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My Gift to Table
Game Operators
by Dennis Conrad
Having cut my gaming teeth in the table game environment, I will always have a
soft spot in my heart for the "pit" experience and the people who work
and play there. If you've ever been a dealer, you understand. It gets in your
blood. It stays there.
Even now, although my work mainly involves promoting what one marketing
executive aptly calls the "slot ride", I find myself still being
pulled back to the social dens of cards and dice. When I walk the floors of the
gaming shows, I am always drawn to the new table game exhibits.
And you know what? I'm not impressed at all. The new games all blur into one for
me. Big jackpot opportunities. Variations
of blackjack or poker. Games I played in second grade. Three games in one. Games
that look like existing games--with all the worst rules or restrictions
magically gone.
It must be hard to invent table games. Why else would blackjack, craps and
roulette be such incredibly enduring staples of the American casino world? Oh,
okay, you can count poker and baccarat too, but we all know that these games
exist in much the same way that Alpo and Gourmet Dog Snacks can occupy the same
store shelf.
So it strikes me that we are doing this new table game development bit all
wrong. Why don't we take an existing game and just find ways to get more people
to play it? Or more players to stay at it longer? What a concept! And now I'll
share my gift with the table game operators. It's right under your noses. And
it's the biggest missed opportunity in the American casino today. It's the game
of craps.
Now I'll admit I'm biased. I dealt the game for 10 years and I still love
playing it--when I can find 100X odds or free buy bets.
Still, I know when I'm right. Craps is the most fun game in the casino and the
single game that gamblers secretly wished they knew how to play. Period. I could
spend the rest of this article trying to convince you of this truth that craps
is a sleeping giant, but I'd rather tell you how I'd awaken it. So here it is:
THE FORMULA FOR INCREASING YOUR CRAPS REVENUES BY 1,000% (You'd read this if I
said 10% ?)
I. GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND SHOW 'EM WHAT TO DO.
I was a crap dealer for 10 years and I worked with all sorts of dealers, good
and bad. Some of these people would fall under the prescription of the
"right people", but not many. If you want to grow your revenues by
1,000%, you can imagine that you'll need some pretty special people.
The crap dealers that I'm envisioning and that you need to hire must be
performers at heart and thrive being on the crap stage, the most theatrical
setting in the casino. They must have the teaching skills and patience of your
favorite grammar school teacher and must be able to make learning fun. They must
have the trusted sales skills of the most reputable life insurance agent. They
should possess the mathematical knowledge of probability of a solid high school
or college student. They must be patient. Understanding. Compassionate.
Simply put, to increase your craps revenue by 1,000%, your crap dealers need to
be the most talented employees that you have. Then you need to train them (and
continue to train them) on creating an experience that isn't just "problem
free", or "guest friendly" but is nothing less than MEMORABLE.
If you're not prepared to make this commitment to having the right people in the
right environment, stop reading this column right now. My gift to you will be no
more valuable than a cheap Christmas tie.
II. PAY FOR PERFORMANCE
Once you find the right people, find a way to pay them for performance. And link
that performance to what you are really trying to create, which is:
1.) Happy new crapshooters
2.) Happy current crapshooters (especially from your competition).
3.) Cash in the drop box. Paying crap dealers a nominal wage and allowing
gamblers to supplement it through a tipping system that rewards good and bad
dealers equally, will not even come close to encouraging the 3 outcomes above.
In my perfect casino world, I might try paying crap dealers a generous base
salary that has bonus incentives based on:
A.) the cash dropped in the box for that shift,
B.) feedback from a cross section of surveyed players at a table and
C.) some measure of new customer development, like names and addresses, V.I.P.
cardholders produced or new room nights generated from previous non-lodgers.
III. PROVIDE A SHOW
Creative casino marketers, this is your chance! Make fun happen at your crap
tables! Now that you have the right people in place, this should be easy.
Have your dealers provide never ending instruction, stopping passing gawkers in
a humorous, inviting way. Try innovations like one person crap "tubs"
for more personal (and less intimidating) interactions. Simplify the craps
layout and add a payout table to it. Tinker with stage, costume and lighting
effects. Loosen the prop bets. Let players keep the dice after 8 straight
passes. Announce each new shooter along with their hometown. Provide rewards and
a spotlight for first time shooters. Try installing a meter to measure the
longest shooting performance. Encourage ovations. Serve special drinks from
special cocktail servers (a frozen dice-ery?). You get the picture--make it a
great time, or else!
And there you have my gift to the table game operators - a new way of thinking
about an old game. NEW IMPROVED CRAPS--EASY TO PLAY. FUN TO LEARN. WIN BIG. MEET
NEW FRIENDS. AND OH YEAH--GROW YOUR CRAPS REVENUES BY 1,000%.
Why not?
THOU SHALT STEAL
by Dennis Conrad
(Part of the following column originally appeared
in another gaming publication. I wouldn't recirculate it if I didn't like it and
think you likely hadn't read it.)
I have been called a "creative" person,
which always amuses me, as if I possess some gene or brain cell that enables me
to produce something from nothing, sort of like a marketing Merlin who points
his magic finger and a casino promotion appears.
To be honest, I don't think I've had an original
idea in my life.
I've stolen all of them.
Now let me get that straight - I don't believe
I've broken any laws, infringed on any copyrights or trademarks, betrayed any
confidential information or otherwise acted unethically.
What I've been able to do, I think, is to become
familiar with competitors' casino marketing promotions and strategies, assess
their current value and POTENTIAL value, spin some alternatives off of the basic
premise and implement the ones that make the most sense.
I know, I know. I'm rationalizing.
Yes, I stole.
And so should you.
But what should you steal? From whom?
So here they are -- THE MARKS! In stealing competitive information nearly
everything is fair game. If it helps you increase your business and it's legal,
you should do it. That includes "knocking off" the following
"marks":
1. ALL CASINOS IN THE WORLD - pretty broad
category, I realize. But the point is, if you keep a narrow focus, say casinos
in your own market, you will miss many ideas that are generated from an often
entirely different perspective. In the past two years, I have seen terrific
looking promotions from casinos in Atlantic City, Reno, Las Vegas, Palm Springs,
San Jose, and Black Hawk. I will be stealing from them sooner or later.
2. MARKETING GURUS - not all marketing minds are created equal. You probably
know a General Manager or Marketing Director in your market who always seems to
be coming up with "good stuff" that customers like. Well guess what?
You should focus your stealing on this individual's property (or company). You
definitely should take him or her to lunch. Just be ready to have your pocket
"picked clean" first.
3. DISTRESSED CASINOS - while sometimes these places are going out of business
because they don't have a proverbial "clue", usually struggling casino
operations are a treasure trove of innovative marketing ideas. Steal ideas on
service and operations from the successful blue chip properties, but get crazy
(and often potentially "killer") ideas from the flea bag
"losers".
4. YOUR OWN EMPLOYEES - your own people are customers (collectively) of every
casino in your market. All you have to do is locate your employee gamblers who
are opinionated and tend to notice things, then give them a forum. My only
suggestion is that you give them a general framework around which to operate
("come up with a concept for a sport-themed slot area"), rather than
allow them to blindly brainstorm.
5. YOURSELF - if you work for a casino company that has properties in other
jurisdictions, you need to be tapping your own folks. It used to be that sister
properties acted more like competitors - try getting their VIP player list! -
but now properties can not afford to NOT cooperate. And get off your high horse
if you're in a high profile market. Yes, you can learn from the
"cowboys" in Laughlin and Tunica.
6. CASINO MARKETING COLUMNISTS - I don't mean to toot my horn here, but if
you're not reading John Romero, Howard Klein or this column, you're missing
about 100 years of marketing experience for free (unless you actually paid for
your subscription.)
7. INTERVIEWS WITH CEO's - there are a variety of publications - and not
all gaming ones - where you can catch an interview with a casino company CEO.
These are smart people. When they speak, listen.
8. FINANCIAL REPORTS - I've always been amazed at how 100 page strategic
marketing plans can be reduced to one paragraph (sometimes one sentence) in a
company financial report. Seeing the picture that way will help to simplify your
focus and understand where the hodgepodge of marketing ideas that you steal in
the field actually fits in a company's success, or lack of it.
9. COMPANIES AND CONSULTANTS OUTSIDE THE GAMING INDUSTRY - Nordstrom's.
Wal-Mart. Southwest Airlines. Disney. Tom Peters. Leonard Berry. Ken Blanchard.
Do you doubt that you can steal anything of value from these companies or
people??!!! (Peters is my personal favorite.)
10. GAMING CUSTOMERS - the best marketing information that can be stolen is from
gaming customers. Your own. The competition's. It's like taking candy from a
baby. Corral one at the casino bar. Call one on the phone. Walk up to one at a
slot machine. Sit next to one at a casino special event. In fact, that's not
called "stealing" - it's called doing your job. Because if you're not
in touch with real, live, breathing customers, well that IS a crime.
A Casino Full of Raving Fans
by Dennis Conrad
If you haven't read the book RAVING FANS by Ken
Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles, you should do so tomorrow. No, make that TODAY. It
is the simplest and most powerful expression of the value of superior customer
service that exists today. I won't tell you how the story is told (but if you
liked the movie IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, you'll like RAVING FANS) - you need to
spend the $20 to make it part of your library. Or rather, you need to make it
your business BIBLE.
Anyway, the message behind RAVING FANS is that SATISFIED customers are no longer
enough. To truly have a successful business you need "RAVING FANS",
people who are blown away by your product or service. And the key to creating
raving fans is threefold:
1) Decide What You Want
2) Discover What Your Customer Wants
3) Deliver Plus 1%
Now I realize that telling you about this "theory" is nowhere near as
effective as describing it in action, so with apologies to the Raving Fans
authors, I thought I would tell you the story of a "Raving Fans" hotel
casino. Some of the elements come from existing practices of casino operators,
some come from outside of the gaming industry and some, well hopefully come from
a creative corner of my mind. So anyway, here goes.
The "Raving Fans" Hotel Casino
We pulled into the porte-cochere area underneath the big "RF" sign. We
had driven all night from Reno. It was our first trip back to Las Vegas since
moving up north and Amy was hungry and Casey had a headache. My wife Becky just
wanted to get to the pool. We had heard about the RF casino and wanted to stay
there. When we were two hours from Las Vegas, we even called them on my
cellular, as suggested by the reservationist. Something about the PHONE AHEAD
CHECK IN and having our room ready for us. But even at 8am?
The Valet parking attendant opened all four car doors and when he got to mine he
startled me by saying, "Welcome to RF, Mr. Conrad, my name is Turk."
"How did you know my name?" I asked.
"Oh, that's why they asked for your license number when you phoned ahead. I
just spot the license plates coming in and check them off on my list. It sure is
neat surprising people with a personal greeting."
After he opened my door he used our one-minute stretching and orienting period
to quickly wash our windshield.
"Lots of desert bugs at night," he said.
After Turk finished the window (and the front grill), he handed me our room
keys. "You're all set," he said. "Just follow the blue path in
the carpet to the elevator."
"But don't I have to check in or give you a credit card, or
something?"
"No," he replied, "we got the credit card number and your
authorization when you made the reservation. And when you phoned ahead, we were
able to get you the first available room in your type and we had time to check
you in and make your keys."
I was a little dumbfounded.
"Besides," he added, "a phone ahead service wouldn't have much
value if we didn't provide a "special" service with it. Now
let George and Allie here take your bags to the room. And don't event try to tip
them, they won't accept it. RF adds a 20% service charge for each day of your
stay and we have a really neat way of dividing it among the hotel staff. I'm
sure you'll find the service well worth it. Now enjoy your stay and don't forget
to try the RF buffet."
I have to admit that I was pretty impressed so far.
We found our room with no difficulty. The bellpersons were already done
unloading the luggage and were about to leave. I wanted to test this no tipping
policy. I offered George a $20 tip.
"Now Mr. Conrad," he scolded, "you heard what Turk said in the
Valet Parking area. Don't embarrass me with another gratuity. If it will make
you feel better, we're the best paid staff in Las Vegas - besides the guaranteed
service charge, we have performance bonuses, profit sharing and a company stock
plan. So put your twenty away."
It was the first time anyone successfully refused a tip from me. "Don't
forget to try the buffet." George shouted as he left.
We looked around the room. I can't say that it was anything terrifically special
- new, clean, sort of "homey" feeling. But everywhere we turned, there
was one little surprise after another.
For the kids, there were the free SEGA games on the TV, the Walt Disney coloring
books (and new crayons) on the table and the Cheez-Its on the lower of the two
bunk beds (I guess the bunk beds were a little different!). "So that's why
they asked me if the kids preferred pretzels, potato chips, Cheez-Its or granola
bars when I made the reservation!" my wife exclaimed.
And RF hadn't forgotten us middle-aged adults. They had our brand of mouthwash
and shampoo in the bathroom. One of those fun little hand held video poker games
was on the nightstand. On top of the VCR were videos of the last ten Academy
Award winners for Best Picture. There was a little newspaper type booklet that
listed that day's top jackpots on the various RF slot and video poker machines,
plus a map listing the entire slot area and where these machines were located.
Another daily sheet listed the various "hits" over $500 on all $1 and
25Ë slots in the last 30 days. Knowing slot percentages and
"randomness" as I do, I knew it was baloney, but I couldn't stop my
wife from putting this chart in her purse.
Further exploration revealed a grab bag of assorted hotel room surprises. A note
on the bed told the story of Southern Nevada's water supply and how RF helps the
environment by changing sheets only upon request or after checkout. There not
only was a bible in the top drawer, but also holy books for Jews, Muslims and
Buddhists as well as a few "breezy self-help pep talk" books. A sign
said that the air conditioner automatically shuts off when you leave the room.
And there were several gaming periodicals by the bed - the Las Vegas Advisor,
Casino Executive, Chance, Casino Player, Card Player, a pamphlet from the Nevada
Council on Problem Gambling. "RF prefers well-informed gaming
customers," said the table tent nearby.
The kids were coloring and eating Cheez-Its (at 8:30am).
My wife and I looked at each other and laughed. It was that disbelieving, amazed
snorting kind of laugh. "Can you believe this?!!!" she howled.
I couldn't wait for the RF casino.
After discovering the delights and surprises in our room that first morning at
the RF Casino/Hotel in Las Vegas, it was time to explore the property itself.
Becky and the kids were eager to hit the pool and I was ready for some
blackjack, but we all agreed that we should get something to eat first. With the
already twice repeated words "You've got to try the buffet" ringing in
my ears, we decided to try RF's "Blow You Away Buffet." It sounded
like a pretentious name.
We were greeted warmly by the hostess at the buffet entrance. Inside, I could
see an amazing variety of sights, sounds and colors. There were plants,
waterfalls, video walls and cook-to-order stations where the chefs looked like
they were juggling. At the entrance, I noticed a large chalkboard for guest
comments and messages. One said, "Try the tortellini!" And another
proclaimed, "Am winning at blackjack. Go ahead and eat without me."
Signed Dan from Chicago.
There was a whole wall of numbered holders outside the buffet entrance,
containing what looked like beepers or pagers. "What are those for?" I
asked the hostess. "Our buffet is so popular," she exclaimed,
"that there is usually a fairly long wait to get in. The beepers allow our
guests to do something considerably more fun than waiting in a long line. We
give them a rough estimate of how long the wait is and they decide if they want
to go to the casino, the lounge, or in your case, the new state-of-the-art Sega
arcade. It takes the wart out of the wait."
After choosing between the Polynesian room, the Beatles room, the Animal House
room and the Sesame Street room (guess what the kids chose) we settled into our
buffet dining experience. Being it was brunch, the Kid's Station had every
breakfast cereal known to cable TV, with every fruit my kids had ever eaten! A
Kermit The Frog character busperson served our milk, juices and coffee at the
table. There were the fairly standard omelette cooking stations, but here the
chefs did a 360° turn as they flipped your omelette in the air.
There were health food stations, fruit stations, gourmet coffee stations,
champagne stations, high fat/high calorie stations. Two Bert and Ernie
characters roamed the room, one asking if we were hotel guests and was there
anything RF could do to make our stay more enjoyable, the other giving us $2 in
kid's arcade tokens if we would answer the absolutely funniest guest survey
questions that were ever asked. Can you imagine being asked by a Sesame Street
character if the blueberry blintzes were "ga-ga" or
"blah-blah"?!!
Once our waiter (actually it was Big Bird) found out we were hotel guests, he
came over to say our buffet bill would automatically be added to our room
charges and that no tipping was allowed (that 20% service charge thing again).
Then he told this God-Awful joke about the difference between a Canadian and a
canoe.
But then Big Bird was sure to mention the other four RF restaurants (in concise,
tantalizing terms, including bill of fare, hours, kid's items, price range and
"the one dish locals love here"). And then for the first time (and it
was strange coming from a bird) we heard our first mention of the RF casino
players' card with the tag, "No Sweat, You Bet, You Get."
Before leaving this divine (and little bit wacky) dining experience, we were
sure to go touch all the pieces in the ice carving display (by invitation!) and
ask the pastry chef for his recipe for the blueberry breakfast cake, which he
gave us on a combination "coloring page, recipe and video arcade ad
sheet." Funny, we never thought to look at how much this whole
brunch-a-thon cost us. We didn't care.
Becky and the kids were ready for the pool and I was ready to sample the RF
gaming floor, especially the blackjack area. We said our good-byes, planning to
rendezvous in the video poker area (without the kids, who were going to the
movie matinee at Kid's Heaven, RF's supervised facility for "kids tired of
boring grown-up stuff"). I rode down the spiral escalator - a
transportation experience! - and as I twisted down into the heart of the casino,
I realized that in 30 seconds of riding, I was completely oriented to every
significant gaming area of the RF casino. I spotted the LOW ROLLER, MIDDLE
ROLLER, and HIGH ROLLER table games areas. The slot floor was easily read for
denominations, type of machines (reels or video poker) and special themed areas,
including the Hurricane Zone, the Double Diamond Department and the People's
Choice, the Most Played Machines in the World. I couldn't believe it - a gaming
floor that helped you find your favorite game! It defied all conventional casino
design wisdom with which I was familiar. Those all fell under the "Get 'Em
Lost and Confused and See If They Spend More Money" heading.
Getting off the escalator, I turned toward the three linked table game areas and
started walking by the LOW ROLLER blackjack area when I was startled by a voice
asking, "I am open for business and yesterday I couldn't win a hand. Wanna
try your luck?" The voice belonged to Mimi, a blackjack dealer standing on
a dead game in the LOW ROLLER pit. She was asking me if I wanted to play - never
in my 21 years of working (or playing) in casinos had I heard a dealer ask a
prospective player to play. I just had to sit down.
I pulled two hundred-dollar bills from my wallet and Mimi got this puzzled look
on her face. "Are you sure you want a LOW ROLLER game?" she asked.
"Why not?" I said to myself, as I nodded to Mimi. I saw this as an
opportunity to find out what the RF table game experience was all about.
And find out I did. For the next two hours, I had an absolutely delightful time
with (what I thought was) a terrifically unique "people engineer" who
stayed at the table for the entire time, leaving only once to go get a quick
round of cocktails while the floorperson dealt a few hands.
I discovered that the table game areas were divided by betting ranges, benefits
and experiences. In the LOW ROLLER area bets ranged from $3 to $25, drinks cost
a dollar and you got to keep a cool looking commemorative glass, the games were
all six-deck shoes that used an automatic shuffler and there was no tracking of
your play for future benefits. I thought this was pretty restrictive until Mimi
laid out the whole, straight story. This was a low margin business area, she
explained, that did have its fans. The games proceeded at a slower pace, the
six-deck shoe didn't bother the "low roller", there was piped-in music
at each table (chosen by the players), a progressive bonus could be won for
consecutive blackjacks, the players could call for a new dealer or decide if the
cards would be dealt face-up or face-down, novices received instruction on both
table etiquette and basic strategy, they had any drink you wanted for that
dollar and there were a host of continual surprises. Players were introduced to
each other at the table. Fun little gag stuff like the inflatable bat and the
Dealer's Temperature Gauge - Hot, Lukewarm or Cold (and determined by the
players) - were used with great effect. We all took a fun 30-second survey
asking which "heathen" casinos we frequented and what they did better
than RF. In sum, this LOW ROLLER area was just a great experience and I could
tell that the other dealers were all just as skilled as Mimi in creating a
memorable time.
In asking about the other areas - the MIDDLE and HIGH ROLLER pits - I noticed an
interesting and common-sensical type concept. The more you were willing to bet,
the better the experience and the benefits. The MIDDLE ROLLER area had $25 to
$100 betting ranges, double decks with fairly liberal rules, limited tracking
with modest benefits and much of the "soft" stuff of the LOW ROLLER
area if you desired it, for the pits were further differentiated as TRADITIONAL
or EXPRESSIVE, almost like a gourmet coffee stand.
But for the HIGH ROLLERS, RF really had it all. If you bet between $100 and $500
a hand, a roll or a spin (for it wasn't just blackjack) you were treated like
royalty. Single deck games with liberal rules. Automatic crediting to your
player's account, "redeemable in cash" benefits with an automatic 20%
premium if you were a hotel guest who used these benefits for your room charges
(Gee, it would pay for the automatic 20% daily service surcharge…). Free
drinks. Access to exclusive (and selectively comped) RF retail items. Premium
drinks in gold commemorative glasses. Plus all the traditional offers and
invitations - but at RF you received an instant host contact (it might even be
your dealer!) who would personally handle all of your future reservations and
special requests. Talk about relationship marketing!
My two hours of playing blackjack seemed like ten minutes. I had lost $47, spent
$4 on drinks and felt positively thrilled by the experience. I vowed to try the
HIGH ROLLER pit later and sample the COURVOISIER and the hourly neck massages.
Mimi didn't say "Thanks for playing" and "Good Luck" like
most other casinos' dealers do. She said (and I know she meant it), "I
enjoyed your company. You've got five minutes before you have to meet your wife
right over there in that video poker area. I know you'll enjoy the other RF
dealers too. And don't forget to try the RF Buffet." I hadn't told her I
already had.
My wife started playing on the 25c video poker machines when I arrived. I was
going to tell her about my RF blackjack experience but I figured, what the heck,
have her experience the RF slots with no preconceived notions and see if it can
possibly measure up to what I had just gone through. "How'd you do?"
she asked. "Oh, I lost about fifty. But I had some fun." I deadpanned.
A slot host soon came to my machine. His name was Bob. I soon found out that the
only employees in the slot department at RF were "SLOT HOSTS". But
these hosts did everything, much like a good host at a home party. They made
change, they fixed machines, they paid jackpots. They even brought cocktails.
"It's a pretty busy job," Bob said, "but we never get
bored."
Bob stayed and chatted for over 30 minutes with my wife and me. I was actually
wondering what other "stuff" he was neglecting in order to be
chit-chatting with two 25Ë slot players, but then he explained that Mimi had
called from the blackjack area to tell him where we would be and that we were
new RF customers." I could see that he clearly understood the concept of
"lifetime customer potential worth." Before he left, he gave me his
business card (I already had Mimi's) and said that I should feel free to call
him or Mimi for anything while I was there on this trip or to make future
arrangements for a later visit.
My wife and I played video poker for 4 hours. We met 5 different RF slot hosts -
one who let me keep the screwdriver that he used to fix a coin jam. "We
Don't Screw Around at RF!" it said. From the many interactions with these
genuinely friendly, knowledgeable and forthcoming slot employees, I was able to
understand the RF slot experience. And it certainly rivaled what I had just
witnessed with Mimi in the LOW ROLLER pit.
Operationally, RF's slot procedures and philosophy were like the table games.
There was no tracking of 5c and 25c slot machine play and drinks cost a buck
apiece. But at the same time, there were signs throughout the area boasting that
these slots were guaranteed to be looser than any in Las Vegas or your money
back. (One slot host told me that RF had a huge budget for playing slots at its
competitors' properties to insure this claim). And when my wife's Bloody Mary
took what the cocktail server termed an "inexcusable" 5-minute
delivery time, not only did she receive a double-sized drink for free and get to
keep the glass that said "We're Sorry We Slipped, We Trust You're Not Sorry
You're Here," but she also received her next 5-coin video poker bet for
free. It turns out RF had a service guarantee in all its gaming areas, whereby
your next bet after a service goof was on them. (My wife hit a full house with
hers!).
The dollar and five-dollar slot areas were even another step up, we discovered
from our one hour of video poker play there. We received recognition within 5
minutes of sitting down. We had our RF player's cards within 2 minutes because
they had a card-making machine nearby and didn't bother us for anything other
than our names until later. And oh, the pampering! There was a
"massage" mode button on the slot seats. Every hour a host came around
with hot towels to clean your hands or refresh your face (and maybe play longer,
too??!!). The machines allowed you to collect all your accumulated credits right
there, right now, in CASH. In the $5 area there was periodic service of great
finger foods and choice of champagne (the bottle said "Korbel") or
fruit juice. There was even a service where the hosts would take your order for
any of RF's restaurants and set up a tray at your machine. Room service, no,
slotside room service.
There were many other surprises and customer-focused service delivery systems in
place in the slot sections. It was about the time that I was trying to figure
out how RF pulled all this off that I stumbled onto a small glassed off area
located two steps off the floor. "General Manager's Office" said one
sign. "Tell Me About It" said another. "$500 For The Best
Suggestion of the Month" said a third. I walked up the two steps and
noticed a diminutive man with a bald head and glasses, reading what looked like
a letter.
Immediately upon noticing me, the "professor" figure jumped out of his
chair, met me at the doorway and pumped my hand like a long, lost friend.
"Come on in," he said, "I'm Vince Parker, the Customer's General
Manager. Thanks for stopping by, and special thanks for being an RF customer.
How can I make your stay even better?" "How did you know that I was a
customer?" I demanded. "You've got dirty hands and a fistful of $1 and
$5 slot tokens. You're obviously a slot player and a good one too." He
countered. It was obvious that Vince was pretty sharp.
Rather than pry for information by pretending I was a naive, curious tourist, I
thought I would lay my cards on the table. I told Vince Parker that I was a
casino consultant in Reno, that my company could be considered a potential
robber of RF information and that I was VERY impressed with the entire RF
experience - gaming, hotel and restaurant.
"So you want to know our secret?" Vince asked bluntly. "You'll
share it?" I responded, somewhat incredulously.
"Sure," Vince responded. "Execution is 99% of any secret and
that's why no one can copy what we do - they can't pull it off. Plus, by
chatting with you for twenty minutes, I get a chance to recruit talent that
appreciates our way of doing business. At worst, I will have spent meaningful
time with a customer, that, if I had to guess by looking at you, had a potential
lifetime worth of between five-thousand and fifty-thousand dollars."
I appreciated his directness. And as much as I liked to picture myself as a
"smart" gambler he was probably right about the dollar amount.
And then Vince launched into twenty amazing minutes of the RF
"secret". Although it was obvious that he had made the same pitch
before, his enthusiasm was genuine. Yes, he was bragging. But the details were
worth bragging about.
At RF, there were 5 General Managers. All came with different areas of
expertise, but all were equal and ALL took turns spending 3 months in this glass
office (and on the casino floor) as the Customer's General Manager, with no
other duties except LISTENING AND RESPONDING to CUSTOMERS.
The General Managers themselves hired each employee after a long, but fun and
revealing interview process. Every employee - from dishwasher to General
Manager. Bonuses for management personnel were based equally on three criteria -
Customer Satisfaction, Development of Employees and Financial Performance. Every
non-management employee was also on a bonus system, based on the same 3
criteria. And although jobs had titles for ease of customer understanding, among
themselves, employees referred to each other as "memory makers".
Training at RF was more than intensive, it was pervasive. Every employee trained
at least two hours a week on SOMETHING - customer service, cross selling, cross
department operations, communication, sensitivity, etc. etc. etc. It sounded
like overkill until I found out that each 2-year RF "front line"
employee could perform a minimum of 8 job functions.
RF maintained an extensive and ongoing dialogue with their customers - commonly
called "customer research" at most traditional casino organizations.
But at RF, this "research" was built into each job - questions were
continually asked of guests in all operational areas - but these questions were
asked in such a way that they were fun AND action-oriented. So when the host
asked you if you liked the overhead "cowpoke" county western music,
without realizing it, you were helping decide whether the Day Shift Slot Area
heard Kenny Rogers, Frank Sinatra or Neil Diamond.
Another piece of the RF secret was their communication style - they were direct
and honest every chance they had to communicate with guests. Drinks cost a
dollar in this area. These slots (all of them!) pay back 99% and here's what
that means. Here's the best way to play a twelve hand against the dealer showing
a deuce. If there's a wait, here's how long it will be, and WHY. Hey, don't play
beyond your means, we want you to enjoy us for life.
And as Mr. Vince Parker, Customer's General Manager at RF, went on and on about
all the elements of this so called "secret", it dawned on me that this
whole wonderful casino experience boiled down to a very simple formula - find
people who can CARE and look at everything through your customers' eyes.
That's pretty simple, I thought as I thanked Mr. Parker for his time. That's
pretty simple I thought throughout our glorious 4-day stay at RF Hotel Casino,
Las Vegas, Nevada. That's pretty simple, I thought throughout the hot, dusty
drive back to Reno. "Let's give 'em something to talk about," shouted
the Bonnie Raitt song, somewhere near Tonopah, Nevada.
Pretty simple, I thought.
The Ultimate Party Pit
by Dennis Conrad
A Case Study
One of my first challenges in my last "real" casino marketing job was
to establish an effective "Party Pit". A party pit is a table game
area in the casino (usually blackjack games) where the emphasis is on having
fun. Dealers in the party pit might wear T-shirts and have props like bells or
inflatable baseball bats at the table. Balloons, music, prize giveaways and
other assorted elements would also be a part of this non-traditional atmosphere
where gambling becomes almost secondary to fun and socialization. Party pits are
not for everyone. Serious gamblers find them annoying, if not offensive.
Traditional casino operators tend to scoff at the concept and have a hard time
understanding how a party pit, even a good one, can help their table game
business.
Having had experience establishing one of the first party pits in the casino
industry and having watched several versions come and go at various casinos over
the years, I felt enthused about the chance to design the Cadillac (or is it now
Lexus?) of casino party pits. Again understand my bias going into the task - I
BELIEVE THAT EFFECTIVE PARTY PITS ARE TERRIFIC CASINO MARKETING PROMOTIONS.
The strategy in this case was simple - devise a game plan for implementation of
a dynamic party pit for our casino property, focus on the people and the
elements that would make it successful and avoid the bland concepts and
operational pitfalls that would torpedo the party project. What follows is my
formula for creating the Ultimate party pit, using our experiment as the current
"state of the art" example.
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HOW TO DEVISE
(plus implement, use, change, tweak, re-invigorate,
defend, promote, inflate and measure)
THE ULTIMATE PARTY PIT
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I.) ASK YOURSELF - HAVE A GOOD ANSWER
The first step in creating an effective fun pit is to ask yourself "Why do
I want a party pit?" and "Do I need one?" At our property our
casino floor seemed flat and our dealers weren't having much fun. In addition,
we had just opened a new escalator that would lead to a major new property,
creating a dramatically altered traffic flow pattern and a new table game
dynamic at this new gateway. For us, a party pit spelled opportunity. If you are
the High Limit Pit at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, I doubt the dynamics call
for "fun".
II.) INVOLVE YOUR PEOPLE - ESTABLISH OWNERSHIP
In my opinion, the biggest reason for party pit start up failures is the lack of
involving the people who will make or break the
concept and the failure to allow them significant ownership of the endeavor. At
our property we met many times with our potential dealers and floorpeople to get
their input and feedback, we requested VOLUNTEERS rather than DRAFTEES to work
in the party pit, we asked them to choose the name for the area and didn't blink
when they came back with "Zany Zone", we kicked off the area with an
Employee Blackjack Tournament, we took pictures of all the dealers and
floorpeople to post at their tables and had them write a caption under it
telling the customers (in their own words) what they were all about, we
encouraged continuing involvement, creativity and feedback and finally, we tried
to listen to both our Zany Zone dealers and customers (the real owners). I have
seen many a party pit fail because management dictated the vision and wouldn't
allow ownership.
III.) MAKE IT FUN - DO IT RIGHT
A boom box and a bunch of balloons does not make a "party" pit. At our
property, we knew we wanted music, so we installed a special overhead sound
system with 30 channels in our Zany Zone. We wanted casual, so we created our
own logo for the dealer uniforms, which were high quality T-shirts and golf
shirts. We wanted lights so we emblazoned high impact, colorful, pulsating
overhead lights in our heretofore low hanging, dark ceiling. We wanted
giveaways, so we found a way to provide logoed glasses, T-shirts, lapel pins and
caps - THE STUFF THAT PEOPLE WANT, NOT WHAT YOU DON'T WANT. We wanted unique so
we bought inflatable bats, put a clown on the Big 6 wheel and made it a part of
the Zany Zone, and created the Dealing Temperature Gauge, which tells customers
if the dealer is Red Hot, Luke Warm or Ice Cold. You get the picture - do it
right or don't do it.
IV.) FIND A CO-SPONSOR
Party pits can become expensive - those 10c, 20c and $1 giveaway items can add
up to real money! In our casino we partnered with a local beer distributor in
our Zany Zone. They provided all of the promotional giveaways and co-oped half
of the advertising and we featured their new red beer in our party pit and
casino bars. That's a win-win.
V.) PUSH THE ENVELOPE, BUT DRAW THE LINE
Even party pits are still gambling areas and as such, have requirements of game
security, procedures and other "mundane" issues. At our casino we
encountered the inevitable conflict of FUN vs. DUTY. While I can tell you there
is no easy answer here, you must acknowledge the twin, often opposing goals and
make sure the new standards are clear to the employees. It leads to interesting
and unique codes of conduct like reaching down for an inflatable bat at the game
is O.K. but doing a 360-degree watusi at the table is not.
VI.) ANTICIPATE THE PROBLEMS
Even an effective party pit will have problems and challenges that must be
identified and managed. At our casino, we watched for dealer burnout in the Zany
Zone and tried to deploy those afflicted back to the "regular" pit for
R&R. We tried to identify the dealers who "don't fit" in the party
pit but might merely be seeking a desirable time slot. We tried to mollify the
old school employees who hated the concept of the party pit and thought we were
crazy and that the table game business had gone to hell. We dealt with the
occasional customer complaint in the Zany Zone about loud music (but why didn't
they gamble in the traditional pit?!!) or the wrong kind of music (half the
folks want 60's rock, half country western). Graveyard shift had issues about
closing games and managing their personnel at a time when Zany Zone patrons
didn't want to leave (What a great problem!). Enthusiasm wanes. What was
exciting last month is stale today. Stuff happens - expect it.
VII.) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES
A successful party pit creates scores of promotional opportunities - if you
don't take advantage of them you have missed some of the prime benefits of
having such an area. At our casino hotel we did the following in our Zany Zone:
Halloween costumes, prize giveaways, coupon handouts for discount Zany Zone
merchandise, co-sponsorship of the area, introduction of new table games and
wagering options, addition of the Big 6 Wheel staffed by a clown/dealer, 5 for 3
coupon in the tourist publications and assorted other "stuff". Had we
done it all? No. Had we only scratched the surface of potential opportunity?
Yes.
VIII.) KEEP IT FRESH
Whether it involves changing balloons, decorations, music, dealers, concepts,
games, prizes, sponsors, advertising, coupons - you name it - if you don't keep
your party pit fresh, it will lose its zip, dealer enthusiasm and consequently,
customer appeal. Period.
IX.) SHARE THE SUCCESS
This is one particular area where we could have done a much better job in our
party pit experiment. The dynamic is simple - your employees are your party pit
so you must make them feel that way. Simple thank-yous, stopping to chat or joke
around, listening to creative input or operational concerns, attention to
scheduling, sharing customer letters or comments, nominations for Employee of
the Month awards and other means of reward and recognition (many of which cost
nothing!) should all be done often and enthusiastically.
X.) MEASURE THE RIGHT STUFF
This is critical. There is a strong tendency for casino operators to put up a
Party Pit and 30 days later do a strict revenue analysis to see how much more
money was made in the table game department. Upon failing to see dramatic
progress, the party pit is then discontinued. In my opinion, when it comes to a
party pit analysis, most operators ask the wrong questions, don't look at all
the measures and don't attempt to measure the hard to measure costs and
benefits. The following chart lists most costs and benefits of our Zany Zone
experiment. You can't measure them all, but you can consider them when
evaluating your party pit.
| COSTS |
BENEFITS |
| Labor |
Pit
Revenue |
| Decorations |
Retail
Revenue |
| Giveaways |
Product
Differentiation |
| Uniforms
(Shirts) |
Dealer
Morale |
| Advertising |
Increased
Capture Rate |
| Coupons |
New
Game Opportunity |
| Slower
Speed of Game |
Slot
Revenue Near Area |
| Music |
Player
Loyalty |
| Offends
Some Customers |
Promotional
Opportunity |
| |
Advertising
Benefits |
In summary, party pits are tools. We used our
party pit at our casino to create a new casino floor dynamic. And while there
certainly are issues and challenges around establishing such a concept, we
believed that it was good for our table games and good for our property. Casino
entertainment - what a zany idea!
DENNIS
CONRAD is the president of Raving Consulting Co.
which
specializes in Common Sense, Customer Focused,
Marketing
Consulting for the gaming industry.
He can be reached at: 475 Hill Street, Suite G, Reno, NV 89501
· (702) 329-7864
· fax (702) 329-4947
· email: TheRadcon@aol.com.
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