A recent trip to Las Vegas for some quick R&R reminded me of the importance of capitalizing on every opportunity to exceed expectations as well as proper staff training in all departments and all levels. (I will omit the name of the property/casino in this story, but will reveal this information to anyone who emails me a kind note.)
For most, staying in Las Vegas means some casino gaming, whether perfunctory, addictive or all in between. I am not an avid gambler, so an annual trip seems to suffice in getting this urge satiated. Hoping that fortunes would improve outside of the casino of my residential hotel, I ventured next door to see if a change of venue would offer a more positive turn in fortunes.
I play a card game that gives the house a modest advantage of about 8% on the odds. Undaunted, I sat down at a table and handed over a few hundred dollars for some chips. The rules of this game are not overly complex. You place an ante on the table and if you like your hand you can match or triple the ante with a bet. Those who elect not to bet can fold and leave the ante with the house.
It was early in the morning and this casino was rather slow with their coffee service. After several passed hands, I was dealt what appeared to my eyes to be a pair of queens; a good hand worthy of a bet to which I did. After the play, it was revealed by the dealer that I also had a flush, a hand which would clearly be a triple bet opportunity.
The dealer said she had to see what her crew chief would say. She wanted to allow me to triple my bet after the fact. In effect, I would be allowed to bet an additional $30 and gain $30 from the house. This had happened to me once before at another casino where I made a similar mistake. I guess the coffee had yet to kick in or I am just not good at looking at cards.
The crew chief looked at the cards and declined, refusing me to up the bet after the fact. The dealer apologized and said (and I quote), “I’m sorry. I don’t make the rules here. I would gladly have allowed you to up your bet, but the crew chief is a real tight ass and he just doesn’t understand the business we’re in…to make guests happy.”
That dealer should get a new employer and fast! Here’s why…
I paused for a moment after this miniscule mishap because here was a frontline staffer that understood what service was all about. I say ‘miniscule’ because this wasn’t really a slight against me; the crew chief was simply following the rules. However, it was an opportunity lost. Here was a strikingly clear chance for the casino to exceed my preset expectations of them following the rules to a tee and prove that they genuinely cared about my wellbeing.
See, the multimillion (maybe billion) dollar corporation that owned the casino would not even be able to find $30 in a rounding error on its tax returns let alone an extra $30 loss to some confused, two-bit gambler (me). Hence, the crew chief’s decision couldn’t really be measured as a strong financial contribution to the bottom line.
His decision was wrong on two counts. First, he did not support the line staffer’s recommendation, rejecting the request in front of both her and the guest. This can be quite demoralizing, but it may also ensure that this employee never even attempts to make decisions on their own because they don’t feel empowered to do so. Second, the crew chief made a decision that was not in favor of the guest – as already mentioned, an opportunity lost to make me, the guest in this case, a tad bit happier. By not exceeding my expectations, there was nothing in this casino that stood out as exceptional and nothing to cement a return visit.
I am not going to write a nasty review for the press, nor will I chastise this individual. Like most consumers, I simply won’t shop (that is, gamble) there again. There are simply too many other options for me to explore on The Strip, so why would I spend my time with a provider that don’t treat me as anything special?
I raise this in an article for the purposes of explaining how these small exchanges can easily shift from opportunities lost to opportunities gained, bolstering both return visits and positive word of mouth. I also wrote this article to reemphasize proper staff training. Think about how your frontline staffers relate to their managers. Consider your training programs and your approach to delegation of responsibility. Empowerment is a powerful tool when you motivate line staff to act in the guest’s best interest.
Remember, you are not in the business of selling rooms or selling food or selling spa packages or putting chips into a casino’s gigantic coffers. No matter your individual task, you are there to make guests happy, and any small interaction that lends itself to that purpose will pay out tenfold in the long-term.
About the author
Larry Mogelonsky (larry@lma.net) is the president and founder of LMA Communications Inc. (www.lma.ca), an award-winning, full service communications agency focused on the hospitality industry (est. 1991). Larry is also the developer of Inn at a Glance hospitality software. As a recognized expert in marketing services, his experience encompasses Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Preferred Hotels & Resorts, as well as numerous independent properties throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Larry is a registered professional engineer, and received his MBA from McMaster University. He’s also an associate of G7 Hospitality, a member of Cayuga Hospitality Advisors and Laguna Strategic Advisors. Larry’s latest anthology book entitled “Llamas Rule” and his first book “Are You an Ostrich or a Llama?” are available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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