What Players Want: Feeling Welcome
(Originally Published in Midwest Gaming and Travel)
By Norma Foote
Executive Editor, E-Reports
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If you ask a casino player what they would like at their casino, their first answers are pretty obvious. They want incredibly loose slots (and having a huge progressive jackpot ready to hit when they put in their quarters would be nice too). The video poker player, of course, would love paytables which return over 100% with reasonably perfect play. The blackjack player wants a one-deck game offering double down after splits. Bingo players love wining a coverall—especially one for $1000 or more. But, of course, I am telling you something you already know.
Many casino managers think that winning money is the only thing which keeps a player at a certain casino. Yes, winning money is a lot of fun and yes, I like all gamblers would like to see a lot more winning than losing. However, that is not all that it takes to keep a player at a casino.
As the editor of Playback, (a casino management e-newsletter written and edited by players), I read a great deal about what players want and what keeps them at one casino and away from another. And as much as winning money is a gambler’s dream, it still isn’t what makes one casino feel like home while another one seem to be inhospitable. Often simple things make a big difference between a great place to play and a place that is only tolerable.
Simply put - a great place to play is one that makes its players feel welcome.
Often just walking in the door gives the first clue about how welcome the player is. The friendly smile and a hello from a greeter at the door is a great touch. Some of my favorite Midwest riverboats do a great job with this. Caesars Indiana and The Grand Victoria (Rising Sun, Indiana) and Belterra all have friendly greeters who give you your ticket. However, besides a friendly greeter, it is great when the other employees smile and look like they want to see you.
Jerry, a Playback contributor who plays in Massachusetts, has this to say about being welcomed at table games. “How nice it would be to approach a table and sit down. A person quickly approaches and introduces him/herself. The person takes my players card, welcomes me to the casino and offers assistance for anything I might need help with and wishes me good luck. That level of basic customer service is not in place in all casinos today. I have experienced this treatment from time to time and it always leaves me with a nice feeling about that casino. It doesn’t happen often, but it should…every time!” While table games do have more interaction between players and dealers than slots do, it still is nice for any player to have some positive interaction with employees. A cocktail waitress who wanders around saying “cocktails, cocktails” but does not stop to ask if a player would like something does not really create a sense of welcoming the customers. However, one who does stop, pleasantly asks what you would like, and brings it with a smile and an “enjoy your drink” makes the player feel important and probably gets a better tip too.
Welcoming casinos also give clear directions. Signage that points out the players club, the restaurants, the way to the poker room, and, the restrooms prevents players from wondering around aimlessly trying to find what they need, Often when I visit a new casino, I cannot find the players club which has been hidden somewhere in the back of the casino. Either I have to ask an employee or hope that I, by chance, stumble upon it. An employee who gives me good directions and a pleasant smile goes a long way to making me feel welcome. But at some casinos I have been given directions that leave me hopelessly lost. I have wasted a lot of time trying to find my way. It is amazing how many casinos do not make getting around simple. A player who is lost in a maze of slot machines is not only not playing but is also not having a pleasant experience. A few signs with some good directions can make a lot of difference in the player’s attitude.
John, a St. Louis player describes a similar problem. “There is one casino in our area that I used to visit a lot because I liked their machines and their restaurants, but someone should tell the employees how to politely answer questions regarding where to find stuff. Their response is to either point in the general direction (with a ‘don’t bother me, I am too busy attitude’) or worse yet a rude ‘it’s right behind you sir’. At Ameristar in St. Charles, the slot attendant was not only polite when I asked where a certain machine was, she walked me to it. I notice that I play there more lately.”
In a welcoming casino, problems are handled efficiently. The ticket-in ticket out machines help to cut down the number of times that a player has to wait for a refill or a hand pay, but there are still a lot of casinos that have not converted totally to ticket-in, ticket-out and there are times when even those machines need some service. Recently when I cashed out, only a small piece of the ticket came out. The machine said that it was a problem with the printer. My problem, however, was not with the printer but with the amount of time it took for someone to come—it was twenty minutes—and the rudeness of the employee who finally appeared. Not a pleasant experience. However, another Playback contributor had a much worse experience. Bobbie, who plays on the riverboats in Iowa, had problems with a ticket-in, ticket-out machine. In her case the machine printed a blank ticket; it took a 45 minute wait for the attendant to come to solve the problem and then even longer to check the machines. Because the total time to fix that problem would be over an hour and a half, she left the casino without her payout. She wasn’t very eager to return to that casino. She said, “I realize that this is new technology and every one is still learning, but a smile, an apology for the problem, and some concern about correcting it makes quite a difference in how the player feels about the delay.”
A casino which makes players feel welcome usually makes them feel comfortable as well. That comfort can include machines that are easy to use, appropriate noise level, and comfortable places to relax.
According to Ellen, a player from Nevada, “For my money, I’d like to sit in a chair that has lumbar support and lets me adjust the height so that my feet touch the ground. I’d also like to face a machine that’s built with good ergonomics. I prefer the slant-top variety, since it allows me to support my wrists (my hands get tired very quickly at the upright machines). Also machines with fuzzy screens should be taken out of service until they are fixed. Nothing ruins a vacation like back pain, wrist pain, and eye strain.”
However, there are other players who have a very strong preference for the upright machines. A casino needs a mix of the two. Debra, a player from Alabama, has plenty to say about machines and chairs too. “When I first walk into a casino and look beyond the glitter and twinkle and chatter, I look at the seating. If I see row after row of backless stools, I think one of two things: these slots are tight and management doesn't expect players to remain seated at one machine long enough to become uncomfortable, or player comfort was never considered at all when seats were purchased. Thankfully, my favorite casino –The Gold Strike in Tunica--has eliminated most of their stools and replaced them with chairs with nicely padded seats and backs. These new seats are so much more comfortable after hours and hours of play. One problem is yet to be corrected --: video poker machines which have seats so low and/or machines mounted so high that players, when seated, must hold their arms and hands outstretched at near shoulder level to hit the buttons. Needless to say, this becomes excruciatingly painful after more than a few minutes play. Perhaps seats with adjustable height, or mounting the machines at a more reasonable distance from the floor would relieve this problem.”
Sounds are a very important part of a casino atmosphere. Some casinos which have ticket-in, ticket-out machines have lost the sounds of the coins (sorry, but the simulated sounds from the machine don’t cut it) and the casino is much too quiet to generate excitement of a win. According to Kathy from Ohio, “I hate a machine that is too quiet. I like to hear the sounds of the coins.” However, a casino can be too loud too. That Wheel-of-Fortune machine is enough to drive players away with its incessant “Wheel of Fortune.” Bill from California was quite emphatic, “Keep me away from that machine. I cannot stand it. I won’t play near one of them.” I agree with both of them. I like the sound of coins and I won’t play near an annoying loud Wheel-of-Fortune. It is really important to get the sound at the right level.
Often people who love to play in casinos are accompanied by spouses or friends who might enjoy a meal in a casino, but do not play. If a casino has a comfortable place to sit and perhaps read a book or just relax, the person who doesn’t gamble has a place to enjoy. That also means the couple or friends play longer because the non-gambler is not complaining. Laurie, whose husband plays in Biloxi, has comfortable places to sit in the casinos where he plays. His favorite is the Grand Casino, Biloxi. He gets to play his blackjack and she gets an enjoyable day and a good meal that she doesn’t have to cook. As she says, “We both get to enjoy the day. I relax and he gets to play the blackjack he loves.” Another casino that does a great job of providing comfortable places is Casino Windsor. There are several places with comfortable couches and good lamps for reading. Their food court area has some tables which have wonderful views of their Atrium fountain. I love spending some time there in the afternoon enjoying both a cup of coffee and the fountain for a break before I return to the games. The welcoming casino understands that providing comfortable places to relax is good for the players and it’s good for the casino too because a player who has had a break is probably going to return to play.
Often players don’t really think about all of the things that make a casino one of their favorites. They really don’t have to spend time analyzing what makes that casino work for them. What they know is that the casino feels right. They know that it is the place where they want to play. It is also the place they recommend when someone asks what casino they should visit. The welcoming casino not only gets the returning customer, but they recommend it to their friends as well. That is the reward for a casino which works at making its customers feel at home. |
