PedrosCousin
Rookie
What was your compensation agreement? Did you do all your stringing in store on their machine? Did you take the racquets home and bring them back? Combination of both? How was/is the experience overall?
8 long years for now defunct TSA.
What market? I was doing three stores in Orlando until 2000 and never got more than $6.50/stick.I strung/worked in the tennis section for Sports Authority for a bit while I was in college. This was over 20 years ago, but at the time they paid $8 per racquet. When they got a few racquets to be done, if I wasn't scheduled to work they'd call me to have me come in. If I was already at the store, I had to clock out from my hourly wage if I was going to string. Considering it wasn't a really busy tennis area, they had a really nice Tecnifibre electric machine! Overall it was a good stringing experience, the rest of the job pretty much sucked, but that was because of poor management and constant turnover in middle management.
As a side note, this was the only time in my stringing career that I have had to do multiple racquetball racquets.
I HATED those E-Force racquets... Luckily the hired some kid that was top ranked RB player, and I just left those for him. This was in Fayetteville, NC, and when they hired me they had no one to string, and I was able to negotiate the price per frame. It probably backfired though because I was always on the lower side of scheduled hours...What market? I was doing three stores in Orlando until 2000 and never got more than $6.50/stick.
I did RB sticks all the time and absolutely hated doing the E-Force “through the hollow handle” patterns.
I strung at an academy one summer, not big box but big amounts of rackets. 12+ a day, I got whatever string I wanted in return. I was there for 45 or so days and picked up a good amount of string. Mainly gut
My experience was that I got paid on a "per racquet" basis. Most of the stringing was new racquets which makes life easier. All work was done on site with store machines. In terms of overall experience, you will be surrounded by people who are not knowledgeable about tennis. Expect to be shaking your head a lot.
Lol. That's what I'm anticipating. What did you get per racquet if you don't mind sharing? And when did you do this?
The first time I got $10 per racquet I was over the moon! For years and years I was getting $5-8 a racquet, or just making minimum wage at work study. When I started charging $15 for labor only for my at home business I got zero comments about it being too much for the Washington DC Metro area.
Smitty does runs for the local ***** in our area closer to him
So does another guy i hit with that strings out of his home.
I dont know what smitty mames but my oal usually tells me its not worth it and asked if i wanted to take over 3 ***** stores for him
Well I guess a full time or MO kind of job, then yeah that's not going to be raking in the big bucks by any means. I just meant more of a side hustle kind of thing to make a bit of extra money. ****, I'd take some clients to make some extra money. I only really string for myself and my friend.
I think Academy is considered a big box sporting goods store. That seems like a good deal if you can use/sell all those strings. Did you have a $ option at all or just strings? When did you string for them?
Only you know what your time is worth.
Figure you average time/ racquet and determine what that time is worth to you.
undercharge and you will find it difficult to raise that rate.
Another way to look at it is....
would you rather string 20 racquets/ week at $10/ racquet, or
string 10 racquets/ week at $20/ racquet. and figure just what your time is worth.
At minimum $8.00 per racket. Especially since it will likely be them manually keying in rackets as hours so you'll lose taxes on it. Realistically if you could make a demand minimum of $10 possibly $15 if the market would hold it. I've been told by multiple people that I under charge at $10 stringing out of my home but the average market price of a local sports store is only $15. The market will only hold so much. It's not like I'm in a high cost of living area where people will pay top dollar. It all depends on market.
The first time I got $10 per racquet I was over the moon! For years and years I was getting $5-8 a racquet, or just making minimum wage at work study. When I started charging $15 for labor only for my at home business I got zero comments about it being too much for the Washington DC Metro area.
Make sure they know that YOU know how to string a racquet.......THEY DONT. You have the leverage. If you're willing to take less to get more experience and exposure to more people, then it may be worth it. If you already busy enough, don't budge on your rate.$8 seems very low. StringGuruMRT was getting that in the late 90s! I'll probably throw out the $15 figure and negotiate from there.
Make sure they know that YOU know how to string a racquet.......THEY DONT. You have the leverage. If you're willing to take less to get more experience and exposure to more people, then it may be worth it. If you already busy enough, don't budge on your rate.
Funny thing about this industry. When I started 30+ yrs ago a set of syn gut cost about $4. And today a set of syn gut still costs about $4. Same thing with balls. Probably same thing with rates.
I want to get my speed up. So I think this might be a good thing for me to do, but I won't do it if it's not fair for me financially.
Rackets, shoes and clothes on the other hand....
Funny thing about this industry. When I started 30+ yrs ago a set of syn gut cost about $4. And today a set of syn gut still costs about $4. Same thing with balls. Probably same thing with rates.
Yikes. You're kinda right. It sucks that the value for this skilled labor hasn't increased much with inflation.
Do a good job and get to know your clients. When you leave Dick's, they probably go with you.....take the clients with youWhen I first approached the store manager and offered my services he said they have a video that shows how to do it. Lol...I made it clear I'm a competent stringer and he was happy to hear that. I'm not anticipating making a ton doing this. I still have a small client base and frankly don't have enough business yet to string as often as I'd like. I want to get my speed up. So I think this might be a good thing for me to do, but I won't do it if it's not fair for me financially.
How many people where you play tennis know how to string a racquet, and do a consistent good job? Now ask how many people in your city know how......... probably not very many so don't slash your priceYikes. You're kinda right. It sucks that the value for this skilled labor hasn't increased much with inflation.
Your market is clearly a higher income area than mine. Columbia, SC average household income is only 42K a year.$8 seems very low. StringGuruMRT was getting that in the late 90s! I'll probably throw out the $15 figure and negotiate from there.
I'm getting $10 per racquet now at the club I'm at. I also string a few racquets a week for my old boss and he pays me the same. Unfortunately, my home business dried up completely when I moved to the Orlando area.Maybe I'm naive but even $10 seems a tad low for this gig, though I know they want to make their cut on the labor too. I charge $15 for my home business and get no complaints. The local tennis shop charges $18 for labor along with a healthy string markup. Most of the racquets I'm stringing have their throat sticker in them. I'm probably 10 bucks less than them for a comparable string.
Orlando has an abundance of options for 'professional' service and I would bet even more cottage industry. It's all about convenience not loyalty.I'm getting $10 per racquet now at the club I'm at. I also string a few racquets a week for my old boss and he pays me the same. Unfortunately, my home business dried up completely when I moved to the Orlando area.
I also live dead in the middle of tourist-ville, so that doesn't help...Orlando has an abundance of options for 'professional' service and I would bet even more cottage industry. It's all about convenience not loyalty.
Do a good job and get to know your clients. When you leave Dick's, they probably go with you.....take the clients with you
Yes also easy way to get firedThis is something I was thinking about. Would it be unethical (for lack of a better term) to hand out my business card while stringing in the store? Obviously I'd prefer they deal directly with me for their stringing needs.
This is something I was thinking about. Would it be unethical (for lack of a better term) to hand out my business card while stringing in the store? Obviously I'd prefer they deal directly with me for their stringing needs.
I would honor your contract, or "work", with Dick's, but if you do a good job and people like you, there's nothing wrong with your customers going with you.This is something I was thinking about. Would it be unethical (for lack of a better term) to hand out my business card while stringing in the store? Obviously I'd prefer they deal directly with me for their stringing needs.