early in the day, and the high end in the late afternoon, when it's getting close to oiling time, to get the best jump on oiling the lanes w/o interrupting the oiling or the open bowlers.

Our bumpers are on the ends of the house, so that also helps, as it forces use of the end lanes.

Brunswick scorers can give a report for the frame counts bowled on each lane over a period of time, and if you see it getting out of whack, you can tell people to run such-and-such lanes/pairs that day/week to balance it out.

Of course, there are certain people who you will want right in front of the desk, the ones who grab kiddie balls to throw like tarzan, kids who like to hack around, and the ones who think you handed out bowling shoes for them to look at, not wear.

Kevin

[Dutch]

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

Don't some automatic scoring systems have a lane management program that automatically assigns lanes?
Anybody know anything about that?
Dutch

[amfpinboy]

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

Lane management? I work in a split 48 lane house and I consider myself lucky if they don't put open bowlers within two lanes of where I'm working. I usually shut off a few machines on either side of where I'm going to be. It could be 9AM, empty lanes everywhere and she will put open bowlers next to me. I gave up trying to explain lane management. After oiling they will give out the same lanes over and over.

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

Kevin pretty much got it right....except for the golden rule..any good looking girl with a mini-skirt goes in front of the desk as well (and to be p/c, a good looking guy as well, but only if the girls you work with complain!!) Lane management just takes common sense, and a little bit of planning out the day. The true problem is finding a full staff of people with common sense.

[ldchris]

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

front desk people with common sense thats a good one!!!!!!! well i look at it this way if you strip and oil right before the league there should be no problem with the lane conditions being different for league bowlers. if you put a sheet with all the lane #'s on it and have the desk person check off the lane they give out then not give it out again till all the others have a check on them then that should spread out the lineage! hope that helps some!!!!!

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

One method I've use in the past...

Sweep off the lanes at the end of the night and don't reset the machines in the morning.

Have the desk person give out only the machines that don't have pins standing.

Personally I don't use this method anymore, because the first impression to the customer is not very appealing when all the lanes don’t have a full set of pins standing.

Tech

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

oops...double posted!!

[This message has been edited by Tech_Mech (edited 08-25-2000).]

[Coors]

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

k....im a simple country yokle....bowlers suck....i still only strip the lanes twice a week. i do have a lane by game spread sheet at the desk. but simply to cross-chek the desk person.....we still use shuttle meters. anyhow "te objective o bowling is to identify the condition and adapt". if anybody believes all lanes can be the same...i suggest you go to our complaint recipient...."Helen Waite"

[PinBoy]

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

Our system will allow us to put lanes on hold, this stops the wonderful receptionists from puting people on the lane.

This is how I rotate the amount of games played on each lane (well most of the time).

[Oldsmagnet]

Re: Linage control (how do you do it?)

From time to time I have our desk help(less) use the "trial and error" approach... Put the bowlers on 1. When (not if...) it breaks down, move 'em to 2. When (not if...) they get to 12, give 'em a free beer, and send 'em home!

OK, so it's not ~quite~ that bad, but I've come on shift with 6 lanes broke down... Usually something simple/stupid on each one, but still... (There are times when we have bowlers, but no mechanic... Seems that ~bad~ help is even hard to find