Keeping customers feeling safe, satisfied, valued and happy is vital to run a successful business, no matter the type of business you may operate. For this reason, casino support is essential. From different communication channels to around-the-clock service, understanding all the fundamental components that make for outstanding casino customer support is important. Casinnovate will shed some light on these basics to help get you started on the right path.
What is Casino Support Service?
Online casino support is the service offered to customers both before and after they sign up and make real money wagers at a casino.
It is the service that customers may use to:
- Find answers to their questions or concerns
- Obtain help with a problem
- Claim a promotional offer
- Self-exclude
- Reach out to provide positive or negative feedback
That said, casino support services are not just about providing customers with answers or bonuses. It is the promise a casino makes to its customers. As such, customer service can make or break your brand’s reputation.
Quality customer service helps:
- Customers to enjoy the best experience
- To retain customer loyalty
- Motivate customers to spread a positive word about your business to others
- Your business to grow
Poor customer service leads to:
- Dissatisfied customers
- A higher churn rates
- Negative reviews about your business
- Sending your customers to the competition and sinking your company
From your own experience as a customer, you no doubt know the difference that quality customer support can make when it comes to your opinion and loyalty to a business. Needless to say, having quality customer support will help you to hold on to players and keep them from choosing the competition over you.
An Online Casino Business Needs Two Types of Casino Support
Usually, when one hears the term “casino support” they think about the customer service that is offered to casino players. However, there is more than this type of support to consider if you’re running a digital casino business.
Client technical support
First and foremost, if you’re starting an online casino company or will be adding products or services to your existing brand, the initial support you need to consider is the type of support that is being offered to your business from those providing you with their products and/or services.
For instance, each of the iGaming software providers that Casinnovate reviews offers their customers with casino client support.
What is included with casino technical support?
What is offered depends on the company. That said, all reputable businesses should offer you open communication that includes online support and feedback related to any of the products or services that they provide.
With that said, some of the services that may be offered with client support may include (but is not necessarily limited to):
- 24/7 IT support and/or hosting support
- 24/7 incident managers responsible for fixing issues or restoring failing services
- Advice for helping to boost revenue and optimize KPIs
- Investigating issues related to your casino site, games, players, winnings, bonuses, etc.
The best of the bunch will also provide you with a dedicated account manager.
Casino customer support
As previously stated, customer support for players is the service that is provided to the potential and real customers of your online casino. This service is a necessary part of your operation. It is often provided by a third-party company, either through an iGaming provider from whom you obtain your casino solution or another company who outsources this service.
What is included with casino customer support?
There is no standard casino customer service offering. That said, some examples of services that may be included are (but are not necessarily limited to):
- Multilingual support
- Support via multiple channels – email, phone, live chat
- Support tailored specifically to VIPs
- Award bonuses or free spins according to a casinos marketing strategy
- Perform KYC checks on players who request to cash out funds
- Make payouts to players
- Disable player accounts for those players who wish to self-exclude
- Update information about players in the casino’s CRM system
- Market promotions and new games or services to players
Those with a quality customer service offering also usually make customer service accessible to players 24/7.
How to Find a Good Casino Support Service
Competition in the online casino market is huge. Having a wide range of games, payments and promotions is useful for attracting customers, but providing players with the best possible support can help you get a leg up over your competitors.
It has often been said in business that it is far more cost-effective to keep existing customers than to find new ones. Moreover, it is also no secret that bad customer service can destroy a business. In fact, according to research from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 68% of customers stop doing business with a company because they are upset with how they were treated.
Never forget, your customers are not expecting you to be perfect. What they are expecting is for you to fix issues when they arise. Happy and satisfied customers are not likely to contact support. It is those who have questions, concerns or who are unhappy about their experience, who most often use the service. Therefore, it is how those issues are handled and resolved, and how quickly they are handled and resolved, that matter.
The bottom line is that second rate customer service will not do.
Customer Support Options
You have two main options when it comes to player support. You can:
- Operate customer service in-house
- Hire the services of another company
Unless you have previous online gambling business experience and experience in customer service operations, it will be much easier to hire a company to take care of your casino’s support for you. Otherwise, you will need to hire and train staff, which can be very complex, costly and take a lot of time.
If you choose to have a company cover your online casino support operations, you might find that there is more than one way to obtain this service. For instance, if you decide to purchase a white label casino solution, support may be a part of the all-in-one package your purchase. On the other hand, support may be a service that you can acquire separately such as in the case of a turnkey-based casino platform or self-service online casino solution option.
Important factors to consider when choosing good support services for your casino
When it comes to offering the best casino customer support you cannot cut any corners. Remember, happy customers make for a profitable casino. With that in mind, here’s what to consider when you are on the hunt for the best around:
Experience in the gambling industry matters – Find out how long the company has been handling support for online gambling specifically. The staff needs to not only provide professional and friendly service, but they need to know how to answer questions specific to gambling (e.g. games, betting, promotions, etc.) and queries related to money transfers, withdrawal requirements, verified identification information, responsible gambling, self exclusion, etc.
How are complaints resolved – At some point, complaints will happen for one reason or another. What steps and actions are taken to resolve disputes? It is important that the support staff is empathetic with customers and do what they can to find a solution to the problem that satisfies the customer in a way that will also continue to benefit your business.
Communication channels – In this day and age, players expect multiple online and mobile-friendly contact options. Email, live chat, telephone, skype and social media messaging services are some of the different communication channels that an online casino can offer players. Of course, how quickly support responds to the customer is even more important than the number of different communication methods offered. Find out the hours of operation for all channels offered. Around-the-clock 24 hours a day, 7 days a week operation is always best as this ensures players can get in touch with support no matter where they may be in the world. However, if this isn’t possible, live operating hours should be available for most of the day and night.
Support in multiple languages – Having support available in different languages shows customers that you are going that extra mile to offer them the convenience of choosing to communicate in the language that is the most comfortable for them. It’s a good idea to make sure that you at least offer support in the language that is most commonly spoken by your target audience.
Can the customer service complement your brand’s theme – Some online casinos are built around a theme to help them stand out from the competition. To keep on brand, sometimes a company will provide customer support that matches the lingo or overall feel of the theme to make the service more authentic.
VIP customer support – High rollers are the customers who almost always take part in a casino’s VIP/loyalty program. They are the most important players of your casino because they’re the players who are likely to bring you the most profit. As such, it is important that you provide your high-level VIP players with the best tailor-made customer service treatment, including a dedicated VIP manager and faster response times. If a loyal player spends a lot, they will naturally expect a higher grade of service.
Establishing a strong connection between your brand and your customers and maintaining this connection is vital to your players’ experiences. Service that is welcoming, personalized, quick-to-respond and available day and night, builds trust. When players feel valued, they are happy to return. The best companies that offer casino customer support understand this.
Online Casino Support Costs
In
regard to support that an iGaming software provider delivers to you as their
customer, you should not have to pay for basic service (e.g. general inquiries,
etc.). That said, if you require technical or IT support, while many companies
will include this service as part of the casino solution you may purchase from
them, others may charge separate fees for it. Therefore, it is important to
find out exactly what is offered with the solution you choose and what is
considered a premium service to avoid any unnecessary surprises.
As for customer support service that is provided for your casino players, this
service is typically included as part of a white label solution package and is
often something that you can add to a turnkey or self-service solution. The
cost of providing customer service to your players is an ongoing one as it
requires you to cover the cost of support staff. If knowing the initial and
ongoing fees of these service matters to you when asking for a quote, be sure
to make specific mention of it in your inquiry.
Casino Support Tips
Here are a few fast tips to keep in mind when thinking about customer support options for your casino:
- Aim for 24/7 service – Twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week support is the ideal. If this can’t be achieved, make sure hours of operation cover most of the day and night.
- Make multiple languages available – Don’t just rely on one language. Make as many as you can available, especially those most frequently spoken by your target audience.
- Use more than one communication channel – Email and live chat are a must. If possible, also add telephone and/or other communications channels like Skype or a social media messaging service.
- Have VIP customer service – If you offer a VIP or loyalty program, make sure you offer your big spenders the convenience of first-rate customer service, including fast response times and a dedicated VIP manager.
- Provide an FAQ – Many players like self-help options. A detailed FAQ that provides them with the answers to the most commonly asked questions related to accounts, promotions, depositing, withdrawing, etc. gives them the opportunity to figure out an issue on their own, which may be something they prefer or can be an alternative form of help if support is unavailable.
- Choose online gambling experts – Don’t let just anyone run your customer support. Leave this in the hands of only the most capable and experienced in the industry, such as the companies Casinnovate reviews.
Casino Support – Final Thoughts
As an online casino business operator, you need support to help fix any issues that may arise and to ensure your operations are running smoothly 24/7. You also need to provide friendly, professional and reliable support to your players to ensure that they feel valued and so that you earn their trust and their loyalty.
This requires choosing a company that understands the importance of prioritizing customer service support, because this is what will help you to attract and retain loyal customers, which can have a huge impact on your casino operation’s bottom line.
Not sure where to begin your search for top casino support? Casinnovate reviews are a great jumping off point. Our reviews make it easy for you to learn about the support options offered by the industry’s best iGaming software providers. Get started today!
