Tattersalls and Intralot have both suffered network outages recently and both failed to keep their respective networks informed. It is hard to believe that it is 2009 when you experience such poor communication followed up by buck passing and lame excuses.
We have old technology like mobile phones and email and new online communications channels like Twitter, Facebook, blogs and the like. Intralot and Tattersalls ignored these. They relied on their retail partners calling them. The problem is that they do not have infrastructure in place to cope with the calls.
Last night, newsagents had to leave their businesses without being able to confirm the status of some tickets. They had no choice, they could not get through to Tattersalls and there was no advice as to when they might be able to get through. The stress for some as a result of this was considerable.
This blog was the only confirmation for many newsagents that there was a network problem.
Poor communication by Tattersalls and Intralot reflects badly on our retail businesses. In my own shop yesterday a customer abused our manager, blaming him for her not being able to put her regular numbers on. Information from Tattersalls, anything, might have helped him provide something close to the customer service he prefers.
The Victorian Government ought to demand that Tattersalls and Intralot put in place better communication channels with appropriate redundancy as a matter of urgency. To do nothing would show them up as caring little about the punters they want buying lottery tickets and supporting the State Government addiction to gambling revenue.
Yes it is 2009 believe it or not. What we put up with yesterday was a joke. Lottery traffic is crucial, especially two days out from a long weekend. Tattersalls ought to have done better – they have been around long enough to know what Victorian punters expect.
It will be interesting to see in the lottery companies, Minister for Gaming or the Associations have anything to say on this issue.
My own small software company serving newsagents does a better job at communication. In a recent blackout we had advice and help for our customers on our company blog, by email and backup call centre access through a network of mobile phones and a Skype phone. Pretty basic stuff really.
here in SA we had a lotteries till malfunction this week. Rang the hotline.
“We don’t actually supply those till drawers
but here is the name of the supplier”.
Rang said supplier – “Sorry we only sell these (I have two others so I don’t need
any new ones) but ring this no (SYDNEY)
That is who we use to fix them”.
Rang Sydney and got a replacement
drawer but THERE IS NO-ONE TO INSTALL
IT. It isn’t just a matter of slide out the old one and put in the new one.
Rang SA Lotteries and complained bitterly that we had a security issue with having to
leave a key in the lotto drawer and eventually they came and fixed it.
It was the most ludicrous situation. Even
though we shift money regularly it can mount up quickly and we were a severe security risk and yet the people with all the
rules had a rule to say they would not fix
our drawer????????
By the way it took them about 5 minutes
to do the job. What do we pay our weekly fees for? Obviously all the lottery
jurisdictions are cutting back on their costs and once again pushing them onto
the newsagent.
Fairly regularly, we get customers who are astounded that we don’t have lotto or scratchies. The public’s assumption that newsagents have to also be lotto agents is so widespread that we’ve copped abuse for it at times.
According to the previous owners, this shop never got big enough to be approved, although owners before them did trial scratchies for a while. Apparently they never sold enough to justify the powers that be allowing it to continue. And there’s no way we’re paying the outrageous sums asked to start anything up or try again. Given the hassles we’ve seen on here so far of late, we’re quite relieved that we don’t go down this road. The cash/security issues alone are scary enough (being located on our own along a service road to a main hwy), let alone the upfront cost outlay and ongoing fees for such an unforgiveable lack of support.
Is it really worth anyone’s while doing it??
It’s easier and cheaper to sell milk and bread, surely?
I don’t blame anyone for being disillusioned and angry about how these outages are handled.
I think it’s outrageous.
Just so you all know; Tatts just dropped out again at 2.45pm in Seymour.
Up and down at Forest Hill.
A couple of our machines produced invalid tickets. We could not sell them obviously. Could not contact help desk. We found out the next day that the tickets were live. The response from tatts “too bad the draw has been drawn”.
3.06 the system is DOWN again.
Very disappointed
down at bundoora and keeping all invalid tickets
trying to get thru to Tatts Non-help line