Casino Customer Service

A gambling consultant was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal about the need for Las Vegas casinos to re-engineer their business model.  That was his solution to the financial hard times that Vegas casinos are slogging through.

The Journal article has been bothering me.  The story stated that this consultant and other industry observers believe that casinos “will have to return to the days of being a bargain destination” in order to shore up their bottom line. The article said that this is “already starting to happen, with hotels throwing in coupons for spa services and high-end restaurants offering cheaper options.”

These people may be on to something for all casinos, not just properties in Vegas.  But coupons and cheap tricks don’t set well with me.  To claw their way out of a deep economic hole, casinos need to improve operations.  That will draw new customers who just might become regulars, not guests who are here today and gone for good tomorrow after the gimmicks go away.

Yes, casinos need to change their business model, but they need to re-engineer for improved guest service.  The bargain should be the kind of service that customers simply can’t forget, the level of service that astonishes them because they weren’t expecting it.  That’s a good bargain in my book.

Following are some ideas for re-engineering toward a guest service focus that will ultimately bolster any casino’s revenues.

Hire the Best, But That Is Not Enough

All casinos work hard to hire the very best candidates to fill job openings at their property.  Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning.  Hiring the very best is a great place to start, but it simply isn’t enough.  If hiring the “right” person was all it took, there would not be a multibillion-dollar training industry.  A company invests in training because it needs and wants more out of its people.

All of us face budget crunches on an ongoing basis, but what is your budget’s alternative to training?  If you’re like most properties, you don’t have a choice.  You find and hire the best of the best and they still need improvement.

Just for fun, take a day and look at the amount of time and energy you spend hiring people.  Now look at what it would take to turn your employees into truly great customer service ambassadors.  It’s much better to invest in training than it is to throw money out the window hiring people and then firing them for not providing the level of guest service that will allow you to compete.

All Training Is Not Created Equal

Isn’t it odd that people will spend $30,000 for a specific automobile because they recognize the quality of the brand but when it comes to investing in the growth of their employees through training, they shop it based on price alone?  You get what you pay for, folks.

I’ve attended training sessions that did not use the principles of accelerated learning and within 10 minutes I was looking for the escape hatch.  I couldn’t stand it.  It was boring and slow and those were the good points.  Accelerated learning dictates that people learn when they say it and do it.  Unless you’re trying to teach your employees how to sleep, the training needs to have more interest.  People retain new information the least when all they do is listen to a lecture.

The trainers also need to know the industry.  They should understand that most gaming employees only make money when they offer their customers a great experience.

You should hire a company that specializes in customer service training for the gaming industry.  Companies that don’t have this specialty can help you reach an outcome.  It may not be the exact outcome you desire but they will help you to a point.  If you need to improve guest service, don’t grab the closest tool or hire the most available company.  Invest a little time auditioning to make sure you find the best solution for your guest service needs.

The Fun Factor

Your casino is in the entertainment business.  It’s important to realize that your customer service training needs to be entertaining, too.  Most people think training is a form of torture.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  If people are not having fun, it’s very difficult to get them to listen and pay attention.

Think for a moment about children and their ability to watch cartoons for hours.  They’re riveted to the TV.  If you asked them to tell you about the cartoons, they would remember them in vivid detail.  The reason these children remember is because of the fun factor.

Learning IS fun and if you start customer service training with that premise, you will increase both retention and application.  If you learn only one thing from reading this column, make it this – add more fun to your training.

It’s An Investment

Sure, training costs money.  But it’s not an expense; it’s an investment.  With training, you’re investing in your people and in the opportunity to generate more revenue for your property.  If you invest in your people, it helps both them and you.

Studies show that most employees want to be recognized and appreciated and that they rank these two items much higher than pay.  By investing in your employees with training, you’re recognizing them and showing appreciation.  You’re telling them and showing them that they are important to your success and that you want to enhance their value.  If done correctly, you’re also giving them tools they can use to make more money the next time they start their shift.

There’s another investment to consider, the fact that improved service and a better guest experience can increase your property’s play and, ultimately, its profits because those factors encourage customers to come back.  It can be eight to 10 times more expensive to get a guest to visit once than it is to get them to return.  If you could improve your customer service and get 10 percent of your visitors to play one hour longer, how much would that contribute to your bottom line?  If you could invest $100 and generate $200, would you do it?

Generate An Accurate Perspective

I’m disappointed by the number of gaming venues that really don’t know what their customers want.  Management will tell you they understand their customers, but all their information is second-hand or biased by their experiences.  For example, some people in management think employees always smile.  Of course they smile when a boss walks by.  Or they see only the negative because that’s what they hear from guests.  They get feedback from guests who are upset and hear nothing from those who have a great time.

Creating a customer service culture at your casino involves change and in order to start that very challenging process of change, you need to have an accurate, unbiased view of where you are today.  You need to know what your guests really see and think.  An insider’s point of view is not nearly enough.  Do a 360-degree evaluation so you see things from the guest’s perspective, from management’s viewpoint and from the employees’ standpoint.  When you do this, you have a clear view of what is really happening.

If you don’t start with this perspective, you are doing training or trying to improve service based on fiction.  If I were going to invest a portion of my budget on improving service, I would want to base my investment on honest, unbiased observations.

To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com/post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
206-774-8856

It’s rare that I use the federal government as an example of outstanding customer service.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever used Uncle Sam as an example of anything.  But the time has come to let people know that the Internal Revenue Service blows me away with truly superior service – service better than that provided by some casinos.

I’m telling you this story because there is much to learn from it.

Normally, I keep myself at arm’s length from the IRS, but I received a statement in the mail and had to call and ask some questions.  There was no way to avoid it, so I reluctantly grabbed the phone and dialed.  The pleasant surprises started as soon as the IRS picked up on the other end.

A lady with a soothing, calm voice answered and identified herself as Mrs. Smith.  She gave me her employee number and asked how she could help.  I told her about the correspondence I had received, and she asked for my phone number.  I gave it to her but wanted to know why she needed it.  Let me ask you something right now.  How many times have you called customer service at a company and were 10 minutes into trying to get your problem resolved when you lost the phone connection?  It is beyond discouraging when that happens. 

Mrs. Smith explained that, at times, calls can be 20 minutes or longer and she would hate to make me go through it again with a new person.  Immediately, I gave her a gold star for thinking of the customer first.  From the very first moment with the IRS, I did not feel like I was a number instead of a human being.

I was already comfortable with this nice lady when she proved herself yet again.  She explained that, for security purposes and to look up my records, she needed to ask me a few rather sensitive questions about marital status, date of birth, etc.  I gave her the information and then pulled a fast one.  I asked, “So can I ask your date of birth?”  I wanted to try a little humor on someone you would think is usually lacking in such.  She immediately shot back, “Today is my birthday.”

This little exchange brings up two important points for your casino.  First, please tell callers or people that you are talking with why you need the information you are asking for.  If the lady at the IRS had not told me that the questions were for security purposes and to prevent other people from obtaining my private information, I might have been concerned about it.  Second, your employees need to be prepared for the unexpected.  When I asked Mrs. Smith for her date of birth, she handled me with great style.  Your employees need to have answers for the tough questions guests often ask.  They need to be ready.

As I continued talking with Mrs. Smith, I realized we were having a real conversation between two people.  How often have you been on the phone with a customer service representative and you could tell they were trying to get you off the line as quickly as possible, that there was no way you could describe the interaction as a conversation?  Much to Uncle Sam’s credit, Mrs. Smith was a person, not a machine.  She didn’t pepper me with rapid-fire questions.  She didn’t hide behind policies, procedures or rules.  I thought I was in a tough situation, but she made it easy for me by being human.

Go figure!  The IRS provides great service!  To this day, I can’t believe the IRS – or at least this one person  – understands that it is in the service business as much as it is in the tax-collection business.  Every employee at every casino in the world is in the service business, too.  You’re not just in the business of raking in people’s money.  Guests know they will lose money, but they visit your casino anyway because they expect to be treated with courtesy and to have a bit of fun.  Guess who’s responsible for providing the human touch and the entertainment?   You are.

Mrs. Smith didn’t have to treat me with respect because her employer gets my money no matter what.  But she did, and I now actually have positive feelings about the IRS.  Casino employees don’t have such a choice.  You can’t simply be money handlers and expect guests to return to your property.  But I guarantee they will feel good about your casino if you learn from Mrs. Smith and provide nothing less than the best in service.  They will become advocates for your property and they will return.  Again and again.
To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com/post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
206-774-8856

Casinos need to start coping with the big squeeze.  The economy is squeezing the wallets of casino guests.  That problem most likely has trickled down to front-line casino employees and put the squeeze on them, too.  In the end, the casino as a whole gets pinched.

So how do you cope?  Give guests a reason to come to your property and return to play again and again by providing the most amazing customer service your casino has ever had.  Pull out all the guest service stops.

Our ravaged economy puts financial stress on the average casino guest and that is the person gaming management must focus on via service.  Sure, some players have mountains of cash, but they are not most people.  The average American lives paycheck to paycheck, and the only cash they have is what came out of an ATM a few moments ago. Gassing up the car is a painful experience for the typical casino guest.  As they drive away from the service station, do they make a conscious decision to cut back on visits to their favorite casino?  Or do they remember what a truly wonderful time they have at your property and decide instead that they want to feel that experience again regardless of the economy?  Stellar service can bring them back to you.

Casino management also must focus on its front-line employees because they have been hurt as guests have changed their playing habits.  Casino employees are in the same economic situation as everyone else, except they have a reasonable amount of cash from last night’s tips.  Or do they?  When your guests see inflation drill through their pocketbooks, they are not as loose with their tips.  Has their usual $5 tip dropped to $1? 

There’s an old saying that a recession is when your neighbor loses his job and a depression is when you lose your job.  I’m not sure what it’s called when an employee still has a job but struggles with rising expenses and declining weekly income.  Casino employees face the very real prospect of moribund tipping even if good service keeps guests coming.  However, employees who deliver truly exceptional service just might hold their own with tips.  Thus, guest service is important for employees on a highly personal level.

Managers, please be sensitive to your employees.  These may be difficult times for them.  They’re the ones who provide the quality service, but it’s hard for them to be motivated to do that when it seems they’re under attack from every direction.

By now, it should be clear why guest service can be the key to coping with the economy and its ripple effect..  Now is the time to crank up your property’s guest service to the highest possible level.  Now is the time to give guests such an amazing gaming experience that they forget about their worries and are happy to play and tip.  This will not be easy, but it is a necessity.  If your casino and it’s employees are providing only fair service, you could see an amazing drop in business – on top of the business you’ve already lost. 

Challenge EVERY person at your property to operate at a higher service level.  This could be tough because it may mean asking employees to do more while they are earning less and that is not easy for most people over the long haul.  There’s a big difference between working harder for more money and working harder on faith.  It would be easy to just get hard nosed and simply tell people they should be happy they even have a job, but that will not generate the desired results.  

Do whatever it takes to improve your guest service.  Make today the first day of important changes that could help your casino and its employees survive the big squeeze.  I don’t know how long this mess will last, but the sooner casinos start coping, the better.  The sooner they do what must be done, the stronger they will be when the economy turns around.

To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com/post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
206-774-8856

I was recently a guest at a casino hotel in the United States.  My stay was at best okay and, in reality, lacking in many ways.

I think describing direct experiences – good or bad – that I have at casinos is a great way to pass along lessons to learn.  So here is what happened during and after my stay at this particular property.

Strike one!  Things got off to a bad start the moment I walked into the hotel.  I waited for more than 30 minutes to check in at the front desk.  Later, people trying to reach me from my office had to call four times before they got through to my room.  One day, my room was not serviced.  None of these things should have happened, but if you don’t think they seem all that bad, please call me so we can talk.  I won’t dwell on my other experiences at the casino because the worst is yet to come and that’s the real reason for this article.

A couple of days after I returned home, I received the obligatory e-mail asking for my opinion.  I’m a huge proponent of listening to your guests and asking them what it will take to make them an advocate for your casino.  They wanted me to fill out a survey, and I flinched at the thought.  I haven’t seen a casino survey yet that I liked, but I assumed this property wanted to improve and that learning about my experiences could help.  So I clicked on the link and I was at the survey’s welcome page.

The welcome page stated that the casino valued my opinion.  It also said the survey would take 15 minutes.  Suddenly, there was a serious problem and I hadn’t even started.  Setting aside 15 minutes for an online survey is like waiting 30 minutes to check in at the hotel.  That amount of time is way too long for the average person.  I seriously question whether most people would get any further than the welcome page.  This casino is telling very busy people that they are important and then it expects them to set aside a fair chunk of their valuable time.

But I love research, so I decided to take one for the team and moved on to the questions.  The questions started out with a traditionally broad look at my stay.  What services did I use?  How did I rate them?  Why did I give them that rating?  These questions were much too detailed for the average guest.  I couldn’t help but wonder who, other than me, would put up with this.  Frankly, if the casino really needed all this information, it should have asked to do a telephone interview.

This wasn’t the only thing I was thinking about.  I wondered who at the casino would ever see my comments.  Who would take the time to read all this data?  Who would go to the effort of taking action based on the information I provided?  I know the answer to these questions.  No one will ever do anything with this information, other than to say they survey guests.

Anyway, back to the questions I went.  Now I noticed a new problem.  The questions were transitioning away from learning about my experience.  Now they were edging into the realm of marketing.  This casino wanted to know how I arrived at the property, whether my airline flight had a connection and how I booked my room.

I know a lot about marketing and I know why the casino wants this information.  The marketing department wants to justify its efforts and show how smart it is.  I have a cousin who is an electrical wizard.  Once when I asked him a question about soldering, he sarcastically said, “We always say the bigger the job the better the job.”  That must be what the people at this casino were thinking.  If they made the survey really long, it would mean job security and that they were doing a better job.  I think it was just a big job.

Thus strike two.  If you want to know about my experience as a guest, stop once you have that data.  Just because you have asked permission to learn about my experience doesn’t mean you have the right to ask me about other unrelated matters.  

Now I come to a truly well-deserved strike three.  One question in the survey asked about my sexual preference!  This casino wanted to know if I was (1) gay, (2) lesbian, (3) didn’t know or (4) other.  If I’m gay, what does that have to do with becoming frustrated over standing in line for more than half an hour to check in at the hotel?  Perhaps if I don’t know my sexual preference, I will overlook the day my room wasn’t cleaned and tell my friends they should stay at this property.  Again, I understand marketing and segmentation and the idea of knowing how different people make decisions about your property, but really.  I mean REALLY!

I asked in the headline for this article if casinos can go too far in their surveys.  Obviously they can.  But please don’t get me wrong.  My primary challenge is not the question about sexuality.  It’s the idea that a casino would waste a guest’s valuable time with all these questions that don’t even provide worthwhile data for making better decisions.  Worse yet, it’s highly unlikely the data will be put to use anyway.  A survey of this length produces so much information, no one will want to slog through it to see what it all means.

Research published by Harvard shows that it only takes five questions to obtain a very accurate picture of who a customer is and what’s important to them.  Beyond that, you are wasting time, energy and money.

To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com/post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
206-774-8856

I’m sure every casino employee in the country can recite the alphabet.  But I’m most interested in helping them with the ABCs of great customer service.

I mean this literally.  I will walk you through some words that start with the letters A, B and C and explain why they will help you do a better job of taking care of the most important people who walk through your casino’s door – your guests.

Letter A – Advocates, Appreciation, Attention and Awareness.

These five simple things should be top of mind for casino employees as they go about their day and provide guests with the service they deserve.

Advocates.  Your top priority this year should be creating guest advocates.  Customers who are advocates for your casino are way beyond satisfied and loyal.  Of their own free will, they spread positive comments about your casino to friends and family members.  They loyally patronize your casino and bring I  new business by spreading the word.  Top-notch service helps create advocates.

Appreciation.  One of the most important elements of guest service is showing appreciation for the guest.  If the guest chooses your property and doesn’t feel appreciated for the decision they made, most likely the guest will not return.  They’ll spend their time and money elsewhere.

Attention.  Giving the guest personal attention could mean just smiling and walking by because that’s what the guest prefers.  It could mean using their name or remembering how they like a sandwich.  This tells them you care about them and want them to come back.

Awareness.  Guest service is based on awareness.  You must be aware of your guests – their facial expressions, the way they sit and what they’re doing.  By being aware of those things, you put yourself in a position to help them.

Letter B – Believe, Be Prepared, Best and Better.

These little gems will give casinos a leg up on the competition by helping them provide stellar guest service.

Believe.  You need to believe that the guest you’re talking to and you’re interacting with is the most important person on your property at that given moment.  If you don’t, the guest will know it.  Believe in what you do because when you believe in the importance of guest service, it shows.

Be Prepared.  When it comes to helping guests have a better experience, one of the problems gaming employees run into is their own lack of preparation.  They haven’t thought about the different wants, needs and desires of their guests at any given moment.  They haven’t put any real thought into making sure that each guest has a great experience.

Best.  You want to be the best!  You want to be better than just good.  Give it all you’ve got whenever you’re at work, because on the property you’re part of the entertainment.  You are on duty 100 percent of the time.

Better.  There’s best and then there’s better.  We can always do better.  Make a habit of finding ways to do your job better.

Letter C – Cha-Ching, Challenge, Communication, Confidence, Consistency, Cool, Courtesy.

Casino guest service can be challenging but it’s fun when it’s done right and it can mean money in the pockets of casino employees.  Guest service also relies heavily on communication, confidence, consistency and courtesy.

Cha-Ching.  When you provide great guest service, it means money in your pocket.  Guests are willing to pay for a great experience.  After all, they’re visiting your property to be entertained and have fun.  You are compensated for being part of the entertainment.

Challenge.  Guest service can be extremely challenging.  Dealing with these challenges is not easy.  See them as an opportunity to provide better service, as an opportunity for you to show your property in the best possible light and help even the most challenging guests have a great experience.

Communication.  Many times, guests believe they did not receive good service because of poor communication.  If there had been better communication up front – more questions asked, more listening – the whole process might have gone more smoothly and the guest probably would have walked out feeling like they had been heard and appreciated.

Confidence.  People who provide great guest service do so with confidence.  Smile, make eye contact and know you’re going to help a guest in any way you possibly can.  When a guest sees that, they let down some of their defenses.

Consistency.  Put this word in capital letters and underline it because inconsistency is a killer.  People want a consistent experience.  If I come to your property, order my steak medium rare and it comes out perfect, I’ll expect that same perfection every time.  You and everyone else on the staff must have consistency in the exceptional service you provide.

Courtesy.  We could all stand to brush up on our courtesy skills.  It’s your job to say simple things like “please” and “thank you.”  Don’t just look and point but actually get involved with guests.   Be courteous by tending to their needs.

To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com/post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
206-774-8856

I haven’t been in a casino in the last 10 to 15 years that wasn’t doing some form of measurement. 

They do everything from employee surveys to guest exit interviews.  They use shoppers to rate the guest experience and measure the service standards that the casino has in place.  Some properties evaluate valet employees on whether they bring a guest’s car around in a pre-determined amount of time.  They measure how long it takes a restaurant entrée to arrive at the table after it’s been ordered.  Basically, they do lots of surveys.

Collecting data on guests’ experiences is a wonderful thing.  It’s very important for casino managers to quantify what is happening on the property and then be able to discuss it intelligently with each other and with the staff.  But I know from experience that casinos need to be more careful about how they gather data. 

I recently spent some time with an expert in the field of measurement and statistics.  He earned his doctorate from the University of Washington and specializes in measuring “education outcomes.”  If he worked in my world, he would measure whether employee training generates the desired outcome of guest service improvement on the casino floor.  He would examine the results of his efforts and try to determine why training worked or why it may not have been as successful as desired.

This expert would be appalled at what my company occasionally encounters when doing research for a casino.  From time to time, we are asked by clients to use a previous vendor’s research “instrument.” (“Instrument” is another name for “survey.”)  When this happens, we sometimes find that the instrument is difficult to use for many reasons.  For example, it may ask a researcher to rate employees’ “attitude.”  It sounds like a good idea to have a non-biased third party evaluate attitudes, but how do you measure such a thing?  If an employee gives our researcher what he’s looking for, does that employee have a good attitude?  If the employee doesn’t demonstrate the desired attributes, does that mean the staff member has a bad attitude?  What if what we wanted in the way of good attitude is against the property’s rules or beyond the scope of the employee’s work responsibilities?

The lesson here is to think very carefully about what you want to assess.  Give it serious thought as you create your instrument.  What’s the point of spending time and money to measure something that can’t be measured?

When I visited with this expert, he often used two terms – validity and reliability.  Let’s take a look at them because they are important.

He defined validity as whether the instrument measures what it is supposed to measure.  That sounds alarmingly simple, but I  have seen validity fly right out the window.  Here’s an example.  A casino will talk with us about doing a guest service survey.  Everyone on the team is given an opportunity to suggest what the instrument should measure.  By the time everyone gives their input, this so-called service survey has questions ranging from guest demographics to the perception of food portions.  In other words, the instrument measures anything and everything.  It is not a guest service survey. 

I know why this happens.  Each person wants to know different things about guests and management figures they might as well gather all the data possible in one fell swoop.  If the instrument measures a range of different things, it is not valid for the purpose of measuring service.  This is a problem because the instrument doesn’t help guide decisions about improving service, which was the reason for collecting data in the first place.

Reliability is an important concept because I think it speaks to our ability to train and improve based on the information.  According to this expert, reliability describes whether the instrument will provide information (for making decisions) consistently.  Here, the question is:  could several researchers watch the same behavior and use the instrument in the same way?  When the behavior being observed is clearly defined (e.g., did the employee say “thank you”?), different researchers will generally give the same rating.  This is HUGE and I encourage you to re-read this paragraph.

Reliability is critical because when you get to the level of measuring clearly defined behaviors, it’s not only something that can be consistently observed, it’s also something that can be improved.  In the above example, enlightening employees about how and why to say thank you is relatively simple and it’s quantifiable.  Reliability means that you are removing some of the subjectivity and that is what helps your front-line people consistently understand and demonstrate behaviors associated with providing outstanding guest service.  Think for a moment.  We see instruments that have words such as “empowered,” “motivated” and “efficient.”  How do you clearly define such things and how can researchers consistently quantify and rate them?

Take this one step further and ask yourself how my company can train people to be empowered?  We can talk about empowerment in training but it’s not an easily demonstrable behavior.  If you measure what matters, you also want to improve what matters.   Thus, what’s important must be clearly defined for long-term improvement and success.

My final take-away message from my expert is related to scoring systems.

This is not the Olympics or “Dancing With the Stars” where we use a 10-point scale for drama.  If you are trying to measure clearly defined behaviors, your instrument probably should avoid the following type of scoring:  5 – Excellent,  4 – Good,  3 – OK, 2 – Fair,  1 – Poor.  I see this all too often.  How would you score an employee on saying “thank you”?  Do they get a 5 if they are really sincere?  What is the difference between an excellent and a good thank you?

I know I exaggerate, but at times casinos create instruments that are not far from this.  To make such behavior easy to evaluate, it would be much better to rate with a simple yes-or-no answer.  This increases the ability of researchers rating behavior to provide consistent ratings.  Judging how motivated a person is can be challenging, but saying they either are or are not motivated is relatively easy.

What I learned from my visit with this measurement and statistics expert was invaluable.  I hope what I have passed along encourages you to take a critical look at your existing research instruments.  You may need to scrap some and start over.  If you’re not sure, perhaps you need a third-party review.  Remember, the results are only as good as the instrument you use!

This article originally appeared in Native American Casino.

To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com/post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
480-991-6420

I’m using a rather unpleasant word – stupid – in this article because some people in the casino industry are dumping good money on mystery shops that are an absolute waste.  If you have the impression that I think mystery shopping is useless, nothing could be further from the truth.  Mystery shopping and reporting can be quite valuable when properly done.

I know that casinos do shops for a laundry list of reasons ranging from measuring accuracy and adherence to gaming procedures to evaluating guests’ gaming experience.  For this article, I will focus on the guest experience, but I’m sure you’ll see that what I have to say applies to any type of shop.

OK, here goes.  Truly productive shops must be S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely).   

Let’s start with specific.  Shoppers need to know the specific behaviors that casino employees are required to demonstrate during service delivery.  Think about this for a moment.  If the shopper doesn’t know specifically what employees are supposed to do, how can they measure it?  On the flip side, employees should be trained on how to deliver what is expected.  I’m often amazed at the lack of specificity casinos have when it comes to service.  This creates subjectivity that is very hard to manage.

Next is measurable.  If you are not specific about the kind of service employees are expected to provide, it’s darned near impossible to do meaningful measurement.  I ask you, what is the difference between an “excellent” and a “good” smile?  Is there supposed to be a difference if the smile occurs in the restaurant or at a black jack table where a player has just lost $20,000?  Is the quality of the smile a cosmetic thing based on better dentists?  Could sincerity be part of moving the smile to the level of “excellent”?  If you can’t accurately measure something, it will be very difficult to improve and manage it.

That brings us to attainable and realistic.  When you set service standards, do not create situations in which employees are required to do the impossible.  I’m a positive and optimistic person.  The glass is always almost full in my eyes.  But I do not smile 100 percent of the time.  Nobody does or should be expected to.  There are times when I’m thinking or actively listening and processing information and I don’t smile.  I’m concentrating.  Do you want your employees to constantly look like mannequins with painted-on grins to meet the standard of  “always” smiling?  While on the subject of smiling, I’ve seen many people look very inviting and welcoming by smiling with their eyes.  When measuring a smile, shoppers should look at more than the person’s mouth.

Finally, shops must be timely.  When shoppers evaluate your casino’s service, you need to get feedback from them as quickly as possible.  This creates an opportunity for managers and supervisors to share fresh information with front-line employees.  Employees are more likely to learn from information that’s only a few days old.

Yes, shops must be S.M.A.R.T..  But there’s more.  It’s not enough to conduct a good shop.  The information generated by the shop must be reported in a way that works for the casino.  It must be actionable.  This is code for not passing along a data dump or numeric regurgitation.

The information should give you a picture of the shopper’s experiences.  I’m always surprised when I read reports that are nothing more than numbers and graphs.  Those are a great way to spot trends, but they do not create a picture of the experience.  You need great narrative comments.  What did the shopper think or feel that caused them to give the score they did?  What is the rest of the story that makes up the overall experience?  It’s easy to quickly look at the numbers, but the real meaty stuff is often in the narrative comments.

Next, after reviewing the report, excerpt a few gems and take action.  I understand the urge to pull a couple of stunningly negative experiences and attack them with a full-court press, but that may not be the best place to start.  Find examples of employees who excelled and recognize their good work.  Praise them for the stellar service they delivered.  This is an opportunity for everyone on the executive team to recognize people and departments for a job well done.  Believe me, it will be appreciated.  Yes, the F&B employee who sneezed in his hand and didn’t wash will have a “coachable” moment, but don’t miss the opportunity to make the most of the people who are doing well.  They just might be inspired to do even better.

Now you need to share the shop results with your people.  I cannot overemphasize that this should be done carefully!  This is important information that can be used to help people grow professionally.  If not shared properly, shop results can be demoralizing.  The data can generate internal conflict.  Only share a couple of points that are easy to talk about.  Absolutely do not share Department A’s data with Department B.

Please make the most of mystery shops because they are a valuable tool – when they’re not done in a stupid manner.  Many of the shoppers’ comments can be used to develop your people either through individualized coaching or propertywide training.  When used properly,  mystery shops can make your service shine.

This article originally appeared in Native American Casino.

To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com/post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
480-991-6420

As a frequent flier, many of my customer service experiences involve airlines.  These days, I think airlines are quite similar to casinos. 

Airlines and casinos are both highly competitive.  They both work very hard to attract customers.  The business environment is tough for airlines and casinos because people have less and less disposable income to enjoy the services they offer.

I was an elite frequent flyer with America West, now US Airways.  I was at their top customer level for about six years.  My guess is that over the last 15 years, I have flown more than a million miles with them.  I know in today’s world a million of anything doesn’t sound like much, but I think that amount of air travel puts me in the top 20 percent of all people who fly.  Look at it this way – if I frequented your casino to that extent, I would be among the top 20 percent of your guests that generate 80 percent of your revenue.  For most casinos, that would make me one of your better players.

One would think such a customer would be considered extremely important.  Perhaps not.  Last year, I had an issue with US Airways and I told them I was going to spread my business around with other airlines.  I wish casino guests would do that when they decide stop playing at a particular property.  Now I fly almost exclusively on United.  They have provided consistent, friendly service and they treat me well. 

Here is the part that I find amazing:  US Airways doesn’t realize that, for all practical purposes, I’m gone!  Last year, I went from more than 100,000 miles with them to about 25,000 miles.  This year I have flown 5,000 miles with them.  I don’t think they even realize this.

If I were consulting with US Airways on their guest service, I would ask the marketing department to run a report on their best customers that are no longer patronizing them.  Can your casino’s management comb through data and see which of your top 20 percent of guests is playing less or not playing at all?  I know it’s easy to say the economy is in the tank and, therefore, people are not playing.  Don’t use that excuse.  That is not what has happened to me and my travels.  The fact is, I’m flying and if US Airways was smart or had the technology, it would know that I’m racking up all my frequent flyer miles with United.  That should be a huge warning to US Airways that it has a problem.

During these tough times, it’s easy to blame slow casino play on the economy, but could it be something else?  This is the time to re-connect with your guests.  Do the hard work of digging into data and guest experiences to find out how you can serve them better.  Use mystery shops to see where you are lacking and fix it.

I know some of you are thinking your casino doesn’t have the money to do this because it’s cutting costs.  I understand the need to spend wisely, but for a moment think about how much revenue you lose when one of your 20 percent leaves.  The time and money invested to find out why they left and what it would take to get them back is money well spent.

The reason I switched to United is simple.  They do a better job of serving me.  Flying is a commodity.  The airplanes are the same, the seats are the same and the airport hassles are the same.  So why do I select one airline over another?  Because of the service experience.

The same logic applies to your casino.  You are a commodity, too, and your guests have many choices for entertainment.  So why would they select you?  Are you serving them in such a way that they say they need to go to your casino?  The idea of providing outstanding guest service is simple, but doing it is another matter.  If it was easy, every casino would provide amazing service.  When President Kennedy announced America would go to the moon, he said it would be done “not because it is easy but because is hard.”  Our lives today are greatly enhanced by the technologies that evolved from the Apollo program.  What could you reap by doing the hard thing?

Finally, investing in your guests and the service you provide them is a smart move in this economy.  It may not generate financial rewards in the short term but it will long term.  Down the road when your players have more money and are less worried about their jobs and the value of their homes, they will come to you with their entertainment dollars.  The time to sharpen your saw is before you need to do it.  Now is that time.

The title to this article mentions “racing to the bottom.”  If businesses don’t invest in their employees and their service, they are racing to the bottom.  US Airways will need to improve their service companywide and offer heavy enticements to lure me back as a customer.  I don’t know why their service has declined, but it has.  From my point of view, United is better and US Airways is on a downward spiral that will be very difficult to stop.

There’s a better way.  Race to the top with amazing service and great guest experiences every time.

This article originally appeared in Native American Casino.

To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com./post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
480-991-6420

One of the truths I remember from high school and college basketball is that the teams that win do it with defense.  Yes, offense gets the glory and makes it on the news, but it’s the “stops” that make a team win.  Without defense, teams rarely succeed at the highest levels of the game.

I think great casino guest service and great defense are one and the same.

Yes, the fun and excitement of new casino games and buildings are like offense.  They provide the sex appeal that generates trial and gets people through the door of your property the first time.  The challenge is that after guests see what you have to offer, do you make the entire experience so attractive that they can’t wait to come back or tell their friends about your casino?

Great service is what creates the “stop” for your casino.  It makes guests not want to leave and, if they do wander away, it makes them want to come back for more.  Does every person on your staff know that for you to succeed at the highest level, they need to provide amazing service to each and every guest?  Do they know that there are no exceptions to this rule?  Do they know this at the core of their being or were they simply told about it a long time ago during orientation or perhaps at a team meeting?

I went to school at Purdue University and our number one rival was Indiana University.  When I was in school, IU’s coach was none other than the infamous Bobby Knight.  I’m not and never have been an IU fan, but I know that coach Knight preached defense at every practice.  He was known for sitting down star players when they missed defensive assignments.  I’m not saying to follow in his footsteps, but he was very successful and his teams were, too, because they knew what was critical.

Great casino service takes a high level of repetition, just as basketball players and other athletes practice, practice, practice.  Your team needs to be reminded daily – and I do mean daily – of the importance of providing a great experience for each guest.  I’m saddened when I visit properties and see that some of the employees understand this while others are clueless.  In Bobby Knight’s world, those who didn’t get it were benched or kicked off the team. 

As casino leaders, you need to make some decisions about benching people or removing them from your team.  I’m not suggesting that being punitive is the best approach.  My first choice always is positive reinforcement and helping people learn what is expected of them, as well as how to do it.  In the area of what is expected, do you have written guest service standards for the property as well as for each department?  If you do, when were they last reviewed and updated?  If you don’t have standards or can’t remember when they were last revised, then put that at the top of your to-do list right now.

Having written standards gives the team needed direction and accountability.  For example, what does it mean when you tell floor employees to greet each guest?  Some of your people might think that means a nod and nothing else because that is what they do with friends when they see them.  If a simple nod is not your definition of a greeting, then you need to lay it out.  Other employees may greet guests with eye contact, verbal recognition and a smile.  That is certainly much better, but not necessarily the only way to greet someone.  My point is that a proper greeting must be tailored to your guests and your team and then clearly explained.  And that’s just one element of good service.

Few people are born with the guest service gene.  Usually, if they appear to be a “natural,” it comes from years of practice with past coaches who could include family, friends, schools, the military or even other companies.  Now is the time to set expectations and manage them.

Great service is what keeps your guests coming back day after day in good times and bad.  Just like great defense, stellar service can win the day.  This will require each of your employees to get back to the basics of outstanding service and put them into action every day with every guest.  Memorable service is what creates casino champions.

This article originally appeared in Native American Casino.

To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com./post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
480-991-6420

What kind of business are you in?  Did I hear you say the casino business?  Or did you say the job creation business, the entertainment business, the escapism business, the food-and-beverage business?

In the more than 15 years I have been working with casinos across the United States, I have heard all of those answers to that simple question.  It’s almost as if a certain term or phrase comes into vogue and that’s what people say.

I’m all for creating jobs and opportunity, but let me ask you another question.  Is that why guests come to your casino?  Do your guests patronize your property because you create jobs?  I doubt it.

Entertainment is probably a better answer.  People do come to your casino to be entertained.  In his song “Piano Man,” Billy Joel wrote, “It’s a pretty good crowd for a Saturday and the manager gives me a smile, ‘cause he knows that it’s me they’ve been comin’ to see to forget about life for awhile.”  That is often true with casinos.  People come for distraction from the real world.

But there’s another way of looking at my question and it has to do with the difference between service and hospitality.  You may think you are in the service business and it’s true that you should always provide great service.  But from a big picture point of view, you are in the hospitality business. 

CNBC’s “Mad Money” recently had a guest who said that “service is doing what you say you will do.”  That is simple and to the point.  To me, this means the personnel at a restaurant are friendly, timely and appreciate my business.  But this person also went on to say that “hospitality is how good you make your customers feel.”  I think this distinction is huge.  Service means you delivered on what you promised, whether it’s written or implied.  In blackjack, for example, the promise is that the guest will be dealt cards and given a chance to win.  But hospitality goes way beyond the promise of cards to the feeling that the casino and its employees create.  You’ve got the atmosphere of the casino, employees doing the best job they can and players trying to have a good time.  Add it all up and what kind of feeling does that create for your guests?  If it’s a good feeling, you’ve got excellent hospitality.

My company deals mostly with the people side of the hospitality equation.  Sure, when we do a 360-degree evaluation of a casino, we look at the physical plant as well as the staff.  But for the most part, our focus is on people improvement.  We want every casino employee that we work with to understand that they have the ability and responsibility to help guests have a great feeling when they walk into and leave the casino.

Now one more point about service.  Many casino employees think that tossing cards or delivering drinks is service.  Well, it isn’t.  That is doing your job at its lowest possible level.  If I visit a casino and I ask for a drink and someone brings me that drink, I don’t feel all giddy and warm inside.  I don’t feel like running out and telling all my friends and family that they need to go to that casino. 

What will make me giddy is wonderful hospitality, and the commitment to establishing a hospitality standard must start at the top with senior executives.  Everyone at the casino needs to know that their job is to positively affect how each guest feels on each and every visit.  This isn’t easy because all too often management focuses on ways to write employees up or fire them.  Less thought is given to providing guests with an amazing feeling.

I know what some of you are thinking.  I can hear you grumbling.  How can I talk about improving service and how guests feel when you, as general managers and human resources executives, are spending most of your day deciding what cuts need to be made?  I understand.  I truly do.  These are not fun or easy times.

Think about this, though – now is the best possible time to improve your hospitality.  You can do training and help create a hospitality mentality.  Your front-line people will see the need for it because they want to earn more tips so they can survive.  For a change, perhaps everyone would be pulling in the same direction.

Commitment to hospitality is not easy to make, but true leaders will jump at the chance and they will do it now.  I was always told that the best time to do maintenance on tools is when you don’t need them.  In other words, you have the time.  The same is true with creating a hospitality culture at your casino.  I believe you have the time to do that today.   Doing it now also leads to a quicker turn-around for you and your people.  The companies that continue to invest and improve during tough economic times are the ones that come around the quickest when the recession is over.

What business are you in?  If it’s not hospitality and creating an amazing feeling for your guest, would your casino and your people be better served if it was?  Now is a great time to make the changes that are easy to put off.  Now is the time to move to the hospitality business.

This article originally appeared in Native American Casino.

To read other articles by Martin Baird, go to www.casinocustomerservice.com./post.htm

Martin R. Baird
Robinson & Associates, Inc.
mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com
www.casinocustomerservice.com
www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com
480-991-6420