Casino Customer Service

Employee training is an important element of organizational improvement at casinos, but there’s more to be gained than just investing money in training and watching how it contributes to the bottom line.  When looking at investment in employee training, it’s certainly important to evaluate how much money such a program saves the casino and how much it improves profits.  But value and benefits can also be seen in forms that are not financial, including increased employee and management communication, time savings, increased networking and knowledge, as well as improved access to mentors and experts.

My company has published a white paper that helps casinos understand what is involved in rolling out organizational improvements that can result in greater success in the future.  Those interested in obtaining a copy of the white paper should e-mail Marilyn Kuhnert, our client development specialist, at mkuhnert@casinocustomerservice.com or call her at 623-486-9090.

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

On his Jan. 24 show, CNBC’s “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer was bluntly bearish on gaming industry stocks.  His recommendation?  Sell!

In fact, Cramer said he has sold his shares in IGT.  If CNBC’s stock market guru has given up on the gaming industry, if he is right, what does that mean to gaming executives?  What are you going to do?

I have a hint.  Guest advocacy!

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

A casino’s culture is comprised of the beliefs, values, symbols and processes the casino follows that define it.  The development, implementation and sharing of a casino’s culture with employees and guests is the first step to creating a culture of constant organizational change.

My company has published a white paper that helps casinos understand what is involved in rolling out organizational improvements that can result in greater success in the future.  Those interested in obtaining a copy of the white paper should e-mail Marilyn Kuhnert, our client development specialist, at mkuhnert@casinocustomerservice.com or call her at 623-486-9090.

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

I’m often asked how I learned to give “speeches.”  Or I’ll be asked, “How did you become a great motivational speaker?”

These are very flattering questions, but I’m always challenged to respond with the right answer.  To me, what I do with groups of 7 at an individual casino or 700 at an international gaming trade show is not a “speech.”  In my opinion, a speech is a monolog.  It’s sending information out with little or nothing coming back.

What we are advocates of is “presentations” and sharing information in a way that involves the people that you are talking with.  Please note I said “talking with,” not “talking to.”

So how did I learn to give effective and engaging presentations?  My dad was in sales for a couple hundred years and was a speech major in college.  So part of me thinks that I learned this skill by observing a true professional at work.

I also honed this skill through accelerated learning and having it fit in my mind.  About 15 years ago, I was introduced to the concept of accelerated learning and the Socratic Method as part of a special program I participated in through the American Management Association.  (FYI – I’m sorry to say they no longer offer it.)  This was a real breakthrough for me that helped me focus on the “participant” more than anything else.

I figured out that people ask me how I do what I do because either they would like to be better presenters themselves or they work with people who need to do a better job of presenting.  I’ve heard it quoted thousands of times that public speaking is the #1 fear people have.  It amazes me that people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death. 

Well, I guess I have a fear of dancing!  But I digress!

Being able to present information and speak to groups ranging from 7 direct reports to 70 people at a departmental meeting is critical.  It is vital to the overall success of both the presenter and that person’s department.  Having great ideas is not enough.  If you and your team want to get the most out of your ideas, all of you must be able to share the information confidently and professionally and make clear points.

Making presentations doesn’t need to be a chilling experience.  I’m not suggesting that my heart doesn’t beat a little faster sometimes.  It does and I think that is normal and healthy.  At the other extreme, we worked with a person who would make herself sick with anxiety prior to speaking!  (After our program, she was excited before a presentation, but there were no more emergency bathroom runs!)

Over the last three years, we have offered our Presentation Skills program to our clients on an as-requested basis.

In 2008, we will open it up to 12 casinos.  We will offer the program to one casino per month this year.  Our session shares the real work information that participants can use to reduce fear and take their presentations to a higher level.  This is not a public seminar.  We offer it to 7 to 12 people per casino.  We hold the sessions on your property so participants are not away from the office.  This four-day program is targeted to executives and managers who need to share information with groups in a professional and successful way.

Delivering an effective presentation is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.  People at all levels of a casino need to be comfortable sharing ideas and information in a way that creates buy-in and enthusiasm.  Research shows that being able to deliver information effectively is a critical factor in a person’s overall business success. 

Casinos that offer our Presentation Skills program to their staff members visibly demonstrate that they value their employees.  The cost of the program is not an expense, it is an investment in a casino’s people.  It is an investment that will pay handsomely for the casino and its employees.

Those interested in our Presentation Skills program should e-mail Marilyn Kuhnert, our client development specialist, at mkuhnert@casinocustomerservice.com or call her at 623-486-9090.

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

Casinos that embrace organizational improvement can reap many rewards, and there are specific steps they can take to make it all happen.  Success-driven organizations implement internal organizational improvements that make them more effective, accountable, efficient and visionary.  Casinos have the talent and means to do this, too.

Following are five steps for implementing organizational improvement.

Create a culture of change.  One common characteristic is that improvement requires a culture in which change is a constant, ongoing journey that adds value to the casino and its employees and guests. 

Create a shared vision.  Creating a shared vision with guests and employees is a critical step toward instituting change.

Make sure everyone embraces the new culture.  It is important that the entire casino staff is familiar with the defined culture of the casino and that they communicate it through thought and action.

Obtain commitment from senior management.  Senior leaders and managers must be committed to this culture by providing resources, establishing and modeling appropriate behaviors, identifying competencies and providing a supportive environment that encourages two-way communication and diversity.

Define desired employee behaviors.  In “Creating A Positive Culture,” Phyllis Hartman and John Hayden explain that the definition of behaviors demonstrated by employees that support the casino’s values, as well as the illustration of need for improvement and results by managers, will go a long way to instituting organizational improvement.

My company has published a white paper that helps casinos understand what is involved in rolling out organizational improvements that can result in greater success in the future.  Those interested in obtaining a copy of the white paper should e-mail Marilyn Kuhnert, our client development specialist, at mkuhnert@casinocustomerservice.com or call her at 623-486-9090.

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

An IBM white paper has determined why customer advocates contribute to a company’s success, and casinos could learn much from IBM’s perspective on this matter.  In a paper titled “Advocacy in the Customer Focused Enterprise – the Next Generation of CRM Done Right,” authors Robert Heffernan and Steve LaValle write that “Advocates are superior to neutral or dissatisfied customers.  Advocates spend more, remain customers longer and refer family and friends, thus increasing the quality of the existing customer base and new acquisitions.  On the flip side, antagonists and agitators of a company destroy value by driving up service costs, demoralizing front-line employees and complaining to anyone within earshot.  Accordingly, the goal of customer focused companies is to manage and retain advocates while migrating other customers toward advocacy.”

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

All casinos want to enhance their performance and competitiveness and they can achieve those goals by looking inward to make strategic organizational improvements.  A new white paper from my company, Robinson & Associates, Inc., has been published to help casinos understand what is involved in rolling out internal improvements that can result in greater success in the future.

Jennifer Privitera, our manager of client service and author of the white paper, says improvement is imperative for casinos:  “One of the greatest challenges for gaming properties is to achieve and maintain consistent, positive organizational improvement – improvement that provides superior competitive positioning.  Although it requires effort, the ability to change and improve must be built into a casino’s strategic plan.  It can and must be done.”

The white paper draws from nearly 20 sources to give an overview of organizational improvement and a positive work culture, explore cost versus investment in employees and address the benefits of employee training and development.  It outlines the challenges casino managers face in a culture that emphasizes improvement and the skills they need to implement positive change.  The white paper also offers a brief case study of McDonald’s and its learning environment.

The white paper explains how my company’s Advocate Index™ and Advocate Development System™ provide a structure for improvement.

“Sustainable organizational improvement is an ongoing struggle for casinos, but it is a challenge that can be overcome,” Jennifer says.  “Gaming properties that embrace change and internal improvement will be amply rewarded as they become more effective, accountable, efficient and visionary.”

Those interested in obtaining a copy of the white paper should e-mail Marilyn Kuhnert, our client development specialist, at mkuhnert@casinocustomerservice.com or call her at 623-486-9090.

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

In an IBM white paper titled “Advocacy in the Customer Focused Enterprise – the Next Generation of CRM Done Right,” authors Robert Heffernan and Steve LaValle write that “innovative companies know that they cannot merely sit safely in the middle anymore.  Leading companies want to build strong bases of loyal, profitable customers who are also advocates for the company.  Customer advocacy is a measure of customer attitude toward a company.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself.  IBM confirms that innovative casinos must focus on customer advocacy if they want to compete effectively in the future.

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