Articles Customer Support at Online Casinos by Max Drayman, WINNERonline 04 Apr 2000
You'd think Customer Support would be one of the simplest issues to deal with at an online casino. I mean, what's the big deal? A knowledgeable service rep, a toll-free phone, and that's about it, right? Yeah, you wish.
The truth is that good online support and service doesn't come easy. The question is what should you expect -- or demand -- in Customer Support options from your casino? I'll use a few examples I've found at online casinos to illustrate the issues involved.
Begin at the Beginning: the FAQ
Your typical service package begins with an FAQ. FAQ stands for "Frequently Asked Questions" and it's a standard way for a site to publish their answers to questions they've been asked many times. It's a point of web etiquette that you'll read the FAQ before proceeding further. Generally that's a reasonable expectation because a well-written and properly maintained FAQ can go a long way to helping you out.
Sands of the Caribbean has no fewer than eleven different FAQs covering everything from basic questions like "What is my Desktop" in the "Download" FAQ to tricky issues like "Can I legally play at The Sands" in the "Miscellaneous" FAQ. Each FAQ begins with a list of the questions it will cover with links to the answers. The end result is one of the finest FAQs in the business and a truly helpful source of information.
Email: "just leave a message and maybe I'll call"
Joe Walsh sang that line over 20 years ago but it was prophetic in a way because that's exactly what communication in the Web Age is: a big, fat "maybe". All too often email is the message-in-the-bottle: the best you can do is hope that someone gets it and replies.
That said, email is the next step in the Customer Service loop. Some casinos use one mailbox for all customer requests and inquiries, which can work okay if they're really on top of things. Since every piece of email they receive goes into the same heap you're relying on them to sort your "where's my last $100 deposit" inquiry from the "Buy Slicky Car Wax" junkmail. Some do, some -- it seems -- don't.
Other casinos departmentalize their email addresses to better direct your concerns. This helps streamline the process but in the end it's all a matter of how quickly someone gets back to you with the answer(s) you need. For example, I ran a little test and fired off a question to The Sands. In three minutes I got an automated confirmation and in less than 15 minutes the answer I was looking for was in my mailbox from The Sands PitBoss himself. I think I can live with that.
On the downside, some casinos seem to be of the Joe Walsh school, making you wait days, weeks, or in some cases I've been ignored altogether. Admittedly that's rare but it's been my observation that the quality of email service is often a fair indication of the quality of the casino operation as a whole.
What's It Cost To Get A Telephone?
Okay, now I get to rant a little. Telephone Customer Service comes in many flavors at online casinos, ranging from 24 hour, toll-free numbers to no telephone of any kind, period. Think about it: you've wound your Blackjack winnings up to $1600 and all of a sudden the power goes out. Does the casino know about your winnings? If all they've got is email it's gonna be a sweaty wait for the power to come back on. Tap, tap, tap.
This is why man invented the telephone. This is also why businesses buy telephones and offer toll-free numbers, preferably two in case it gets busy. And let's not forget that the Web is a global operation. InterCasino, for example, offers both North American and International toll-free numbers.
I honestly see no good reason why a casino can't provide a telephone number for me to call if I really need to, even if it's only a regular number, or at least a fax number. What are they running, a hot dog stand? Personally I would never deposit anything I couldn't afford to kiss goodbye to in a casino that didn't offer a Customer Support phone number. I've got a telephone, seems to work okay. Jeez Louise, this is the 21st Century! What's the problem?
And another thing while we're at it: voice messages. Even some of the big players are at fault here. Cryptologic, the people who move the money behind casinos like The Sands and InterCasino, can be frustratingly unavailable at times, especially during the off hours. But a case could be made that if a casino is open for business it should be open for Service too and having to leave voice messages regarding money matters is just adding insult to injury.
Chat: It Can Be The Fastest Service Around
There are a few casinos that offer Chat Support where you can connect directly to a Customer Service rep, type in your question and have them type their answer back to you in real time, often seconds later. It can be easier and less trouble than picking up the telephone, when it works.
In our office we've had varying experiences with Chat Support. I needed to contact Roman Casino to get some detailed licensing information late one Friday afternoon. I checked their Service options and decided to try the Chat route. My request for a service rep put me on hold for about a minute, then a fellow -- let's call him Gary -- came on and asked how he could help. I asked my question but Gary didn't know the answer so put me on hold for about a minute while he got in touch with his boss. So far I'd spent about three minutes on the Chat line. I asked another question that sent Gary off to dig something out of a manual. Another minute passed and Gary was back with the answer. We exchanged pleasantries and said good-bye. Total turnaround time was less than 5 minutes and I had everything I needed.
On the other hand the PitBoss tried the Chat Service at GalaxiWorld and was under-whelmed with the experience. Sure he got someone, but every response took several minutes, the person didn't seem to really know much of anything, and after 20 minutes he still didn't have a decent answer to his question. He also had the distinct impression that the service person was handling several people at once and he, at least, wasn't being served properly at all.
The moral of this story is that when it works it can really work. But is it 24 hours? Is it manned by knowledgeable staff? Are they overloaded to the point of being useless? At the end of the day, is it a service you can rely on? My advice: try it out.
Final Thoughts
There are other Customer Service options appearing on the horizon, like Instant Call-back where you type in your phone number and someone calls you in less than 30 minutes, but the basic systems will remain the standards for the foreseeable future.
Finally, and not to put too fine a point on it, but whatever Customer Service is being offered you'd be well advised to pretend you're from Missouri and get the casino to show you. Give them a call, drop an email, jump on the Chat line, whatever. If they're going to take your money then you should expect them to handle it, and you, professionally.
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