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Source: Robinson
& Associates, Inc
Savvy Casino Managers
Are On to Something: Great Guest Service Contributes to the Bottom Line
By Martin R. Baird
15th
August, 2002
No matter what’s happening in the world, casino guests want one thing –
an outstanding gaming experience. Casinos that understand the significance
of stellar guest service are on to something.
“Guests
want an experience that is so memorable that it keeps them coming back
even if they leave with less money in their pocket,” says Martin R. Baird,
president of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Robinson & Associates, Inc., a guest
service consulting firm for the gaming industry. “Guests who enjoy
themselves will come back and play again and that contributes to a casino’s
bottom line.”
Baird offers the following seven keys to improving casino guest service.
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Change Is Difficult. Improving
guest service starts with changing how employees provide the service.
They must step outside their comfort zone and they will find the process
difficult. “You must identify what will motivate your people to perform
the desired behaviors you’re looking for,” Baird says. “You must
overcome the hurdle of getting a critical mass of employees to see that
this guest service culture is good for them as well as the casino.”
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Hiring the Best Is Not Enough.
Even if you hire the best employees, you will discover they still need
improvement. “Guest service training is critical,” Baird says.
“The alternative is to hire people and then fire them for not providing
the guest service you need.”
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Be Picky About the Training.
Hire a training company that makes the experience enjoyable, that encourages
participation. The trainers need to know the industry and they should
understand that most casino employees only make money when they offer their
guests a great experience. Hire a company that specializes in guest
service training for the gaming industry.
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Make It Fun. Inject a
lot of fun into the training. “Learning is fun and if you start guest
service training with that premise, you will increase both retention and
application,” Baird notes. “Children learn when they’re having fun
and the same goes for adults.”
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Training Is An Investment.
Training is an investment in your staff. In turn, that investment
creates opportunities to generate more revenue. “Guest service training
ultimately will increase a property’s play,” Baird says. “Guests
who have a good time will 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.”
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Start With An Accurate Perspective.
Before you embark upon improving guest service, get a 360-degree view of
your existing level of service. “You need to see things from the guest’s
perspective, from management’s viewpoint and from the employees’ standpoint,”
Baird points out. “When you do this, you have a clear view of what
is really happening. Training must start from this perspective.”
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Great Service Is An Acquired
Skill. Few people inherently know how to provide great service.
Good service is built over time with training. “You need to offer
training that shows employees that they and your property will be rewarded
if they adopt these new, better behaviors,” Baird says. “I’m talking
about training that creates skills that are an investment in your employees’
future.”
Owned
by Lydia and Martin Baird, Robinson & Associates, Inc., is a guest
service consulting firm that provides specialty guest service training,
management skills training, presentation skills training, team building
programs and employee incentive and recognition programs for the gaming
industry. The Bairds have a Web site, www.casinocustomerservice.com,
that’s devoted to helping casinos improve their guest service so they can
compete and increase revenues.
Robinson
& Associates may be reached by contacting Lydia at 480-991-6421 or
at lbaird@casinocustomerservice.com.
Robinson & Associates is an associate member of the National Indian
Gaming Association.
CONTACT:
Tom Ellis
Ellis Communications, L.L.C.
Phone (623) 780-4558
tellis@casinocustomerservice.com
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