Everyone knows that service is one of the most important things that separates a casino, a hotel or a restaurant apart from the competition. There are obviously style differences, differences in design or in what is on the menu, but at the end of the day, it is customer service that really makes a difference.

In talking about what will set his new casino apart from others in Las Vegas, Anthony Marnell III focused on the service his team members will provide. He is proud of how the building looks, he likes the view and the dining options it offers, but nothing is as important as making people feel comfortable and important when they are on-site.

Bill Paulos and Bill Wortman both acknowledged before the opening of the Eastside Cannery that their team members are the most important part of that property. And before Aliante Station opened, General Manager Joe Hasson and Assistant General Manager Carol Thompson said very similar things about how their team members really set the tone for the property. Everyone acknowledges that their team members are the ones who really make a casino, or any business for that matter, come to life.

It is exactly the same at any other customer-oriented business, and yet that message seems to be lost these days. I don’t know if people are being forced to work longer hours, if they’re being asked to handle more tables, if they’re disgruntled about their pay or just plain bad at their jobs, but I have recently enjoyed such terrible service at two different restaurants that I just walked out. (Neither of these restaurants were in any way associated with casinos outside of having the mandatory video poker machines ringing the bar).

Both times I walked out because my 10-minute rule was violated. I have a theory that it should not take any more than 10 minutes for someone who is employed by the business I am trying to support to come and either bring me a menu, take a drink order or in some small way acknowledge that I am there. The first time, after being seated by a hostess, no one came to the table and I didn’t see a single server on the floor. The second time, I saw a group of people standing around joking with each other. We even made eye contact, but no one came over to the table. I don’t know if they were bussers and it wasn’t technically their job, or if they were servers in a different section and it wasn’t their job or, for whatever reason, they thought it wasn’t their job. They were wrong. Customer service is everyone’s job. And it is more important now than it ever has been to realize that every customer has a choice to take their money elsewhere. Letting someone walk out the door is effectively giving up money. It might mean you get fewer tips, and it might mean in short order that you don’t have a job.

A couple years ago, there were two customers lined up to take the place of every one customer who walked out upset. It is not like that anymore. And while the above situations happened in non-casino restaurants, the lessons hold true for anyone with any sort of a service job. And, in case you are unaware, just about every job is a service job.

Recently I was at Sierra Gold and was starting to watch the time on my phone, noting that it had been about seven minutes since I sat down, and no one had stopped by. A person who was not our server (and was in fact a bar back) walked up to the table, dropped off menus and apologized for the wait. He didn’t try to make any excuses—it was pretty busy that night—but simply said, “This is no way for us to treat our guests.”

He apologized again on the way out and said he hoped the experience didn’t discourage us from coming back again. It was such a simple thing to do, and it made a significant difference. Instead of walking out and vowing to never return, I was willing to let it go. Mistakes happen, and when someone owns up to them, they are a lot easier to forgive.

I was hardly surprised to see this individual take this approach. His name is Sean Cole and he was our At Your Service selection for February 2008. In talking to Rusty Oaks, general manager of Sierra Gold, he said Cole is one of the hardest working people he has ever seen, that he really gets what it takes to be successful in the service industry.

How many other people really do? It has been my experience that there are few other people who would do what Cole did. Many would avoid eye contact and just go about focusing on their work, perhaps missing the point of what their work really is.

I might be a cranky and crotchety customer, but I don’t think I am the only one who isn’t impressed when someone acts like I am bothering them by frequenting their business. I don’t know how many other people are out there who take the same approach as I do, but if there is even one, it is one too many to risk losing right now.

There are not shortages of businesses here in Las Vegas. I can cross off hundreds of restaurants from the list of places I will frequent, and there will still be places I will never get the chance to go to.

It is very similar with casinos. In case you haven’t noticed, there are a lot of them in town, and not everyone bases their decision on where to gamble on the décor or the theme. Sometimes it is whichever casino is closest, but more often, they will go where they feel like they are welcomed. All the operators talk about this fact, and they all know how important it is, but there are times when it seems to be lost by those on the front lines.

Don’t be one of those people who think that something is below you or something is not your responsibility. It’s bad practice in good times, and it right now it is unforgivable.

By Greg Jones

Greg Jones is managing editor of Casino Connection Nevada, as well as associate editor of Global Gaming Business magazine.