Do casino employees know they"re part of the property"s entertainment? Do they know that guests have high expectations?

April 08, 2004--Do casino employees know they"re part of the property"s entertainment? Do they know that guests have high expectations?

“These are just two elements of providing outstanding guest service and there are many more,” says Martin R. Baird, president of Annapolis, Md.-based Robinson & Associates, Inc., a guest service consulting firm for the gaming industry. “Once casino employees understand the importance of expectations and making sure they are part of the entertainment, they can be more effective at helping their property succeed.”

Baird"s new book, “Gaming Guest Service from A to Z” uses the alphabet to explore these words and many others to help gaming executives, managers and employees understand how critically important outstanding guest service is and how to provide it. The book has all the letters of the alphabet and each letter has a series of words that give insight on how to provide great guest service.

The following are helpful tips excerpted from the book"s section on the letter E.

Entertainment. You"re in the entertainment business; therefore, people come to your property to be entertained. You as an employee are part of the entertainment, as are the tables, the restaurant, the hotel and the lounge act. It really is easy to smile, be part of the show and entertain your guests.

Expectations. When it comes to guest service, this word is huge because guests have high expectations. They want to be entertained, they want to win lots of money and, oh by the way, this all must happen while they"re having fun. You must manage these expectations of outstanding guest service as well as provide it, live up to it and exceed it.

Extraordinary. Bring extra and ordinary together and you have extraordinary. Guests don"t want the ordinary; they want the extraordinary. Your guests have selected to stay at this property. They have seen pictures and heard of the experiences of their friends. They want those same extraordinary experiences.

Exceptional. Guests come to your property to have an exceptional experience. Not just good, not just fair, not just OK. They want to be wowed. Remember that they sometimes lose money. That makes it even more difficult for you to make sure something exceptional happens for them. You have to work a little harder.

Every Day. “It"s game day. We really need to do well.” I hear people say that at sports events. In the gaming business, you"re open 24/7 and it"s game day every day. You need to make sure that your guests have a wonderfully memorable experience every time they"re at your property.

Every Employee. One employee or a few employees cannot provide a great gaming experience because it"s a team effort. Every employee must pursue the goal of stellar guest service every day. If one employee fails to pull their weight, that"s the employee who is remembered the most by the guest, the one the guest tells all their friends about.

Each Guest. Each guest who comes to your property is expecting a great experience. They want to have fun, a good time and know that they stand out and that they"re special. You need to make sure that each guest has a great experience. This is your first priority any time you are at the casino.