Sometimes customer service doesn’t just go wrong; it completely falls apart. That’s what one Pittsburgh woman says happened over multiple visits to her favorite entertainment spot.
Tawnya Snyder (@empoweredbestie), known online as “Your Empowered Bestie for the Restie,” says she has a “buckle-up” story about Rivers Casino Pittsburgh. In a TikTok that’s nearing 10,000 views, Snyder says she was “mind blown” by how she and her husband were treated after a decade as regular customers.
Long Story Short
Snyder says the casino has been a big part of her life. She met her husband there, hosted events, stayed at the hotel, and dined on-site. The couple are Black Card holders, members of the casino’s “Rush Rewards” for high-dollar players. She says they expect a certain level of courtesy.
Instead, Snyder alleges, they were met with repeated rudeness and confusion. As she eats an on-the-go meal in her vehicle, she explains, “This is how we got disrespected at a casino … by the staff.”
The problems started when she tried to use and understand her Black Card perks, including a texting system that lets top-tier players contact hosts directly. Over time, she claims she noticed her friends getting better comps. Additionally, her own rewards often didn’t match what she was told was available. “It happened many, many times,” she says.
Things escalated after a server told Snyder to enter a VIP area to resolve a card issue. The host allegedly sent her back out without helping. And the next day, Snyder says she got a call from a representative of Rivers Casino. “He is very, very rude,” she alleges.
“’I’ve got notice that you’ve come into that room, and you’re not allowed,’” she says, using an absurdly deep and self-important voice to mimic the representative. “‘And security has been alerted.’”
‘Not Welcome’
Snyder says she attempted to explain herself, saying she was just trying to ask a question. Instead she says she was threatened and again told, “’Security had been alerted.’”
Despite that, Snyder says she returned to pick up a comped gift, where again she ran into card issues. She says the same representative called again, not to apologize, but to reiterate, “’You’re not welcome here.’”
Happy New Year?
But her decision isn’t the end. “They give us invitations to New Year’s Eve night,” she recalls. So the couple decided to invite her parents to celebrate.
Prior to NYE, though, the couple returned for a meal. But there was a problem with their card. So they had to speak with another casino representative. They told him the story, and she says his solution was to say there’s fault on both sides. She says he then issued a 30-day ban barring the couple from the casino.
However, there’s still the sticky issue of NYE. The representative asked the couple to sign a legal document that says that if they come back before the 30-day ban is up, they could be “criminally trespassed.”
She says she refused to sign and promised a video update. “Part two will be if he actually calls me back before New Year’s,” she says.
A Rivers Casino representative told BroBible the following: “We cannot confirm or comment on matters pertaining to any specific guest or individual.”
What Viewers Suggest
Some viewers are urging the TikToker to get other entities involved. “Write a terse letter to the gaming commission for the casino. You will get traction,” one said.
Another agreed, writing, “My suggestion would be two prong: A complaint to the Better Business Bureau and secondly a complaint to the state gaming commission. You are being harassed.”
But @annbcrazy suggested letting the money talk. They wrote, “Take your black player card to another casino and they’ll match it with comps and everything.” Research on Rivers Casino’s site suggests this is true, as it has a “Competitive Tier Match” of their own.
While Lee (@leem2992) just stated, “Wow!! No excuse for this behavior!! Black card member or first time guest, nobody deserves that!!”
What To Do If You Get Banned From Casino
Most of the information about getting banned from a casino is anecdotal. However, the site JustAnswer has a thread about a similar issue. It seems that casino bans are the kind of things where there is room for mistakes and poor judgment. But these things are also hard to seek compensation for, as one responder noted.
Their advice? “Possibly request compensation for the embarrassment, such as complimentary services at the [casino] hotel.”
However, because casino hosts are similar to a successful hotel concierge, they often can wield a lot of power in guest relations. While one casino states that the host’s mission is to “make navigating the entire property seamless and stress-free,” a Redditor suggests that they’re actually there to “keep you gambling.”
Here’s hoping the Snyders have a happy new year, wherever they go.
BroBible reached out to Tawnya Snyder via Instagram and TikTok direct message. We’ll update this if she gets back to us.
@empoweredbestie Crazy Story of how we were treated at casino, I am mind blown. I’ve never been treated like this. instead of trying to make it right this happened. the second man was nice but said his hands were tied. What do you think #casinonight #pittsburgh