We had a TERRIBLE experience here.
Read on - don't patronize terrible business owners with atrocious business practices. Patronize Irvine Lanes Bowling Lanes on Michelson instead.
Forest Lanes is having a dispute with adjacent businesses. Per other owners, Forest is trying to lease parts of its parking lot to the businesses.
Here's how this dilemma affected us. We take our employees to lunch and bowling as a reward and recognition. Went today. Dined at an adjacent restaurant, then headed to the alley for bowling.
Turns out the bowling alley contracts with a towing company to tow any cars that park NEAR the property line with the restaurants. Doesn't Forest management come out and visually inspect what they are towing, or actually observe the people not being their patrons before towing? No. The towing company explained that Forest Lanes has a contract with them to come out and two, daily, at noon and 1 pm, any cars within a 40 parking slot area. Really?!?!?
So for those of us that don't eating bowling alley food, and patronize two businesses - the restaurant AND the alley - we get caught up in the grudge match between the two businesses?
Tried to speak to the bowling alley, to show we were customers. The GM (David Kisawa) refused to speak to us. Alan McDuffy (manager) refused to come out as well - sent a concession stand supervisor to explain that it's an ""automated towing program.""
Again - really?!? What looks to be 300 spaces, of which approximately 20 cars were in the lot - and you take out your business dispute on actual customers?
Stood with a man that wasn't your customer - had parked there to run in for 10 minutes to a sandwich shop. He's early 50's, works as a mechanic - had tears in his eyes because the $280 had a real impact on his family.
Again - common sense - if you have a bone to pick with an adjacent business, you act in a respectable manner and deal with that business. Towing/hurting customers? Towing/hurting other people that used one of 250+ open spaces to run to a sandwich store? I had the funds to pay - he didn't.
Shame on you and your practices. Shame on you for not tackling your real problem and dealing with it (the adjacent businesses) like a respectable business leader. Shame on you for towing your own customers and then refusing to either tell the towing company to waive it, or reimbursing them for the funds.
Sad part for you is that I'm the vice president of our company, that approved the Christmas and mid-year bowling parties at your lanes (we're the group that comes in with 95 employees). Irvine Lanes are approximately 10 minutes farther from us - but we'll be taking our business there. Isn't that great? You stick it to your customers - you lose more revenue that you gained in open parking lots.
Do the math. Rethink your policy. And, when in doubt - just remember, don't stick it to your customers...take it up with the folks you really have a problem with - the adjacent businesses.
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