K & K Bowling: A Recipe For Success

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K & K Bowling: A Recipe For Success

Posted by FLORIDE on Monday, January 22, 2007 (EST)

For those of you who are in the bowling services business or are contemplating going into it you might want to try this recipe.

 For those of you who are in the bowling services business or are contemplating going into it you might want to try this recipe. INGREDIENTS: 1 rocket scientist 1 or more great locations 5 or more dedicated employees (depending on size desired) 1 great work ethic 1 open mind 1 large helping of fearlessness Combine these ingredients and over time you will come up with one of the country’s most successful businesses in the bowling industry! <IMG height=371 src="http://www.mybowler.com/Communities/Common/Images/HtmlTextBoxUserImages/KK_1.jpg" width=500 border=0> The rocket scientist is Ken Keegan, owner of K&K Bowling Services. Educated at UCLA, Ken graduated with a degree in Geophysics and Space Physics, which is a planetary science-type of degree (thus the rocket scientist). Ken’s initial plans were to become a college professor or possibly work for NASA. Although these were fields that he excelled in, his interests were elsewhere and fate and destiny had chosen a different path for him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> Ken’s introduction to bowling came after he finished high school and at first was solely recreational. He needed something to fill a void and decided to take bowling more seriously. Observing the best bowlers in the country by watching the Pro Tour on television every week, Ken practiced what he saw and went from a 140 average bowler to a 190 average bowler in about a year. All of this improvement was self taught. Most of his practice time was at Pickwick Bowl in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Burbank</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>, which is where he met what you could call his first mentor, Mike Bodnariuk. While not really an instructor, the pro shop operator gave Ken tips on his bowling, equipment and, more importantly, he taught Ken the basics of ball fitting and drilling. After some time, Ken managed “THE BOWLERS EDGE BOWLING SUPPLY”. He learned about the surfaces and cores of bowling balls and his love for math and physics were about to pay off. In 1992, Ken purchased the pro shop from Mike and sold it in August of 1993 to follow his dream of becoming a pro bowler. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:place></st1:City> was his location of choice as many of the nation’s best bowlers and most of the nation’s biggest and best tournaments were located there. <o:p></o:p> Upon arrival in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:place></st1:City>, Ken found a job working for a finance company. While this job paid the bills, by the end of the 1995 bowling season Ken found it impossible to find time to practice because he had accepted a management position. This ended his pro tour dreams. With his bowling career on hold, Ken put all his effort into his profession. From 1996 to 1999, Ken had not thrown one ball. Then one night when he was watching the Ladies Pro Tour on television, Ken couldn’t remember why he had stopped bowling, and proceeded to fill in a vacant spot on his boss’s team. Little did his boss know that he was going to lose Ken to the bowling business about a year later. Finally, his love for science and math coupled with his seven years of running a finance business came together in the form of a full-service bowling pro shop. In 2000, K&K (Ken & Kathy) Bowling Services was born. Ken and his wife, Kathy, decided to go into the business of taking care of bowlers’ needs. Not just the best of the best, which is sometimes implied by the words “pro shop”, but all bowlers from beginners to those who are at the top of their games. The actual business opened in 2001 in a store front at the corner of Flaming and Jones. For the first two years, Ken ran the business by himself. K&K began to suffer because Ken could no longer drill bowling balls and serve the many customers that came into the shop at the same time. Ken needed to hire someone and that was Phil Platko. The two met many years earlier when Ken first came to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:place></st1:City>. Ken helped Phil with tournaments and ball layouts and Phil came in on Saturdays to help Ken as a payback. Phil was hired in February of 2003. For the next year, Ken and Phil spent six days a week getting to know each other at the shop all the while growing the business ever stronger.<o:p></o:p> Now let’s get down to some of the secrets of K&K’s success. Surrounding yourself with good employees is important, but it doesn’t end there. One thing that plagues many pro shops is the ability to replicate drillings on a consistent basis due to the different ways people drill bowling balls. Ken decided when he hired new employees that he would teach them to drill balls one way and one way only. What this means for the customer is that no matter who drills their equipment, the result will always be the same. K&K is very service-oriented. Many people think that a pro shop is only for drilling balls but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Among the many services K&K offers, “The Plan” truly stands out. For less than $100.00 a year, you can bring in all your equipment for oil extraction and resurfacing/reconditioning, not just once but as many times as you feel necessary. It’s like your bowling balls joining a gym to keep them in top condition. Ken’s philosophy on this is that the consumer spends their money in his shop and he wants to give his customers value for their dollar. This service allows the equipment to perform at its intended level for a much longer period of time. Also, it has created a lot more foot traffic in the shop thus exposing the customers to the latest and newest equipment that is on display. While the service labor only accounts for about 16% of the business, Ken feels that it is the most important part because it is the service that keeps the customer coming back.<o:p></o:p> <IMG height=371 src="http://www.mybowler.com/Communities/Common/Images/HtmlTextBoxUserImages/KK_2.jpg" width=500 border=0> K&K’s clients come from all walks of life and from all over the world. At one time, Ken counted the different countries of those who visited K&K but stopped after 25. Most of K&K’s customers come in looking for a reaction and that’s what they are sold. While the majority of equipment that K&K sells is <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Columbia</st1:place></st1:City> and Storm, they also stock a good variety of Ebonite and Hammer products. If a customer has a particular ball they want to purchase, Ken will order it for them if it is not in stock. Don’t worry. . .deliveries are in twice a week so the wait is never long. Another concern that many bowlers have is “am I buying the right ball?” K&K stocks approximately 30 performance balls at any given time. Each of these balls have been tested by their knowledgeable staff and they can answer any question that the customer may have. Once again, another extremely valuable service. <o:p></o:p> At the Flamingo location, you will find a virtual Who’s Who of employees including Ken, Phil, Brian “BT” Trubiro, Joel Renaso, and Jeff Walsh (who runs the training center). My next article will go into great detail about Ken’s very innovative idea of opening a training center. At the second store located on Wigwam and Pecos in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Green</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, you will meet Adam Ischman and Sekai Watanabi. All of these individuals are ready to help you with all of your bowling needs whether they are equipment related or the game itself. Ken believes that education is of the utmost importance. If there is a question you have about your game or equipment, you could do no better than to ask either Ken or one of his employees. If you’re losing interest in bowling because you don’t seem to be getting any better, don’t give up. K&K has answers for you.<o:p></o:p> The future of K&K bowling services is strong. Ken has future ideas ranging from opening a four to six lane state-of-the-art training center, developing a series of DVD seminars, and the possibility of franchising. <IMG height=371 src="http://www.mybowler.com/Communities/Common/Images/HtmlTextBoxUserImages/KK_3.jpg" width=500 border=0> In closing, let me leave you with this. If you are bowling in one of the many big money tournaments that <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:place></st1:City> has to offer and you find yourself in need of equipment or advice, do yourself a favor and get in to see Ken and his crew. I am confident that they will have all you need. On the other hand if you are a Valley resident, no matter what skill level you are, get in to K&K for all of your bowling needs. If you have never been to K&K, I think that you will be pleasantly surprised. And for those of you that own pro shops or are considering getting into the business, let’s get cooking. Follow this recipe for success and your customers will be begging for more. After all, K&K is the #2 bowling service in the country which can only mean that they have found all the ingredients to success. Bon Appetit!

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