At bingo, it can be a nice touch or change of pace to offer a merchandise prize instead of cash. Prizes can range in value from simple bingo daubers to flat-screen televisions.
If you decide that you would like to give away a merchandise prize at your next bingo, you should do the following:
1. Make sure to check with your local lottery agency and or regulatory body to understand the regulations in your area regarding bingo prize amounts, special forms required, etc.
2. Hold onto the original boxes that the merchandise prizes arrive in. Also, hold onto any warranties or guarantees that come with the product.
3. Have your bingo stand behind any merchandise warranties.
4. Make sure that at least one worker keeps watch over any bingo supplies and or merchandise prizes that are offered. Unfortunately, merchandise can "walk off" if unattended.
5. Lock up any merchandise prizes before and after your bingo. Make sure that any access to the bingo prizes is strictly controlled.
6. Examine the merchandise before it's given away as a prize. Is it clean and well-maintained? If not, don't give it away to your bingo players.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wholesale Bingo Supplies.com Contest Details
Oops. In an earlier post I mentioned the contest taking place with our retail site, Wholesale Bingo Supplies.com .What I forgot to mention was what the details of the contest were and how you entered.
So, below are the details and you can enter at our bingo supplies home page .
We Need Your Help, and We’re Willing to Give You Something For It!
If you are happy with your purchase and our service, would you be willing to provide a simple voice testimonial for us?
It’s easy and won’t cost you anything but your time. And, as a bonus for providing your testimonial, we will enter your name 3 additional times into our 19” flat-screen TV giveaway. That means you’ll have a total of four entries to win the TV, including your automatic entry with this order!
Here’s how it works:
1) You call the toll free number (800) 609-9006 Ext. 1604
2) Say your first name, your home city and state, and begin recording.
3) Tell us what you liked about our company. Don’t sweat it, just be yourself.
4) When finished hang up and email us at CustomerSupport@WholesaleBingoSupplies.com letting us know. We will then enter your name an additional 3 times in our Flat Screen TV drawing .
The drawing will be held on August 31st, and will be announced on our Bingo Supplies Blog here.
Good luck!
Bingo Bob
So, below are the details and you can enter at our bingo supplies home page .
We Need Your Help, and We’re Willing to Give You Something For It!
If you are happy with your purchase and our service, would you be willing to provide a simple voice testimonial for us?
It’s easy and won’t cost you anything but your time. And, as a bonus for providing your testimonial, we will enter your name 3 additional times into our 19” flat-screen TV giveaway. That means you’ll have a total of four entries to win the TV, including your automatic entry with this order!
Here’s how it works:
1) You call the toll free number (800) 609-9006 Ext. 1604
2) Say your first name, your home city and state, and begin recording.
3) Tell us what you liked about our company. Don’t sweat it, just be yourself.
4) When finished hang up and email us at CustomerSupport@WholesaleBingoSupplies.com letting us know. We will then enter your name an additional 3 times in our Flat Screen TV drawing .
The drawing will be held on August 31st, and will be announced on our Bingo Supplies Blog here.
Good luck!
Bingo Bob
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Wholesale Bingo Supplies Contest Update
Thanks to you, we've received tremendous feedback on our flat-screen TV giveaway! We asked you to leave your audio comments for additional entries and we weren't disappointed.
Here are some of the things you told us:
"Shipping was extremely fast. Our bingo supplies were shipped the same day they were ordered."
"The Wholesale Bingo Supplies website was simple and easy to use. I found what I was looking for fast."
"The bingo supplies didn't cost a lot and I liked the selection of bingo paper ."
But, don't just take our word for it, listen to our customers themselves with the audio on our Bingo Supplies Customer Testimonial Page .
We appreciate all of the positive comments that were left and ask you to keep them coming. The contest is still underway, but hurry. The Flat-Screen giveaway ends on August 31st!
Here are some of the things you told us:
"Shipping was extremely fast. Our bingo supplies were shipped the same day they were ordered."
"The Wholesale Bingo Supplies website was simple and easy to use. I found what I was looking for fast."
"The bingo supplies didn't cost a lot and I liked the selection of bingo paper ."
But, don't just take our word for it, listen to our customers themselves with the audio on our Bingo Supplies Customer Testimonial Page .
We appreciate all of the positive comments that were left and ask you to keep them coming. The contest is still underway, but hurry. The Flat-Screen giveaway ends on August 31st!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
You Can't Please Everyone, Wholesale Bingo Supplies' Customers Included.
Bingo supplies is like every other business in at least one way. You can't please every customer. This truism hit home again last week as our staff dealt with a customer who, to put it plainly, over-estimated her value.
I'll call this particular customer "Sue". Sue originally ordered from Wholesale Bingo Supplies approximately a month ago. It was a small order (which is fine, we love orders of all sizes) for some $9.95 bingo paper . I remembered this order because she asked to use her own FedEx shipping number after she had already been billed and charged for the order. Apparently, she could save herself $0.50, or so.
So, we said "no problem", cancelled her original order, notified our warehouse, refunded her order, charged her again without freight, and then requested that our warehouse supervisor arrange for a FedEx pickup of her shipment using her shipper ID. These are things we do in the normal course of business every day, but for an order this small, we lose money. The total time these steps take is probably around 15-30 minutes, and the profit we see on an order like this is probably $2.00. After the order was shipped, we decided to change our policy and only allow customers to use their own shipper on orders over $50.00. Which brings us to last week....
Sue calls Wholesale Bingo Supplies again and is upset. She received her order and (I'm paraphrasing) "it was the worst bingo game paper she had ever seen". She had "handed the paper out to her players and they had trouble playing on it because it would bend as they played". Now, let me pause this story here and explain to you a little bit about the bingo paper we carry.
There are 3 major manufacturers of bingo game paper in the US that sell to the commercial gaming industry (casinos, tribal casinos, commercial bingo halls, charity bingos, etc.). All 3 manufacture high quality, commercial grade bingo paper, and Wholesale Bingo Supplies carries all 3 brands. So, we carry the highest quality bingo paper on the market.
Could someone still get some bad bingo paper from us? Sure. Manufacturing errors occur, shipping damage happens, etc., but most of the time, our customers are going to receive the highest quality in the industry. However, if someone receives a bad product from us, send it back, and we'll refund your money. Now, back to Sue.....
So, Sue says the bingo paper we sent her was horrible. She wants a full refund, but she's willing to order more paper (a different style), only she wants us to ship this bingo paper to her without any shipping charges because, "our shipping charges are too high". Did I mention we're in Michigan and she's in California, and that paper is a heavy product and costs a lot to ship, and that we get our shipping charges directly from UPS? Did I mention that Sue is also being extremely rude to some of the nicest ladies you'll ever meet in our front office?
Now, normally we'd give Sue a full refund if she ships the product back to us, but she used up a lot of it and is unwilling to pay to have it shipped back. So, at this point, with the complaining, the unrealistic expectations, the unrealistic idea of costs involved and the importance of her order, we basically tell Sue that we're sorry, we can't help her. That's not good enough. Sue wants to speak to the owners.
Did I mention that Sue has been complaining for about 1/2 hour on the phone?
At this point, I tell our front office to let Sue know that there's nothing more we can do and talking to the owners isn't going to help. Our front office apologizes again and Sue hangs up , but not before telling us that she's going to spread the word about our bad service and that she knows a lot of people in the bingo industry.
Good grief. I wish you the best Sue.
I'll call this particular customer "Sue". Sue originally ordered from Wholesale Bingo Supplies approximately a month ago. It was a small order (which is fine, we love orders of all sizes) for some $9.95 bingo paper . I remembered this order because she asked to use her own FedEx shipping number after she had already been billed and charged for the order. Apparently, she could save herself $0.50, or so.
So, we said "no problem", cancelled her original order, notified our warehouse, refunded her order, charged her again without freight, and then requested that our warehouse supervisor arrange for a FedEx pickup of her shipment using her shipper ID. These are things we do in the normal course of business every day, but for an order this small, we lose money. The total time these steps take is probably around 15-30 minutes, and the profit we see on an order like this is probably $2.00. After the order was shipped, we decided to change our policy and only allow customers to use their own shipper on orders over $50.00. Which brings us to last week....
Sue calls Wholesale Bingo Supplies again and is upset. She received her order and (I'm paraphrasing) "it was the worst bingo game paper she had ever seen". She had "handed the paper out to her players and they had trouble playing on it because it would bend as they played". Now, let me pause this story here and explain to you a little bit about the bingo paper we carry.
There are 3 major manufacturers of bingo game paper in the US that sell to the commercial gaming industry (casinos, tribal casinos, commercial bingo halls, charity bingos, etc.). All 3 manufacture high quality, commercial grade bingo paper, and Wholesale Bingo Supplies carries all 3 brands. So, we carry the highest quality bingo paper on the market.
Could someone still get some bad bingo paper from us? Sure. Manufacturing errors occur, shipping damage happens, etc., but most of the time, our customers are going to receive the highest quality in the industry. However, if someone receives a bad product from us, send it back, and we'll refund your money. Now, back to Sue.....
So, Sue says the bingo paper we sent her was horrible. She wants a full refund, but she's willing to order more paper (a different style), only she wants us to ship this bingo paper to her without any shipping charges because, "our shipping charges are too high". Did I mention we're in Michigan and she's in California, and that paper is a heavy product and costs a lot to ship, and that we get our shipping charges directly from UPS? Did I mention that Sue is also being extremely rude to some of the nicest ladies you'll ever meet in our front office?
Now, normally we'd give Sue a full refund if she ships the product back to us, but she used up a lot of it and is unwilling to pay to have it shipped back. So, at this point, with the complaining, the unrealistic expectations, the unrealistic idea of costs involved and the importance of her order, we basically tell Sue that we're sorry, we can't help her. That's not good enough. Sue wants to speak to the owners.
Did I mention that Sue has been complaining for about 1/2 hour on the phone?
At this point, I tell our front office to let Sue know that there's nothing more we can do and talking to the owners isn't going to help. Our front office apologizes again and Sue hangs up , but not before telling us that she's going to spread the word about our bad service and that she knows a lot of people in the bingo industry.
Good grief. I wish you the best Sue.
Greektown Casino to Expand
Greektown Casino is set to open its expanded gaming floor on Aug. 29, weeks earlier than originally anticipated.
The opening of the 25,000-square-foot expansion will add about 700 slot machines, bringing Greektown's total to 3,000. The accelerated opening brings the end of construction closer at Greektown, which filed for bankruptcy protection in May and is the last of Detroit's three casinos to open a permanent casino and resort-style hotel.
"Our contractors will now spend the next few months finishing hotel rooms, hallways, the two-story lobby, state-of-the-art meeting space and the rest of the hotel features," Greektown Casino CEO Craig Ghelfi said in a statement. "We continue to move briskly on our construction timeline, with our expanded gaming floor set to open in late August 2008 and the hotel planned to be ready in early 2009."
For more information, please see Nathan Hurst, Greektown Casino on a roll , The Detroit News, August 5, 2008.
The opening of the 25,000-square-foot expansion will add about 700 slot machines, bringing Greektown's total to 3,000. The accelerated opening brings the end of construction closer at Greektown, which filed for bankruptcy protection in May and is the last of Detroit's three casinos to open a permanent casino and resort-style hotel.
"Our contractors will now spend the next few months finishing hotel rooms, hallways, the two-story lobby, state-of-the-art meeting space and the rest of the hotel features," Greektown Casino CEO Craig Ghelfi said in a statement. "We continue to move briskly on our construction timeline, with our expanded gaming floor set to open in late August 2008 and the hotel planned to be ready in early 2009."
For more information, please see Nathan Hurst, Greektown Casino on a roll , The Detroit News, August 5, 2008.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Tribes Come Together To Stop Bingo Machines
The February voter referendum fight over four Southern California tribes' amended casino agreements split the state's gambling tribes in one of the costliest campaigns ever.
Only months later, the tribes on both sides of the fight have joined forces.
The tribes are trying to ban devices in some nontribal bingo halls that critics say are illegal slot machines. Legislation is in the works and could come to a vote before lawmakers adjourn for the year Aug. 31.
"This is not something that would have divided the tribes just because they had a difference of opinion on the referendums," said Doug Elmets, a spokesman for the United Auburn Indian Community.
For more information, please see Bingo halls' plan gets tribes back on same side , Inland Politics, August 3, 2008.
Only months later, the tribes on both sides of the fight have joined forces.
The tribes are trying to ban devices in some nontribal bingo halls that critics say are illegal slot machines. Legislation is in the works and could come to a vote before lawmakers adjourn for the year Aug. 31.
"This is not something that would have divided the tribes just because they had a difference of opinion on the referendums," said Doug Elmets, a spokesman for the United Auburn Indian Community.
For more information, please see Bingo halls' plan gets tribes back on same side , Inland Politics, August 3, 2008.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Electronic Bingo the Same As Slots? Some Say Yes.
For one thing, they know how to have "charity bingo" without the dog exploding.
With the appearance of a reported 18 (and growing) electronic bingo halls, Jasper has turned into tacky Tunica. The high-class veneer and grand facade opulence of Tunica's multimillion-dollar casinos have been dumbed down and given the Alabama treatment.
There are no fancy steakhouses inside these establishments, but you can have sad-looking hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks. Alcohol is strictly prohibited, dancing too, so the religious can still play bingo without sin. Jesus loves bingo, but not on Sunday.
For more information, please see Ricky Thomason, What's electronic bingo? A slot machine by another name, Huntsville Times, August 3, 2008.
With the appearance of a reported 18 (and growing) electronic bingo halls, Jasper has turned into tacky Tunica. The high-class veneer and grand facade opulence of Tunica's multimillion-dollar casinos have been dumbed down and given the Alabama treatment.
There are no fancy steakhouses inside these establishments, but you can have sad-looking hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks. Alcohol is strictly prohibited, dancing too, so the religious can still play bingo without sin. Jesus loves bingo, but not on Sunday.
For more information, please see Ricky Thomason, What's electronic bingo? A slot machine by another name, Huntsville Times, August 3, 2008.
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