Have questions about poker site customer service?

Pyrosis · #1 10-20-2007, 12:16 AM

Let me introduce myself. I use to be a CS manager for a major online poker site for a good number of years. Part of my job was to browse the forums to see just what sort of issues players were facing on a day to day basis. Needless to say there were many questions ranging anywhere from whether or not new accounts for rakeback could be open to why certain accounts were suspended.

There have been many questions by players on here and other forums, like Pocket 5's, where players have received many unsatisfactory responses if any response has been given at all. To me, this just is not acceptable. Poker sites are essentially a financial institution and as a financial institution they must provide a minimal acceptable level of service for players to trust them with their money.

Hopefully, I will be able to bridge this gap in knowledge by providing some answers for you all with my experience in the industry. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me in this post. I will also be chiming in on other posts from here on to provide any help I can.

Just keep in mind a few things though before you ask. I can't answer every question for you. There are just some questions that need to be directed to support and only they can and should answer them for you. There are also questions that I will not answer. These questions often have to do with policies and procedures that simply cannot be disclosed.

So then, I will get started with the first question and this is common one that I receive often.

Why don't the poker sites actually have more spokespeople on here to address the issues that players are having?

The answer for this one is simple. Support sites much rather you email/call them and have you ask them the questions. They can assist you far better this way as they have your complete player profile right up on their screen. They can also access your email history to see what questions or concerns you have had in the past. Spokespeople like Lee Jones or FTPDoug cannot and should not assist you with customer service related questions. This isn't to say they do not pay attention to what is going on, but if you have any specific issues regarding your account it is always best to email support.

a nonymous · #2 10-20-2007, 12:42 AM

Where did you work?

Pyrosis · #3 10-20-2007, 01:17 AM

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Where did you work?

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a nonymous,

I have chosen at this time not to disclose where I previously worked. As I addressed in my last post, I do not want this to become a support channel, especially one that focuses mostly on my previous company and not the industry as a whole. It's my guess it will happen and I want to avoid that.

a nonymous · #4 10-20-2007, 01:45 AM

Here's a question.

What kind of questions are you expecting?

Pyrosis · #5 10-20-2007, 02:14 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Here's a question.

What kind of questions are you expecting?

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I am expecting a wide scope of questions, but my guess is that players will be asking to seek a more elaborated response than the one they were given by support. If players are left feeling unsatisfied to how support answered them or perhaps wish to seek a second professional opinion, then I can assist them.

a nonymous · #6 10-20-2007, 03:15 AM

Can you give a couple of examples? I still have no idea what you expect us to ask you.

tedfurlong · #7 10-20-2007, 03:18 AM

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Can you give a couple of examples? I still have no idea what you expect us to ask you.

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You're trying to tell me you've never wondered what some retard phone monkeys favorite coffee is?

Pyrosis,

What's your favorite coffee?

basementproject · #8 10-20-2007, 04:21 AM

What % of support staff speak fluent english, rough estimate?

Every time I've tried to go through support at any given site (FT excluded) I've had to go through atleast 3 reps before i got somebody who could comprehend my problem.

Pyrosis · #9 10-20-2007, 05:32 AM

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Can you give a couple of examples? I still have no idea what you expect us to ask you.

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Sure.

Why is my withdrawal taking so long?

The length of the withdrawal time for withdrawals depends on the site withdrawal policies, your processor of choice that you are choosing to withdraw with, and to some extent your history with the site. Withdrawals are screened first and foremost for any signs of fraud usually either done through chip dumping or via a player to player transfer. If no fraud is present, then your withdrawal is usually passed through.

Withdrawals can also be screened to make sure you have enough table play to cover the deposit fees.

There are also other things that are screened. Collusion is one of them and that is usually found when sites are doing the fraud check. Multiple accounts, processor sharing and other things are also usually checked as well.

Most sites will have a system in place that automates certain cashouts which is why sometimes players instantly receive their withdrawals. Cashouts that need to be manually examined will take longer and depending on just what needs to be examined, it could take days for the site to approve the withdrawal.

Keep in mind that there are times when things happen beyond the site's control. Server crashes cause a major backlog in work and will likely extend the amount of time required for you to receive your cashout. A few people who call in sick or are absent that day will also cause delays.

People often worry about their withdrawals taking so long, but keep in mind that if you have done nothing wrong the site will approve your withdrawal. So be patient, and don't send in twenty emails to support bugging them about your withdrawal. It won't speed things up and will actually slow them down because they have to read each and every one of your emails that asks the same thing. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Is there anyway I can get rakeback on a site if I already have an account?

[b]

It depends on the site's policy. Most don't allow it. However, they do allow for other family members such as your sister, brother, mom, dad to play. This is provided you are not cheating with them of course. If they don't have an account, they could get rakeback if they played.

Pyrosis · #10 10-20-2007, 05:40 AM

[ QUOTE ]
What % of support staff speak fluent english, rough estimate?

Every time I've tried to go through support at any given site (FT excluded) I've had to go through atleast 3 reps before i got somebody who could comprehend my problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you having problems with people understanding English or just understanding your problem?

Unfortunately, most CSRs aren't trained or knowledgeable enough to address some of the more complicated or deeper poker questions that are given to them. If this is the case, then they are told to escalate it or pass it to another person. If they are doing their job right, they should at least inform you that they cannot address it and have passed it on and that someone should be in touch with you shortly to help you.

Having said this, all staff should be able to speak and write English regardless of where their support site is located in the world.

If you don't mind me asking, what is the problem that you had that required three different CSRs before you received an answer?