Loading...
What Casino Operators Can Learn from Customers: The Invaluable Lesson
At first glance, we were mesmerized by the 888 Casino. It has an awesome and clean site that’s easy to navigate. Very enticing visually, it lures you in with an extensive variety of high-quality online games available. You can play live table games with a dealer available at any time of the day. Moreover, you can also enjoy a variety of different games like slots, races, scratch cards, and video poker, to name a few.
888 Casino has been around the block for a while, laying a foundation for the online casino industry. Established in 1997, this old-timer offers its players a vast variety of casino games and online gaming in different languages. 888 Casino, Dragonfish, and Cassava are owned and operated by Cassava Enterprises Ltd., which is a subsidiary of 888 Holdings PLC. They have developed and released their own proprietary software and use combined platforms for a customized gaming experience. Dragonfish software, which is another branch of the same company, has implemented tailored gaming solutions to accommodate the needs of their players. As a part of our journey, we have decided to explore their software and subject it to our critical examination.
Having the Right Partner Counts
Dragonfish focuses its attention on both online and land-based casinos while attempting to create a realistic experience that can help them dominate the online gambling world. Some of its most popular video slots, just to mention a few, are Monopoly, Cluedo, and Zuma. It offers over 300 online slots and their games are fully supported on every type of device. That includes both Android and iOS operating systems. They have also included mobile browser compatibility for all Dragonfish casinos. Furthermore, Dragonfish is also certified by eCogra, the entity responsible for stringent testing of the Random Number Generator, a program that is designed to produce an unforeseeable sequence of random numbers.
Subsequently, the great interface available on 888 Casino can be attributed to Dragonfish. It also provides good promotions and unique casino software features. Historically, they have been one of the first business-to-business operators to have acquired e-Gaming licenses acting as a one-stop-shop casino solution provider and a software platform. They are licensed by the U.K. Gambling Commission and comply with all of their technical standards and requirements.
Now, this aspect of testing is of the utmost importance. It gives you peace of mind knowing that a casino voluntarily focuses on fair and ethical gaming. Additionally, exclusive and unique features available on 888 Poker coupled with good promotions won them the best poker operator award in 2013 (although they haven’t won it since). Moreover, when it comes to promotions and bonuses, they stand behind their offer. That said, make sure you read the conditions under which they provide a particular amount as a bonus.
However, if you’re not that detail-oriented, you can miss the part of the Terms and Conditions that talks about what happens if your account is dormant for six months. And if your account is inactive for that time period, they will charge you a monthly fee from the moment you last logged in. So read the fine print.
Wagering requirements can be tricky too. We recommend you read thoroughly how they work. In short, the amount of money you have to wager before being allowed to withdraw your winnings is called a wagering requirement. And in some cases, that requirement can be all but impossible to meet.
Also, depositing money into the account is very easy. They give you over 30 different options, including credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same thing about withdrawing the money. However, withdrawing or depositing money brings up a different concern that has been debated among players. As we all know, fluctuating exchange rates can make a difference in the amount you withdraw.
This is more of an FYI to double-check hidden conversion fees. Some of the players suggest converting your money at your bank in order to avoid paying high conversion fees they don’t tell you about.
Huge Let Down in Customer Service
Some aspects of user experiences failed to meet the standards 888 had set as an online gaming institution. Player complaints about 888 customer service include blocked accounts, among other things. They have developed a reputation for being more than lackluster when it comes to complaint resolution issues. Also, due to being unresponsive to players’ comments and complaints or very slow at getting back to them, the 888 Casino has been labeled as unprofessional in this aspect of service delivery.
One of the many players who provided us with feedback had a terrible customer service experience when they called them regarding an outstanding match bonus. The amount of money in question was around $15,000!
That money was supposed to be added to the player’s bankroll. In this instance, 888 was supposed to produce the first-time player bonus which never came to be. In an attempt to collect their rightfully earned deposit bonus, the customer called and sent an e-mail to the customer service.
They simply redirected the player to technical support, writing it off as a technical service issue. And when the customer contacted tech support, they closed his account with a generic email response. And since there is no live-chat support available at 888 Casino, it takes several days for them to respond to player inquiries. In the end, stalling verification and payments, especially in such a large amount as $15,000 is a big deal. Simply put, that kind of customer service is unacceptable.
The mistakes 888 Casino made were all similar: unresolved customer issues and reluctance to properly respond to their client’s comments and complaints. Instead of owning up to their mistakes and glitches, they have been blaming the customers, closing accounts, or ignoring complaints. They merely refused to rectify any of the mistakes they made.
Three Strikes and You’re Out
One can’t help but wonder why is a casino operator of this size that has been around for such a long time neglecting such a crucial part of the business? Unfortunately, we can’t tell you that.
Most of us have been on the receiving end of bad customer service at some point. It just happens, and it is inevitable. Any time you are dealing with people, mistakes are bound to happen. Naturally, we all make strides towards improvement, especially if we have the privilege of being in a management role. Part of the responsibility of this position entails dealing with and owning up to, some of the inevitable mistakes. In other words, unresolved client issues should become an exception, not a rule. Which doesn’t seem to be the case with 888 Casino.
There’s been a continuous pattern of unresolved customer complaints at 888 Casino. To make things worse, many dissatisfied players have walked away from the casino after a number of repeated and desperate complaints. How many second chances do they deserve? It is fair to say that 888 Casino has been given more than their fair share of second chances. Beyond this point, you are on your own should you wish to play at this casino. We do not recommend playing there.
While all businesses strive towards the best quality of service available, we can’t see that 888 Casino has been making any steps in the right directions to improve customer relation issues. However, there is a long road ahead, and lots of room for improvement.
Pros
- Popular progressive jackpot slots
- Great interface on the website — easy to use
- Great software
- The casino holds two licenses, from the UK Gambling Commission and from the Remote Gambling Authority of Gibraltar
Cons
- No 24/7 live-chat
- Customer complaints and withdrawal issues
- Casino refusing to pay out
- Locking out player accounts for no reason
Complaint Resolution: 1/10
Cashout Time: 2/10
Software: 7/10
License: 9/10
In reviewing all aspects of 888 Casino’s service delivery on a 10-star scale, we would rate it 5/10.
