Vol. 3, No. 11, November 2007
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Survey Says!
The secrets to what casino guests truly want
I’m convinced casino employees buy into this wholeheartedly. The fancier and more elaborate the casino, the better, right? The more amenities a property offers, the better, right? After all, isn’t that what guests want? Sure, but is it what guests want the most from a casino? As employees go about their duties each day, do they even try to understand what guests truly desire from a casino, other than winning all the time?
I don’t think so because a survey shows that casinos are not paying attention and that they are woefully off the mark. I’m going to share the results of the survey. Pay close attention because what guests really want is the stuff that employees provide.
A survey of 2,500 adults who had visited a casino at least once the previous year was conducted by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell (YPBR) , an advertising and public relations company in Orlando, Florida, and the Innovation Group, a New Orleans-based consultant to the leisure and hospitality industry. Their findings are a real eye opener.
First, let’s eliminate the validity of the notion that casinos should expand at all cost. For example, many casino executives pour over plans for the future and place their bets on adding child care, golf courses and facilities for boxing and entertainment. And they use precious resources to staff them. How does that stack up against what guests say they want?
The YPBR-Innovation Group survey found that only 17 percent of casino customers rated child-care facilities as extremely important. Only 13 percent gave the same rating for boxing and golf courses and only 9 percent said adult revue shows are extremely important. What? Everyone busts their rear end day in and day out to make those offerings the best around and guests give it all a low ranking? I’m afraid that is the case. The survey doesn’t say that boxing and golf aren’t desirable and fun. It says that other things are simply more important to guests.
The top two areas of extreme importance to guests are more intangible and within the control of employees. The two areas are service and security.
• Rated very/extremely important by more than 80 percent of the people surveyed:
86% - Friendly employees
85% - Safety/security of gaming facility
84% - Satisfaction with service by employees
Good grief, could it really be that simple?
Peter Yesawich, chairman and chief executive officer of YPBR, says the survey delivers a clear message. “What comes through in the survey is that service ascents to the top of the list of what is important to gamblers,” Yesawich says. “It’s a sense of personal recognition where, even though you might be playing in a cavernous casino, the relationship you have with a host or a server bringing you your drinks is most important.”
Steve Rittvo, chairman of the Innovation Group, also chimes in: “Gaming is a discretionary leisure experience. Gamblers come to gamble. Gamers come more for the social experience and within that experience, customer service is exceedingly important.”
Casino employees should take note. Your guests have spoken. But don’t be discouraged. Guests love your beautiful casino and all it can offer, but they love you more. They play at your property again and again because you make them feel safe and you go the extra mile to do the little things that build a relationship. You turn them into advocates for your property. If you are doing all that, I offer my congratulations. If you aren’t, at least now you know your priorities.
