How many times do you sit and wait on Affiliate Programs?

[Redbush54]

I'm curious how many other affiliates ask programs for content, banners, exclusives, etc and are told "you'll have it by tonight" and tonight never comes? Programs seem to promise you the world only its days and even weeks before you get what you ask for. By the time you receive what you ask for its already outdated and of no use. Programs want us to provide exceptional service and in return we should expect to receive the same service. Lack of urgency by the program makes me think that maybe they don't deserve my time.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

[thebookiesoffers]

most I work with are spot on. one or two are crap so I don't give them much time but the ones that are important to me are brilliant

[TheGooner]

Generally most programs are pretty good. But I've had two awful experiences with two big Euro programs ...

Ladbrokes.
Took over a month to reply to a query within their affilaite program that their newly released widgets were not functioning as they said. That reply simply said "sorry we're late - is there still a problem?"

When I replied to their reply with more detail, I got an "auto-reply" that the person had gone on holiday that afternoon - but at least there was an additional suggestion as to who could help. So I sent a forward onto that new person - who promptly has ignored the email. And one month later the original person has not responded either ...

Upshot - it's been nearly two months now - no useful reply - and they've lost those promotional spots to other programs.

Paddy Power
Just a simple one here - no-one ever checks their affilaite program messages - and all my previous aff Managers have moved on. This means that we have no effective contact with PaddyPower right now - so they also lose out on promotional ideas.

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We have introduced over 2500 depositing customers to Ladbrokes in the last 10 years, and 1800 depositing customers to PaddyPower in the last 8 years. While we might not be HUGE we are effective at what we do - when we can find someone to work with to provide links, banners and sort out problems.

Seriously programs, if you're in the business then find people who can be bothered keeping on top of the mail.

[thebookiesoffers]

Generally most programs are pretty good. But I've had two awful experiences with two big Euro programs ...

Ladbrokes.
Took over a month to reply to a query within their affilaite program that their newly released widgets were not functioning as they said. That reply simply said "sorry we're late - is there still a problem?"

When I replied to their reply with more detail, I got an "auto-reply" that the person had gone on holiday that afternoon - but at least there was an additional suggestion as to who could help. So I sent a forward onto that new person - who promptly has ignored the email. And one month later the original person has not responded either ...

Upshot - it's been nearly two months now - no useful reply - and they've lost those promotional spots to other programs.

Paddy Power
Just a simple one here - no-one ever checks their affilaite program messages - and all my previous aff Managers have moved on. This means that we have no effective contact with PaddyPower right now - so they also lose out on promotional ideas.

---------------

We have introduced over 2500 depositing customers to Ladbrokes in the last 10 years, and 1800 depositing customers to PaddyPower in the last 8 years. While we might not be HUGE we are effective at what we do - when we can find someone to work with to provide links, banners and sort out problems.

Seriously programs, if you're in the business then find people who can be bothered keeping on top of the mail.

i have a couple of email addy's for paddy power if you want them mate

[xecutable]

I've had similar experience with certain programs. I don't mind sending a friendly reminder, but I tend to lose interest when it comes to the point I have to beg.

Since I don't know if it's ok, to mention the program's names here I will not. Been waiting on one banner since November from an UK book, and they haven't yet delivered it. I even got my AM on skype and I get zero replies. A few months ago, another book promised me a banner and after a month I receive a static image with the brand name, something even I can fabricate in 10 minutes not 30 days.

But this is a good thing imho. It helps me seed out the brands that actually care and see me as a partner. Why get involved with somebody who's gonna make me wait & beg from promotional materials like there r no other...

BTW sometimes there's reasonable explanation for a delay. Be patient and understanding as well.

[thebookiesoffers]

I've had similar experience with certain programs. I don't mind sending a friendly reminder, but I tend to lose interest when it comes to the point I have to beg.

Since I don't know if it's ok, to mention the program's names here I will not. Been waiting on one banner since November from an UK book, and they haven't yet delivered it. I even got my AM on skype and I get zero replies. A few months ago, another book promised me a banner and after a month I receive a static image with the brand name, something even I can fabricate in 10 minutes not 30 days.

But this is a good thing imho. It helps me seed out the brands that actually care and see me as a partner. Why get involved with somebody who's gonna make me wait & beg from promotional materials like there r no other...

BTW sometimes there's reasonable explanation for a delay. Be patient and understanding as well.

nothing wrong with naming the poor ones, it might make them buck their ideas up

[xecutable]

nothing wrong with naming the poor ones, it might make them buck their ideas up

Well they r actually pretty fed up companies. I think part of the problem is that they r big enough to afford being like that.

[thebookiesoffers]

betclic have been a nightmare at times and blue square seem to be really poor at the moment but i think in fairness to blue square they seem to be really badly understaffed, well thats what it seems to me anyway

[bonusbetting]

Betclic's strategy seemed badly thought out - i.e. paying large CPAs on a no-risk offer for sports. No-risk offers are always going to attract some abuse, with a high CPA attached there were probably people pulling incentive scams too.

I'm not that surprised that it got pulled, but they did that badly too when they changed the terms without notice twice. I did get paid everything eventually. Nice to have a few big CPA payments but obviously the only way to make money consistently is when the operator is making a decent profit.

Bluesquare have told me November's payments will be sent next week. They've apologized and been quite helpful recently.

At times I've had to wait for most programs to get back to me (one exception is bet365, who are always very quick and very helpful) and I can understand the reasons for that. Most affiliate departments are fairly 'lean' - affiliate managers have a LOT of affiliates to manage and they have to prioritize. If you've got time to answer one email, will it be the one from the person sending you $10k revenue a week or the person who has sent you $30 in 6 months?

Of course there will be some ineffective AMs now and then but in general I'd say it's pointless blaming the AM, since often they have far too much on their plates - blame the senior manager who decides (or finds out) that paying extra salaries will not produce a good ROI.

[universal4]

If you've got time to answer one email, will it be the one from the person sending you $10k revenue a week or the person who has sent you $30 in 6 months?

This makes a case for why programs should just answer any and all questions HERE, that do not involved personal or private information....

That way, the guy making $30 every six months gets his/her answer and doesn't have to wait weeks and weeks for it....

Otherwise, I encourage the small affiliate to just move on to programs that will provide answers to their questions and support them properly no matter how big their wallet is......

The smart programs know how important hundreds (if not thousands) of small affiliates are to them. (can you say billions of banner impressions that cost nothing?)

Rick
Universal4

[Topboss]

I generally only promote the programs that give me good service. I have got to the point that I am quite merciless with programs and if I have to wait more than 48 hours for a response ( I give them longer if I email them on a Friday ) - I give the position to someone else and in some cases if they have caught me on a bad day - I actually pull them down simply for not responding.
My days of running after Aff Managers are long over

[TheGooner]

Easily said TopBoss - but much harder to do when it's an established program that suddenly starts going AWOL (as I described above).

Both these programs are worth significant dollars over their lifetime, and still have good monthly income streams but AM's seem to come and go, and service standards slip. Cutting them doesn't make sense - but their affiliate program performance is limiting their opportunities.

[Topboss]

Hi Gooner
I hear you and I don't disagree with you when it comes to long term performers who are reputable. I should have been more specific - I was mainly referring to the little guys who haven't yet developed a big enough reputation for themselves, as I believe that those guys should be bending over backwards to get exposure on affiliate sites.
However, Having said that - Whilst I also wouldn't remove a good performer - I still believe that there is no excuse for bad service. Even just a simple courtesy email to say "we have got your email and are working on it" would suffice - but to blatantly ignore it is simply not on.

[Redbush54]

Thanks for all the replies. Interesting comments and I appreciate them. Hopefully we'll get a few more comments.

[casinobonusguy]

I usually ask for stuff and give the programs 7 days to get it to us ,Honestly we do not have a quick turn around time ourselves.I hate when managers send us an email and say this weekend we have a big game can you put us up TODAY .Go fly a kite , I am not sitting here waiting for something to do and I assume my managers are just as busy.

[Redbush54]

I usually ask for stuff and give the programs 7 days to get it to us ,Honestly we do not have a quick turn around time ourselves.I hate when managers send us an email and say this weekend we have a big game can you put us up TODAY .Go fly a kite , I am not sitting here waiting for something to do and I assume my managers are just as busy.

Amen to that sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How many times do we get emails on friday about a promo that started 8 hrs earlier? If you want me to get something up then send it to me a couple days in advance and if I've told ya I can't use flash banners than do me a favor and make sure you've got html banners. I've ask one program for them and they have yet to feel that's important.

[FictionNet]

I can't actually think of any programs who haven't been more than helpful whenever I've asked for something. Really. Castle have been brilliant. Martyn always impresses. Avital at Prime is another good 'un. There are loads. Wayne at RedReturns. The guys at Brightshare have created a number of unique banners for me. Louis at Income Access is never anything but nice, even when you're bollocking him about something. There are loads of others I could mention.

I'm not saying bad service from aff managers doesn't happen. I'm absolutely certain it does. I think I've been very lucky.

[SlotsAff]

I agree with FictionNet - most AMs I have dealt with have been superb.

Shayne at Virgin has been amazing to be honest!

In terms of bad AMs, I think some of them are restricted by the bureaucratic companies they work for.

[Renee]

I find that the best thing is to answer every email as they come into my inbox - first in, first out. That way whoever emailed me first gets a reply first. I think that's a pretty fair approach.

[LuckyLizzy]

That's one reason why I don't wait around for promotional materials anymore. I just go straight to the sites I want to promote and get the info right there. Usually they have them up the day of or a few days before the start of an offer.

I really like Party Casino and Party Poker for this reason because they put up the promotions way before they begin to give me plenty of warning and time to get the word out to players.

If a site does not have regular updates then I probably won't promote them.