By Dave Chojnacki
Chief Marketing Officer at Verifi1
Recently, I was chatting with the Director of Promotions at a large casino resort company about her experiences with requiring their valued customers (also known as “loyalty club members”) to provide documentation in order to receive casino sponsored giveaways such as concert tickets, merchandise, and trips.
I was curious if she experienced any negative repercussions from patrons who felt that having to prove their identity in return for a premium, was too intrusive and/or demeaning given that many of these club participants knew (at least peripherally due to their frequency of visits) the casino hosts charged with distributing the gifts.
She replied that the clear majority of her customers both understood and expected that validating one’s identity was a pre-requisite to obtaining something of value in return. “We spend millions of dollars annually on these items, and as a result, we want to make sure they’re distributed accordingly to the people who have earned them”.
I went on to ask her if she was ever confronted by angry big dollar players (aka “high rollers”) who felt that because of the time and money they spent at the casino, there should be no further verification needed to receive a casino premium. “It does happen on occasion” she told me, “however when we explain to the individual that we need to make sure we follow a standard practice to establish identity – and not simply rely on some sort of arbitrary "honor system" or "personal recognition code" before distributing valuable premiums - they, more times than not, fully understand. I usually conclude the conversation by asking them how they would feel if we didn’t take these safeguards, and wound up giving away their item to someone who didn’t qualify.”
If casino operators are fully engaged in certifying and validating that their customers are truly eligible for the expensive gifts they distribute, shouldn’t employers likewise make sure that the expensive benefits they sponsor for their employees are similarly vetted and verified?
Employers who avoid or simply ignore, the pressing need to conduct both initial and ongoing dependent eligibility verification reviews under the notion that their work force may experience “hurt feelings”, or may feel that they aren’t trusted, should take note of the stringent validation practices the gaming industry have made standard operating procedures for several decades.
In the end, casinos always protect the house – even when it comes to the fair and equitable distribution of giveaways. Make sure in turn that you’re protecting your “house” as well, by not giving away valuable benefits dollars to individuals who aren’t qualified to be in your “loyalty club”.