If I Want This Kind Of Abuse I'll Just Stay Home....

[golfer]

Doc, there are 2 obvious solutions for the future, nothing can change what has already occurred.

1. Punch your own tickets! I have been using the self-betting machines since they came out, mid-90's. I have not made a bet with a teller in years... OR

2. Bet earlier.. by waiting until the last minute, you are bringing in all sorts of possible problems, which there is no time to fix. I have made mistakes while punching my own tickets, but have had time to have the tickets cancelled by betting with 3 to 5 minutes to post.

By the way, I have heard (not sure if it was on this board or Thorograph) that the teller's machines stay open at least 10 seconds after a race starts for the very purpose of cancelling incorrect tickets.

(I see Spyder just wrote the same thing while I was typing this)

[Grits]

By the way, I have heard (not sure if it was on this board or Thorograph) that the teller's machines stay open at least 10 seconds after a race starts for the very purpose of cancelling incorrect tickets.

I could be dead wrong but I don't believe this, and I've never heard it or read it anywhere. Nor have I seen it done.

Do you realize how long 10 seconds or more is, in regard to a horserace? QUITE a long time.

[docicu3]

Alright I guess I am guilty of overtalking my own thread.....

The point of the thread is to point out the lack of leadership in admin at the track to value the customers they have currently.

The example of the teller punching the wrong tri and overpunching a combination is an obvious opportunity for the Delaware mutuel czar to step in and look at the tape and say......"We blew this one....your a customer we value...I'll pay this one"

I would have settled for half the payout going to horse charities.....a chance for everyone to win for a house mistake. The other examples are very common human error...they just have happened too frequently recently.

I was hoping to stimulate discussion on how the horseplayer is treated. There are multitudes of real horsefolk here on DT who have lifetimes of experience on the subject beyond mine.

[Thoroughbred Fan]

I will agree that tracks don't have very good customer service, but with regard to your particular gripes they are not at fault. There is a reason that every place you look around a track they display the odds and MINUTES TO POST. If you want to complain about the facilities themselves or the quality of the races fine, but to cry about rushing to the window at the last minute and having a ticket punched wrong, I don't think you'll get much sympathy here either.

Originally Posted by docicu3

Alright I guess I am guilty of overtalking my own thread.....

The point of the thread is to point out the lack of leadership in admin at the track to value the customers they have currently.

The example of the teller punching the wrong tri and overpunching a combination is an obvious opportunity for the Delaware mutuel czar to step in and look at the tape and say......"We blew this one....your a customer we value...I'll pay this one"

I would have settled for half the payout going to horse charities.....a chance for everyone to win for a house mistake. The other examples are very common human error...they just have happened too frequently recently.

I was hoping to stimulate discussion on how the horseplayer is treated. There are multitudes of real horsefolk here on DT who have lifetimes of experience on the subject beyond mine.

IMHO, you are quite correct in your assessment of treatment of customers at racetracks. We all know that it would be nice to bet 5 minutes to post, but we have barely taken a look at the horses in the post parade and warmups, looked at the odds board, and will pays to formulate a bet at that time. Sometimes you don't get that feeling of divine revelation in that time either as odds are inflated before late money points out "hot" horses. Tellers, should be competent at what they do and do it in a timely manner, period. Management should review their employees, reward the good ones and weed out the bad ones. There should also be plenty of self wagering machines to not get bettors shutout. Additionally, tracks should invest in portable self wagering terminals for customers use. The "old" methods of betting are archaic when new technologies are here and developed for wireless betting from your seat. Why the stampede tothe windows ? I used to use this at the Meadowlands and had much less stress in getting my bets in on time and correctly. I did of course make some of my own errors which cost me, but hey, it was my own fault. Thats not to say that wireless doesnot have their own issues, like dropped signals, and non cancelation of bets ( which btw, they can do with enough time) It greatly pissed me off when during a BC day at M, I incorrectly entered a bet for the BC into the Meadowlands nighttime program and they would not cancel my bet, while another guy toldme , "hey your a nice guy, me i'm a bastard, I get them to cancel bets all the time" Boy did that make me feel good, as I watched my p3 bet go down in flames that night on the harness card that i donot bet. The reason i incorrectly input the bet to the Meadowlands pool was that the wagering device was programmed to startup with the Meadowlands as the choice track everytime, instead of the customer choosing a track initially. Who said technology and racetracks are your friend anyways ?

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Grits

I could be dead wrong but I don't believe this, and I've never heard it or read it anywhere. Nor have I seen it done.

Do you realize how long 10 seconds or more is, in regard to a horserace? QUITE a long time.

it actually used to be the case (I did contract work for United Tote). But that was changed in the past few years.

[PPerfectfan]

I love being able to punch up my own tickets but I always get behind the moron that is doing it for the first time or cant freaking read English!!! A couple of years ago I was trying to get my NTRA Pick 4 ticket and the idiot in front of me had both of the above problems, I rushed over to the teller line, which was forever long, and made it just in time, thank god the teller knew what she was doing and got it right. I hit for alittle over $ 1200. And the great think was I posted my ticket on the other board I go to and all the men cappers told me I was crazy, and tried to set me straight. hehe I was the only one of our group that cashed on that Pick 4!!

[Grits]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

it actually used to be the case (I did contract work for United Tote). But that was changed in the past few years.

And, there was very good reason for the change coming about, and someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

It had nothing to do with correcting tickets by mutuel clerks for bettors (and that probability is ludicrous.) Instead, it had everything to do with odds fluctuations appearing once the gates had sprung and the horses were running.

There was tremendous flap over this, bettors got fed up with the practice of odds dropping on their choice, they were smart to what was happening. Late money showing up in the pools. Whales--here, or offshore, were having large effect on this.

And again, please, someone correct me if need be.

[MisterB]

Your right Grits

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Grits

And, there was very good reason for the change coming about, and someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

It had nothing to do with correcting tickets by mutuel clerks for bettors (and that probability is ludicrous.) Instead, it had everything to do with odds fluctuations appearing once the gates had sprung and the horses were running.

There was tremendous flap over this, bettors got fed up with the practice of odds dropping on their choice, they were smart to what was happening. Late money showing up in the pools. Whales--here, or offshore, were having large effect on this.

And again, please, someone correct me if need be.

I think you are correct. Integrity was a part of the issue also, as tellers could cancel the tickets real quick if the horse has a bad break.

But your statement was the #1 reason.

[golfer]

From what I remember, which isn't much, they could only cancel tickets, not make bets. When I go to my local simulcast parlor Saturday, I will ask one of the tellers if this is still going on.

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

I think you are correct. Integrity was a part of the issue also, as tellers could cancel the tickets real quick if the horse has a bad break.

But your statement was the #1 reason.

yeah, nice to have a teller in your pocket to cancel those , I wonder if Helen Pitts would have done so for Einstein in his race at the Fairgrounds though ?