That's Service (3 comments)
Last time I played tennis with Tim, I hit a hard forehand and broke a string. After we finished the match, I dropped it off at the Atkins front desk for restringing.
A week later, I picked it up and ended up taking it home before noticing that the stringer had made a mistake. Tennis strings usually alternate going over and under strings so the stringbed can better grip a ball to put spin on it. One of the cross strings on my racquet had missed one of its dips and went over three strings in a single throw.
I went back to Atkins on Wednesday for my weekly clinic and made sure to get there early so I'd have time to complain about the strings. I pointed out the problem to the guy who was working the counter, and he told me that it would be restrung for free. While I filled out the standard stringing card with the information about the type and tension of string, he asked when I would need the racquet back. "Next Wednesday," I told him.
Since my racquet was out of service, they gave me a free O3 Hybrid Tour demo to use for the night. It proved to be a very nice frame, though as Tim pointed out, the holes along the side are (necessarily) asymmetrical, so I think it would be too offensive to my aesthetic sensibilities to own. I figured I would get over that for one night's use, though.
As it turns out, I didn't have to. About halfway through the 90-minute clinic, I was surprised to see one of the coaches jogging out onto the courts with my newly-restrung racquet in hand. Not only had they restrung it for free, but they did so immediately, with free on-court (not just courtside) delivery.