• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Saturday 6 September 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

An Effective Antidote for Turbulent Times

Sudhir H. Kalé, Ph.D. by Sudhir H. Kalé, Ph.D.
Mon 28 Jan 2019 at 18:14
An Effective Antidote for Turbulent Times
7
SHARES
171
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

All things considered, 2018 was a good year for Macau gaming operators. Casino revenues rose to US$37.6 billion, a 14% increase over the previous year. However, analysts warn that the industry could be facing strong headwinds for 2019 and beyond. Increasing regional competition, uncertainty over license renewal, unresolved US-China trade tensions and President Xi’s periodic moves to reign in corruption are some of the factors that could adversely impact gaming revenues in Macau.

There is but one certainty – we will not witness the remarkable revenue growth in the coming decade that we saw in the decade immediately after Macau opened its doors to foreign operators. With the revenue tide ebbing, the six concessionaries in Macau will have to carve out a strong consumer franchise if they are to survive and prosper. All operators have already cut costs significantly and the only way to shore up the balance sheet in future will be to increase revenues. The two segments that are prime candidates for revenue enhancement are the Mass and Premium Mass segments. The way to attract and retain these two groups of customers is by offering them a distinctive customer experience (CX).

OFFERING SUPERIOR CX

While over 90% of all businesses claim to compete primarily on the basis of CX, the percentage of consumers who feel that their providers offer an outstanding customer experience is in single digits. This disconnect conveys two shortcomings on the part of providers – one, businesses are unable to translate their objective of providing a superior CX into reality, and two, businesses are not gauging the voice of their customers (VoC).

Designing a superior CX should start with a map of the current experience offered to key customer segments. Sometimes, this process is referred to as service blueprinting or customer journey mapping. A service blueprint could be described as a service roadmap – a tangible, visual document that lays out where and how your customers interact with your business. It is an information-laden visual document that makes the customer-company relationship and the customer experience crystal clear.

Once the current-state blueprints are designed, management needs to assess which touchpoints (points of interaction between the provider and customer) need fixing. After fixing the “fail points” management can direct its attention to creating touchpoints that offer superior value to customers in a way that cannot be easily duplicated by competitors.

Of all the methodologies for enhancing CX, blueprints have proved to the most effective. Currently, three of the six major casino operators in Macau are using service blueprints to positive effect.

VoC INITIATIVES

Voice of the Customer (VoC) is a term that describes your customers’ feedback about their experiences with and expectations of your products or services. I have seen VoC initiatives scuttled at some prominent properties in Macau because management convinces itself that the company offers the best CX to their customers or because management feels that customers will be offended if their feedback on CX is asked for. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

The sole judge of customer experience quality is the customer. VoC initiatives are therefore indispensable for monitoring the customer experience. Typical VoC methods include traditional means such as Call Center transcripts, customer satisfaction surveys and focus groups as well as some recent revolutionary methods such as Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) and use of AI for data analysis and prediction of customer behavior.

To summarize, CX will be the key differentiator between successful and not-so-successful casino operators in Macau and Asia. Companies aspiring to be in the former category are urged to engage in service blueprinting and VoC initiatives.

RelatedPosts

MGM Cotai

Bill Hornbuckle: Macau promotional environment now locked in place despite rapid return of VIPs

Fri 5 Sep 2025 at 06:45
A New Macau

Macau GGR now seen hitting US$31.8 billion as Jefferies again upgrades 2025 revenue forecast

Fri 5 Sep 2025 at 05:40
Galaxy Macau signs four-year strategic partnership to bring UFC events to Galaxy Arena

Galaxy Macau signs four-year strategic partnership to bring UFC events to Galaxy Arena

Thu 4 Sep 2025 at 12:13
Ng Wai Han named as first ever female director of Macau’s gaming regulator

Staffing ratio of locals within Macau’s gaming industry in focus as DICJ promotes two more department heads from Labour Affairs Bureau

Wed 3 Sep 2025 at 14:26
Load More
Share3Share
Sudhir H. Kalé, Ph.D.

Sudhir H. Kalé, Ph.D.

Sudhir H. Kalé, Ph.D., is the CEO of GamePlan Consultants, a boutique consultancy that helps companies optimize CX for customers. He has advised gaming companies on five continents and has published over 100 articles on the marketing and management of casinos. You can reach him at skale@gameplanconsultants.com.

Current Issue

Editorial – Flipping the script

Editorial – Flipping the script

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 12:30

This month represents an important milestone for Inside Asian Gaming as we launch IAG EXPO – an expansion of the...

Asia market roundup

Asia market roundup

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 12:26

Inside Asian Gaming takes a deep dive into the state of Asia-Pacific’s key gaming markets: who’s hot, who’s not and...

Rewriting the rules

Rewriting the rules

by Newsdesk
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 11:43

IAG EXPO, taking place at Newport World Resorts from 8 to 10 September, is not your usual trade show. IAG...

Test of character

Test of character

by Newsdesk
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 11:28

Since its establishment in 1989, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has developed into the world’s most trusted name when it comes...

Evolution Asia
Your browser does not support HTML5 video.
Aristocrat
GLI
Nustar
SABA
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
NWR
NWR

Related Posts

Editorial – Flipping the script

Editorial – Flipping the script

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 12:30

This month represents an important milestone for Inside Asian Gaming as we launch IAG EXPO – an expansion of the series of events that we’ve run in Manila for the past two years via the addition of the first ever...

Asia market roundup

Asia market roundup

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 12:26

Inside Asian Gaming takes a deep dive into the state of Asia-Pacific’s key gaming markets: who’s hot, who’s not and where will the surprises come from in the near-term? The pandemic years are now a distant memory, and the Asia-Pacific...

Betting on innovation

Betting on innovation

by Ryan Hong-Wai Ho
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 11:18

The rise of baccarat side bets brings with it the opportunity for operators to create added value – but there is also the risk of value deterioration if players deem the new options to be too complicated or to yield...

Editorial – Better late than never

Editorial – Better late than never

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 31 Jul 2025 at 07:13

Inside Asian Gaming has in recent weeks been hearing increasing chatter around a possible move by Vietnamese authorities to introduce enhanced locals gaming to the market. Although such rumors have made the rounds before, inquires have confirmed that the chatter...

Your browser does not support the video tag.


IAG

© 2005-2025
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • 日本語

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • 日本語
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2025
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • English
  • 日本語