HAPPY AND UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS

THIS STORY IS NOT A BAD REFLECTION ON THE FINE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK FOR THE MOHEGAN SUN. THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME THEY DO A GREAT JOB.

Years ago, long before there was a Mohegan Sun Casino, the only place to really gamble on the East Coast was Atlantic City. In those days, Atlantic City casinos charged customers to park in the casinos parking garages.

Trump Plaza ran an advertisement on television. The ad said bring a toll receipt (bridge, tunnel or road) from the New York City area for that day and you could park at Trump Plaza for free. I thought, let's do it. I got the receipt on the Outer Bridge Crossing. I parked in the Trump Plaza garage. I took the receipt to promotions and got a voucher. I walked around and saw Atlantic City. When I went to leave, I gave the voucher to the parking attendant and off I went. It was a great experience. THE PARKING WAS FREE AS ADVERTISED.

The other day, in New York, I met a couple from Brooklyn, New York. This is their story of what happened to them when they came to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. I couldn't verify the story, however it does seem to have some merit. So here goes.

About ten (10) years ago, the couple came to the Mohegan Sun and got players cards. The wife has since come the Mohegan Sun over the years with her friends. The women play the slots. The husband, although he had gotten a players card, never used it. He plays table games. He was only at the Mohegan Sun that one time ten (10) years ago.

Lately, the woman and her friends have been going to Emerald City (Yonkers Raceway racino). The women use Emerald City because they can get there in less than one hour and can play a few hours and then go home. The husband over the years has been going to Atlantic City. The couple saw an ad on television in New York which said bring your Emerald City players cards to the Mohegan Sun and get $100.00 free play.

The couple drove up to the Mohegan Sun. It was a beautiful sunny day. It took them, they estimated between three and four hours to get to the Mohegan Sun. It had cost them $12.75 in tolls and about $60.00 in gas round trip.

They took their Emerald City players cards to a players club booth. They tried to get the $100.00 each free play (the television promotion). She was told she was a regular, and it was only for new customers. He was told he had a card and couldn't get the free play either. Remember he never even used his Mohegan Sun players card.

Both people vowed never to come back to the Mohegan Sun again. They were angry. Instead of promoting people to the Mohegan Sun, in this instance, the casino drove the people away. Did the attendant do anything wrong? Probably not. The attendant was probably doing what he was told. Was what happened stupid? Do our (Mohegan Sun) customers need to read the fine print?

AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE WHO WOULD EVER COME BACK?

I don't know, but now these people are probably lost forever. Not smart business. I think the people should have been given something. I don't know what, but they spent between seven and eight hours coming and going, the wear and tear on their vehicle, and about $80.00 and received nothing for it.

He said he will continue gamble at Atlantic City and she will continue to go the Emerald City.

Instead of having a good experience with a casino like I did in Atlantic City, these people had the opposite reaction. It put a bad taste in their mouths.

That brings me to the toll receipts. Why couldn't the Mohegan Sun do something like what Trump Plaza did years before? What about the people who bring their cars to the casino coming from Long Island on the ferries? How come they don't get something for showing their receipts?

I know casinos, can't give everyone free play, but in these difficult times, maybe we should look at things like this (toll receipts).

There is an old saying in business. "Do the right thing, and the customers will tell two other people. Do the wrong thing and they will tell ten people." Is this true? How much damage was done by this experience? They told me, a perfect stanger. Who else did they tell? Who will she tell at Emerald City? Could it have been handled differently? What do you think?

THESE ARE THE OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.