Anyone who was in Vegas in October or November was shocked by the absence of customers. Visitors at G2E remarked upon it, and we all felt it. So it was no surprise when we saw the October numbers come out. It was truly brutal. Gross gaming revenues were down by more than 20 percent in every region of Nevada. Places that can hardly stand more bad news saw it in spades. Downtown Las Vegas, Boulder Highway and Reno all saw their business shrink to almost nothing.

But early December brought a trifecta—to Las Vegas, anyway. The De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight, the Las Vegas Marathon and the opening days of the National Finals Rodeo reminded us, at least for one weekend, what Las Vegas has been for so many years. Traffic on the Strip was jammed. Maneuvering around Tropicana between the Thomas & Mack, MGM and Mandalay Bay was almost impossible. The excitement generated by each event was unique and palpable. And the dollars flowing into the casinos, the hotels and the pockets of all the people dependent upon visitors was also evident.

It also reminded us of what we’re missing. Those crowds are few and far between these days. And outside of Las Vegas, those kinds of crowds are almost non-existent. It almost makes you want to give up and pack it all in.

But we can’t, of course. This is our job, our livelihood and, in most instances, our passion. We couldn’t give this up, just like we couldn’t give up eating or breathing. We love this industry. We want to make it work for us, for our customers and for our community.

What’s so frustrating in this situation is that it’s out of our hands for the most part. We can’t control the national economy. We can’t control banks that refuse to issue credit to casino companies. We can’t control fuel costs, which have been acting like yo-yos for the past few months.

What we can control is the way we treat the guests who are still coming to see us. This can turn out to be an opportunity for us to go that extra mile. We need to show the guests that we are truly appreciative of their business. After all, they’ve got plenty of choices about where to vacation and to gamble. Unlike the years when you could only gamble in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, people who show up in Nevada these days have undoubtedly passed by a more convenient gambling location to come enjoy what we have to offer.

The companies operating in Nevada have gone “back to the future” with room and meal deals that harken back to the days when Las Vegas was a bargain hunter’s paradise. While we haven’t seen a great proliferation of single-deck blackjack or those 9/6 video poker machines yet, they can’t be far off. So pretty soon, everyone will be doing the same thing to get players into their casinos.

And the one thing that sets one casino apart from another is the stellar service that is the hallmark of a great operation (and a great employee, as well). Yes, we’ve all heard the lip service about customer service. While it may go in one ear and out the other, now is the time to concentrate on what makes you and your casino or other business special.

Take that extra time to make sure the customer is comfortable. Make sure that he or she knows that you care. Show your appreciation in little ways, like taking a few minutes to talk to them about their families, their jobs or their experience in Vegas. Those are the things that distinguish you and your casino in the minds of the customers. Those are the things that generate the word of mouth marketing that is so valuable, yet so elusive.

Remember, if these people are coming to Las Vegas now, in the dark days, these are the same people who will go home and tell their friends and family what a great time they had in Nevada. While those friends and family may not have the time or money to visit right now, Nevada will be the first place they want to come when times get better, they get back on their feet and leisure time becomes a priority once again.

So next time you see a cowboy, a runner or a fight fan, stop and thank them for making the choice to come to Las Vegas. Tell them you appreciate their business and hope they come back again, real soon!

By Roger Gros

Roger Gros is publisher of Casino Connection and editor and publisher of Global Gaming Business magazine, the industry’s leading gaming trade publication. Prior to joining Global Gaming Business, Gros was president of Inlet Communications, an independent consulting firm. He was vice president of Casino Journal Publishing Group from 1984-2000, and held virtually every editorial title during his tenure. Gros was editor of Casino Journal, the National Gaming Summary and the Atlantic City Insider, and was the founding editor of Casino Player magazine. He was a co-founder of the American Gaming Summit and the Southern Gaming Summit conferences and trade shows. He is the author of the best-selling book, How to Win at Casino Gambling (Carlton Books, 1995), now in its third edition. Gros was named “Businessman of the Year” for 1998 by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce.