In an in-depth interview Game4Padel’s Sales Manager, Ali Gordon has revealed that the personal touch is very much the priority in our online shop service.
Ali took over the role last year and has built up a stock of over 400 rackets which cover all standards of play, and also created a next-day delivery service from our Edinburgh HQ that is the envy of some of Europe’s major racket manufacturers.
The service, which provides all aspects of padel equipment and can also set individuals up with coaching tuition, is available to all players – not solely Game4Padel clients.
Ali will tailor his advice according to the standard of each player he deals with and is only too delighted to welcome enquiries online or via telephone call.
One of Scotland’s elite padel players, Ali was also the man who organised the first varsity inter-university padel match between Edinburgh University and Stirling University, having graduated with a degree in Sport and Recreation Management at the former.
Without further ado it’s over to Ali: “I’m the Game4Padel Sales Manager and I started that role in 2021. Largely it’s running and maintaining the online shop, so orders, deliveries and inventory and also working with suppliers, attending conferences and trying out the new equipment before placing stock orders.
“I also manage equipment and provisioning for our clubs around the UK and also the sell-on sites for which we pick rackets for them to supply customers.
“Then there are demo sessions and social media content detailing feature products, hot deals and competition giveaways and providing equipment for competitions and anything else.”
Ali rightly takes great pride in the quality of stock available at the Game4Padel online shop and he explained: “We hold just over 400 rackets in stock in Edinburgh and as soon as an order comes in we will send out first class signed for recorded delivery Royal Mail, so it will be next day delivery or at worst two business days’ time.
“In that respect we are one of the quickest companies to deliver in the UK from time of order to receipt of order. With some of the big companies who sell across Europe it may take seven or eight days to get your order.
“Brexit and some of the delays from Europe that are being experienced can cause that delay and although some of these companies hold stock in the UK we are one of the biggest in terms of the stock we retain which we can ship out immediately.
“In terms of range, if you’ve never played and are looking to play at a Game4Padel site then we have starter packages which will get you a free three-month membership and Game4Padel racket of your choice.
“So, in the beginner range there are a couple of rackets that would be a good place to start but generally you are looking at a fibre-glass racket, evenly balanced, easy to play with, which won’t break the bank – you can get a decent choice for around £60.
“Then we go up to the premium package which is £90 – £100, same idea but with a slightly higher price point and again you get your free three-month Game4Padel membership. From a personal point of view, my choice of padel racket is the Adidas Adipower Control range.
“We have found the packages are really useful when people just want to get on court and enjoy padel, they have been very popular.
In terms of consultation and engagement Ali is delighted to provide a friendly service that is very much about listening and putting the needs of the customer first.
He said: “My main aim is to be as informative as I can and provide as much guidance and help as I can to provide the correct racket for the level of the customer.
“Quite often we get emails coming in and I will provide a shortlist based on their style of play, whether they are looking for more control or power or looking for something entry-level that might be best for them to get started.
“I am always really happy when people reach out and I would encourage anyone to drop me an email and we can have a call to decide on what will work best for them.
“Obviously we want to make sure that everyone that plays at our sites can have access to our equipment and gets it quickly but we are also very competitively priced and have a lot of stock, so we want to broaden that offer to everyone in the UK who plays padel and not just those who play at our sites.
“In Scotland we supply centrally from Edinburgh and can also supply demo rackets to help make an informed choice.
“Down South some of our sites have receptions and club shops and we have stocked them with 10 to 20 rackets they can sell quickly. But as I said, we deliver next day on all UK orders.
“We also offer ball bags and accessories and advice on racket care – we will support all of your future needs going forward and I’d emphasise that anyone looking for advice to buy an item or anything else then we are delighted to help.
“Also in terms of coaching, I can easily direct enquiries to the right person on our team – including getting started with a coach.
“My preference for initial contact is by email sales@game4padel.com as it allows me to direct your query to the relevant person or resource. For help choosing a racket, I would then happily encourage a phone call discussion.”
Game4Padel’s social media info and links are below with Instagram and Facebook used for promoting feature products, hot deals on rackets and competitions via weekly posts.