Thank you DFP, and I could use afavor!

[Eric F]

My letter to Wilson...

I was heart-broken this week to learn that Wilson Sporting Goods has refused to continue doing business with Core Softball Sales on Demaini and Louisville Slugger bats. This decision by Wilson has forced Core into a position where they have no choice but to close their doors completely.

Over the past few years, as a travel softball coach and parent, I have purchased 8 top-end Demaini and Louisville Slugger bats from Core for my daughter, and her teammates. I have also recommended Core to dozens of friends and acquaintances in the fastpitch softball community, many of whom have also given their business to Core. The people at Core know their products, and know the game of softball. Their knowledge and information has been instrumental in helping their customers select the correct bat, which greatly improves the player's performance and - most importantly - their enjoyment of the game. It's a proven fact that kids who enjoy the game are much more likely to keep playing, and will need another bat (or 2, or 3, or 4...) along the way. Core has a long-term track-record of excellent personal customer service - even if it's via text message or email across the country - that I haven't been able to find anywhere else.

For anyone who understands the game, and young players, picking the correct bat is a lot more than using an size chart. Bat length, weight, balance, and how that fits with the type of hitter, their body type, level of play, and swing capabilities are all factors to be considered. At local big-box sporting goods retailers, the sales people who handle softball gear are - to be blunt - morons. They don't know the equipment, they don't know the game, and they regularly push unknowing parents into bats that are a poor fit for their child. I have personally witnessed this more times than I can count. This isn't a benefit to anything other than that one-time sale. Likewise, large online retailers offer zero service - other than take your money and ship product.

Wilson slamming the doors on Core hurts the nationwide softball community - a community that Wilson is relying on to buy their products. The people of Core are good people, doing good things, motivated by a love of the game - including regularly donating gear to kids whose families are struggling. These are things that grow the sport, and create new customers. These are things that Wilson should be proud to be supporting, not kicking to the curb.

To Wilson, a small business like Core probably doesn't mean much at all. To the employees of Core, and their loyal customers, the decision is pretty damn significant.

For me, personally, Wilson's decision to discontinue business with Core Softball Sales will have a direct effect on my future buying decisions regarding which brands I am willing to spend my hard-earned money on, and what I recommend to my friends in the fastpitch community. As things stand at the moment, my motivation to purchase new Demarini and Louisville Slugger products is zero, and I will share opinion that with anyone I can get to listen.

I strongly urge Wilson Sporting Goods to reconsider their decision regarding Core Softball Sales' standing as a distributor.

 

[CoreSoftball20]

Can we provide a little more information when emailing to make sure they know who we mean? i.e. Core Softball out of "city/state"

Or will they know your account if we just say Core Softball?

You sure can, and thank you...Bath , PA

 

[CoreSoftball20]

Thank you so far for all the support folks. I have seen the letter by Josh and now Eric, and it means a lot to me and the kind words are
more than I could have expected. Even if nothing comes of this, I appreciate the thoughts a lot.

Thank you to everybody that has sent an email out and also to those who found more emails. You have no idea how much
I appreciate people taking time out of their busy days to try and help a little guy out!!!!

 

[tim_s]

Thank you so far for all the support folks. I have seen the letter by Josh and now Eric, and it means a lot to me and the kind words are
more than I could have expected. Even if nothing comes of this, I appreciate the thoughts a lot.

Thank you to everybody that has sent an email out and also to those who found more emails. You have no idea how much
I appreciate people taking time out of their busy days to try and help a little guy out!!!!

here ya go....



Folks

I've gotta say I am really angry to hear of Wilson's recent decision to cut smaller reps/dealers out of the sales loop for Louisville Slugger & Demarini bats.

My two daughters played over 150 games last season. I sit on the board of a local rec league, and also coach travel softball. Over the past two years, I personally have purchased 5 LS/Demarini bats from Coresoftball - their service and sound advice on bats is second to none. I appreciate the knowledge and effort they put into their craft. I don't use that term lightly - they know their equipment, and they understand the needs of their customers. This sort of service I find lacking at the big box retailers; in fact I can't tell you how many girls I have seen show up to our softball clinics, our rec leagues and even travel teams with bats they should have no business swinging, all a result of big box purchases. Over the years, I have sent many, many families to Coresoftball not because of their pricing, but simply because I know they'll get the right bat into the hands of developing and accomplished players alike. They have never steered one of my families wrong. That is the reason why we, and the families I work with, always go back - because they know their business, and they have always represented the companies they rep for well.

That sort of service can't be quantified in numbers or profit. They have created lifelong Demarini or Louisville Slugger customers not because of bottom line pricing or prfot margins, but because they put the right bat in the hands of girls who then experience success; a service we simply don't find when purchasing bats at big market retailers who often don't know anything about the bat they are selling beyond the retail price and ridiculous markup on said bat (if they even know that).

Sometimes decisions look good for the bottom line, and I am sure this is one of them. I'm also sure some of your high volume national dealers dislike losing some small percentage of their market share to smaller outfits like Coresoftball. However, I think both Wilson and the retailers need to realize that the wrong bat in the hands of a young player hurts both of you in the long run - that family isn't going to buy another bat from the retailer who failed to give them good advice on what is, for most families I work with, a major purchase. Every girl that gets the wrong bat isn't going to be a lifelong Demarini or LS customer; in fact they are now going to look in another direction, blaming the product itself. Instead of realizing they simply got sold the wrong bat for their needs, they're going to look to another line to meet their needs.

The service dealers/reps like Coresoftball provide, from where I sit, does far more to support your products than any national chain ever will. They are the ones who are truly representing your product line and creating lifelong customers of Wilson/Demarini/LS in the process.

I'm sure this email won't change the minds in the powers that be at Wilson, and that's a shame. Losing a resource like Coresoftball tends to impact us, the consumers, far more than it is going to impact Wilson. What will change, however, is that my family will not buy another Wilson product from a big box retailer. Nor will I recommend that avenue to one of my families. We will instead utilize the used market, and I will attempt to fill the hole left by the loss of knowledgeable reps like Coresoftball to find them bats on the used market that fill their needs.

Hopefully you'll get enough feedback to sway your decision back into keeping mid and small-sized reps involved in your product line. In the era of profit over integrity, I won't hold my breath waiting for you to do the right thing. We'll move on and change our buying strategy, or find other quality bat companies that still care about their consumers.

Thank you for your time

tim soule
Capital Area Youth Softball
Capital Mainiacs

 

[BrianTx01]

I sent one to Mike O'Brien before this post even started. I forwarded it Rob Piscetta today. Someone mentioned linked in and I have used that before to get attention of upper management in the past when dealing with a separate issue (not Wilson). I haven't received any responses yet. I know Rob is the National Sales Director.

 

[Dabears17]

I've got an email ready to send out Monday morning so it doesn't get lost over the weekend. Going to let them know I am a 10 year board member of a 500+ girl softball league whose most prevalent bats are DeMarni's. I am going to recommend that our league stop purchasing or recommending any Wilson products.

Emails sent.

 

[Il softball fan]

Email sent just now to all of the above emails expressing my displeasure with Wilson Sports regarding Core Softball.

 

[collinspc]

If you utilize twitter @WilsonSportingG @DeMarini are two places I tweeted to and about the injustice to Core. Twitter can be a very powerful forum.

 

[Tom]

Core, just sent you text with all of the execs at WSG & Sr Execs at AMER with their contact info.

A couple of the key execs info that everyone may want are:

Heikki Takala, President/CEO AMER Sports, heikki.takala@amersports.com
Bill Kirchner, Vice President & General Manager- Americas, bill.kirchner@amersports.com
Joe Dudy, CFO, joe.dudy@amersports.com


Tom Burns, PLM - Louisville Slugger - Baseball / Softball, Tom.Burns@wilson.com
Jim Hackett, General Manager, Baseball and*Softball, Jim.Hackett@wilson.com
Alan Davenport, Global Business Director, alan.davenport@wilson.com
Tom Gruger, Vice President, Digital, tom.gruger@wilson.com

 

[iddave]

Done.

I Bcc'd you Core.

Dave