[beanie]

You are incorrect. Party created this system. Party took the skins money. Party allowed skins to offer more in percentage than they do. Party had no answer for VIP players so they went elsewhere.

As I mentioned in my original post if someone says to one of my affiliates "I play at XYZ room, do you give rakeback there" my affiliates say that they can not convert current players. Though they likely just sign them up to another room. That customer was happy at the room that they were at, they lost that customer because they did not have a system in place that allowed for that affiliate to gain from keeping that customer at that room. The way affiliate marketing is set up now is we only benefit from new customers. Why is it unreasonable for a card room to have a VIP program and that affiliate can now act as a casino host of sorts to earn a small commission for keeping that customer at that room and happy. Some will say that is exactly what Party is doing and they are correct but why did they have to cut out their partners and affiliates. Why didn't they work together with their partners? Greed is your answer.

Once the rakeback box is open it is difficult to shut and poker players are value shoppers to a large extent. I know of guys who gamble for millions that will not play somewhere if they don't get their rakeback. To turn back the clock and start yelling at the top of your lungs and hoping that rakeback is going to go away and one day all card rooms will not offer it from a competition standpoint is not reality. The reality is that affiliates used to bring new customers what affiliates need to become and what cardrooms need us to become is casino hosts. We need to help them as they require better service. Good customer service is not exactly the industry standard at this point.

I read this once and it remains a hallmark of my thought process regarding customer service. It goes something like this, if you look after your own needs your relationships with your customers will always be insecure. If you focus on their needs you will never have to worry about your needs. I have found this to be true in everything I have ever done and it is the guiding light I have in all of my negotiations.