Strawberry Lanes — Attraction in Marysville

First I want to say that the review is based solely off my experience with the front desk staff, not the food and beverage as they are exceptional with their guest service. Now with that being said, I had been bringing my family and grandkids to Strawberry Lanes every weekend for the past month and every time I’ve had any issues it has been with the female employees working the front desk. On one occasion when we went (we always call before leaving home as it’s an hour plus commute for us to get there) we inquired about open lanes and if they had leagues and we were told the there wasn’t anything going on after X hours. When we arrived and awaited our turn for a lane and had just finished our first game we were then told that everyone had to be done by 4:30pm because all the lanes were reserved for the Boy Scouts, which was never mentioned during our phone call, or at check-in. On another occasion, we called and asked the same information, and had not even quite finished one game to be told we had to leave because lanes 1-12 were reserved for league, which again wasn’t stated over the phone or at check-in. On our last visit, which is LITERALLY the last time we will give our money to this business, we called ahead of time and specifically asked about if any lanes or leagues had lanes reserved and were told that they had birthday parties but would have the lanes available again by around 2:15pm. We arrived around 2:30pm to be told it was a 1 hour wait and the girl working the counter who was a heavy set blonde with shoulder length hair then changed the wait time to a 1-2 hour wait when we specified that we needed two lane and that they wanted all 8 of us to play on one lane. I again specified that we wanted two lanes, as we had children with us that need the bumper guards and then adults who play without the bumper guards. After re-iterating this the female employee then told me in an irritated voice and demeanor that I needed to move until I “made up my mind”. I again, stayed that we would wait the specified time and the employee told me, “Yeah, I have you down, now can you move!” My family and I then went and spent $120 on food to eat while waiting for our lanes. After an 1 1/2 hours of waiting and seeing multiple lanes open I had walked back up to the front desk to inquire about how much longer the wait would be as I saw multiple lanes available. This was a question asked of a younger female female employee with long dark brown hair as the blonde employee didn’t even acknowledge me at the counter and continued to spray and put away shoes. As the younger employee went to answer me the blonde took a paper out of the younger girls hands to tell me that they had birthday parties coming in that they had to accommodate first, which of course was never mentioned over the phone, nor at check-in. When I inquired as to why this wasn’t mentioned at check-in and why I was quoted 1-2 hours and they had multiple lanes open at that moment as was then told that it was “just an estimate” and that they now had 11 birthday parties that would have priority for lanes before I would get a lane. Yet, they still also never answered why we were not given this information at check-in or over the phone when they were specifically asked. The communication and customer service is why I give this business the 1 star rating and will not be back. When I went to cash out my bill for our second bill we had for our drinks from waiting the guy apologized for the service of the front desk staff, which he shouldn’t have to feel the need to do, but did because the guys that work in the food and beverage side are great like I said. Too bad the few employees that are terrible in customer service and communication ruin the parts that are good. To top it off they started calling names for lanes as we left! Visit this business at your own risk of wasted time and mixed customer service! If your just going for food and drinks you should...

I recently had my son's birthday party here. I inquired about their family package that I saw advertised online and spoke with a lady named Angie. After filling out a form with my interest in that package. The package states that it's $80 and will cover up to five pairs of rental shoes and came with a pizza and a picture of soda. In conversing with Angie and letting her know that I had about 15 potential bowlers, she suggested that I have three bowling lanes. I agreed that that sounded fine and that I wanted to order one extra pizza to feed the 15 bowlers. Fast forward to the day of the party and I get there 15 minutes early and I'm told that they're not ready for me yet. Rightfully so, by the way, this package is for 2 hours of unlimited bowling but it is timed. Timed. So I was told to wait in their back room while they waited for the other party to finish. While my party was waiting, I decided to ask what lanes I would be on so I could be prepared to set up my things. I was told that the three lanes that I would be having we're going to cost me $275. I said that's not what I was quoted and pulled out the email from Angie and said that it was $80 for three lanes and the lady at the front desk proceeded to tell me that they've been having issues with Angie quoting people and that I was not the first one to say that today but it's $80 per lane and I was to get one pizza per lane and a picture of soda per lane. Absolutely! Shell shocked at the price, I asked if there was any way they would honor what I was quoted and showed them the email and they told me no. No, but they would like to screenshot my email so they could show Angie and coach her into quoting the correct pricing. I didn't want to go back and forth because it was my son's birthday and I really had no choice and I had a gaggle of kids waiting to bowl. I decided to do two lanes instead of three because it was just more affordable for me that way and a lot of adults before fitted bowling to make sure that there was enough room for the kiddos. I was told that I should pay at the end of the party by the lady at the front desk because if I wanted to add food or additional drink items to my lane they would bill me out after. By this point I'm about 10 minutes past my scheduled time and my lane is not ready. I came back to the front to ask how long it was going to be and then I was paying for this time and they told me that I had to pay up front. Now. I just feel that the back and forth and bait and switch was not appropriate and had I not had a whole party waiting to bowl and not wanting to disappoint everybody, I would have left. I was very disappointed in this entire transaction and the way that nobody would honor what I had physically had in writing and that two different people at the front counter tell me two different policies that clash with each other. They really need to get their communication together. I have had no problem bowling here for many years as I am a local resident and this experience won't hinder me from returning, but I will never pay for a package deal with them again. I would rather...

We put our child in the youth league here this year. The league is what it is - it’s a parent/child team and that part was fun bowling with my kid. Just know going in there was zero guidance for a child who is learning how a league works (or the parent for that matter) so bring someone who knows how it works if you don’t have any background knowledge. Do not expect any communication about the league or help with their in house rules or generally how anything works. If you have been in a league before you’ll do great. I can let all of that go as this is generally the culture of a bowling alley - (except for Glacier Lanes- they were exceptional and we miss them) although I was expecting a little more being that it was a youth league. But, I don’t need anyone to hold my kids hand. I can explain a league to him myself.

But what floored me was the completely rancid attitude one of the girls working at the front desk has. She is either a spouse or family member - she has to be because the attitude and complete lack of customer service this woman has would get anyone else cut loose. She spent the entire league making people feel small, I got at least one blatant eye roll from her a week and my child avoided her at all costs because she was the “mean lady” (he would literally go to the food counter and ask for bowling shoes over there if it meant he didn’t have to ask her directly). She would make things up just so she could be argumentative (she tried to tell me one day I wasn’t allowed to pay with my debit card and that the league was cash only. Everyone had been using cards for weeks including the guy who JUST paid with one before me with no issues and she literally decided to spew whatever nonsense she did to try to start a problem - stop it. It should be noted I paid with my card that day and every week after with no issues from anyone else). She’ll try to make you feel stupid if you make a mistake within the league and the only thing that gets her to back down is you not backing down first. She. Is. Awful. (There are actually two who work the front counter consistently- the other lady is so sweet, helpful and essentially the complete opposite - she was great. She would seek my child out to have conversations with him while he joyfully told her all about his bowling that day. It’s painfully obvious which one has the angry “I hate you” face when you walk in and which one actually wants to be there - my advice? Go towards the sunshine). It’s because of the troll that we will be picking a different alley to put my kid in next season. I guess she ultimately won whatever game she was playing - her bad attitude chased us away, a new family lost to another bowling alley solely because she sucks.

This is not the first review I’ve seen that describes her terrible attitude. I can’t tell you why anyone would keep her customer facing let alone employed with the way she treats customers (children and adults alike). But my advice to you if you go here for open bowling or league is to either prepare for a fight with her or avoid her...