The importance of customer support, especially to new players, cannot be overstated. A clause in the bonus terms may need clarification, or a feature in the software may not be functioning or a withdrawal may not have come through. In all these cases the player needs an answer from the online casino and it is provided through the customer support.

While evaluating the customer support two aspects need to be considered. One aspect is the mechanisms offered for customer support and the other is the quality of customer support. The usual mechanisms offered are post, fax, telephone, e-mail and live chat. Post is of no use because the transaction takes several days. Fax is also not a much-used option because few players have this facility on their home computers. Hence for all practical purposes the choice lies from the other three. Telephonic support has the advantage of taking place in real time. Players do not have to wait hours or days for the response. However there are disadvantages. Toll free phone numbers are not offered to players from all countries. Normally players from the U.S, the U.K. and Canada have access to toll free numbers. Where the player base is predominantly European, toll free numbers for most European countries are provided. Players being forced to use a regular international line have to pay for the call and this adds to their cost. Some online casinos have a call back facility. Players can e-mail their telephone number and a convenient tome and customer support will call them. E-mail support overcomes the problem of cost. However this has the problem of a delayed response. Most online casinos take between 24 hours to 48 hours for responding too e-mails. Live chat overcomes the problem of both cost and time. It operates like any messenger service on the Internet. Simply log in and a customer support member will respond. Unless an online casino offers customer support through live chat it is not worth patronizing.

The quality of support involves the following parameters. First of all the player’s problem should be understood and addressed correctly. If the customer support member offers wrong advice or is unable to handle the problem then the support is no good. Hence the customer support staff should be experienced and knowledgeable. The second issue is the time taken. Players look for a prompt solution. If the player is made to beat around the bush or asked to wait till the support member consults a senior then it puts the player off. Finally customer support should be friendly. The player probably is already irritated when he contacts customer support and therefore needs to be handled carefully.

There are words of advice for players too. Take care to be courteous in your queries, despite your frustration, and you will be better received. The best way to gauge customer support is to test them by sending dummy enquiries. That way you will be prepared for what to expect when the real need arises.