The Restringing Service in any sports shop is a vital money earner. It brings in customers who may also stay to purchase goods. They need to feel safe and so for the restringing service why not roll out the VIP treatment?
With Covid-19 on everyone’s mind there has never been a more important time for us to consider our personal safety as stringers and the importance to provide a service to customers that ensures their rackets are returned in a safe condition.
Below is the Covid-Aware guidance for all UKRSA stringers working at a professional tennis, squash or badminton tournament. Each may handle over 100 rackets in one tournament week. The work needs to be done quickly and safely, designed to protect all. Hopefully it will help you as well in the shop.
• Receiving the racket. Wear gloves and keep them on until you start the actual stringing. Examine the racket for damage.
• If racket is in a bag or racket cover, return it. Remove and return any vibration dampeners.
• The grip is the most contaminated area. Have a roll of plastic cling film handy and wrap this around the grip. Work slip can then be attached with elastic band.
• Cut out the strings, place in bin and cover.
• Use industrial antibacterial wet wipes to wipe and clean the frame of the racket. This may be the ONLY time that its ever cleaned and can leave a pleasant smell! Use the wipes once only and dispose.
• The stringing machine and tools will have been wiped down already after the last racket. Don’t forget to wipe down your mobile!
• Gloves can now be removed to string the sanitised racket and add ink stencil.
• If the grip is worn and dirty, then consider fitting a FREE thin white overgrip. They cost very little but add a professional touch that brings the customer back again.
• When work is complete, place racket in a plastic bag.
• On collection, open the bag to expose the handle. Player takes racket, you keep the bag unless its needed.
• Wet wipes become your friend. They do dry out the skin, so a dab of moisturising cream now and then is good and keeps the skin supple.
• Contactless payments are now the norm and so much safer but remember to use the wipes after handling cash.
• Demo rackets – Always have these ready for use, freshly strung with synthetic gut and fitted with a fresh white overgrip.
Customers deserve to have their rackets properly serviced, so having the UKRSA Professional Stringer certificates on display will impress. These are run all over the UK and Ireland and you will not be far from a course venue. They can even be arranged on site at a shop if necessary. The UKRSA Training Centre is located in Lincoln at the Eastgate Club
Liam Nolan
Technical Director & Founder – UK Racket Stringers Association www.ukrsa.com
Master Racket Technician USRSA – Former Wimbledon Head Stringer
liam@ukrsa.com 07861 380981
