My thoughts after reading through this thread.
Rio has been generous with all the promotions here. And in return, they've probably received additional business. That's nice for everyone involved but not really relevant here.
A bonus can indeed be considered a privilege, but is also not a right to mislead. A company has certain responsibilities. If the clerk told the customer that he would be awarded a bonus in this instance, then the company should follow through on it. Now, we all know there is generally more to a story (from both sides) than what appears in these types of threads. But that's why each call is supposed to be recorded. Upon listening to the recording, it should be easy to resolve.
As for whether the poster should have taken this issue to the Rx immediately...he could have been more patient about it and tried to resolve it offline. However, I can understand the frustration of being given a line like "person x is out to lunch...in a meeting...etc". We've all been given the runaround at one time or another when dealing with a company's customer service. Whether this was the case here is unknown but certainly possible. But yes, he could have been more patient.
In reality, if the poster felt he wasn't going to get anywhere dealing with Rio, he probably should have contacted one of the moderators privately for assistance. Since he's mentioned being a lurker here for quite some time, he should probably know that moderators regularly offer to privately assist in these matters. While that doesn't help matters now, perhaps it's something people will keep in mind for future reference.
I haven't looked at Rio's website but someone posted an excerpt in this thread. It sounds like Rio mentions the offering of bonuses -- and to call to find details. Well, the poster said he did call -- and was subsequently given information on how to get the bonus. He followed through on the instructions but wasn't given what he was promised. Whether he's a bonus whore or has an agenda...whether it's only $47...whether Rio is a generous sponsor here...none of that is relevant. If the poster is giving an accurate representation of what occurred, Rio is at fault and should pay the $47 in question. While I think Rio is reputable and didn't intentionally mislead the customer, not following through on a promised bonus (even if it was a clerk error) can set a dangerous precedent and damage a company's reputation.
As for this being the person's first post, does it really matter? I only have about 300 posts, yet I have been reading the Rx for several years. I just don't care to post much. There are other sites in which I lurk regularly yet have never posted. Maybe he is a ghost. Maybe he does have an agenda. But it's not relevant to the issue at hand. Only what was said and offered (if anything) during the phone conversation is relevant. And that's what Rio should be reviewing.
