Casinos Are Beautiful, Fun and Exciting Places to Visit; Working There Must Be A Dream Come True -- Right? Wrong!

The casino business is wonderful, right? Employees work in splendid buildings. Casinos attract beautiful people who go there to have fun and relax. So how difficult could it be for employees to provide outstanding guest service?

Casinos Are Beautiful, Fun and Exciting Places to Visit;
Working There Must Be A Dream Come True -- Right? Wrong!

For Immediate Release
Dec. 19, 2002
Contact: Tom Ellis
Ellis Communications, L.L.C.
Phone (623) 780-4558

The casino business is wonderful, right? Employees work in splendid buildings. Casinos attract beautiful people who go there to have fun and relax. So how difficult could it be for employees to provide outstanding guest service?

Unfortunately, the answer is that it can be very hard," says Martin R. Baird, president of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Robinson & Associates, Inc., a guest service consulting firm for the gaming industry. A casino can be a wonderful, exciting place for the guest but it can be a very challenging place when it comes to working and providing service. Sometimes, having a simple smile for a guest is a real effort."

Baird offers the following five tips on the importance of providing great guest service under difficult circumstances.

Number 1: War stories are legion among casino employees but thats no excuse for poor service. It doesnt mean that service is less important, just harder to do," Baird says.

Number 2: Guest service is so important for competitive reasons that casinos simply must find ways to overcome obstacles presented by guests. Some guests dont
make it easy," Baird notes. Some would challenge the most patient person in the world. Still, great service must be provided. There are no exceptions."

Number 3: Everyone who works at a casino must understand that the guest who just walked through the door is the most important person on the property. Guests are the key to the casinos success.

Number 4: Everyone must understand that they are directly affected by the kind of experience guests have while they are on the property. The livelihood of every employee, whether or not they have direct guest contact, is at stake," Baird points out.

Number 5: Casinos must give each employee, from senior management on down, the tools they need to make the guests visit so incredible that they remember more than just the beautiful building and the bright lights.

To guests, casinos look like they should be an easy place to work," Baird says. Those in the know -- the employees -- understand that a casino job is tough. It will not get easier."

Owned by Lydia and Martin Baird, Robinson & Associates, Inc., is a guest service consulting firm that provides specialty guest service training, management skills training, presentation skills training, team building programs and employee incentive and recognition programs for the gaming industry. The Bairds have a Web site, www.casinocustomerservice.com, thats devoted to helping casinos improve their guest service so they can compete and increase revenues. Robinson & Associates may be reached by contacting Lydia at 480-991-6421 or at lbaird@casinocustomerservice.com. Robinson & Associates is a member of the Casino Management Association and an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Association.

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