Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | October 2009 36 I see a lot of stupid stuff at casinos. I try to point it out every chance I get. But no matter how much I complain in my writing or in my consulting or as “just another customer,” the stuff just seems to endure. Or new stupid stuff mutates. It’s like trying to stamp out the latest version of the flu. There’s obviously no good vaccine for stupid stuff. I will admit that casinos have made some progress on stupid stuff. For instance, you don’t see as many snarling security officers (or “rules of prohibited conduct”) at casino entrances anymore. And more dealers are now welcoming players to their tables before they inspect for counterfeit currency. But it seems it’s kind of like fixing the leaks in a dam—plug one hole and two more leaks pop up somewhere else. The same with that dastardly stupid stuff. And while you may accuse me of only sharing my “pet peeves” here, I assure you that I’m not the only one who has them. Not-so-fine lines Hey, Ms Cage Manager, I know you’re trying to serve your “internal customers” when you allow your employees to transact their business in the same lines that serve casino customers. But have you ever watched the look on your customers’ faces when they have to wait for an end-of-shift cocktail server to cash out her $112.50 in tips—made up of chips, tokens, coin and currency—with some casual conversation thrown in as well? Get an “employee only” window and get it out of public view. Greetings from the building Mr Marketing Guru, you have gotten pretty good at sending me birthday greetings, anniversary greetings, holiday seasons greetings, even “thanks for joining the players club” greetings. But why do you usually sign these cards and notes with the name of the building (“The _____ Hotel Casino”)? Or some generic term like “staff” or “management”? Don’t you people have names? And you might even think about having these notes signed by an employee that I’ll actually see, like a host or a players’ club rep or a slot service person. Sure, I’d like to get a personal note from your GM, if I ever had a chance to actually meet the person. Whine (with no cheese) Listen, you casino department heads, I come to your casino, at least in part, to get away from everyday worries for a few hours. So when I have to listen to your employees complaining to each other about recent layoffs or stupid new rules or the lack of employee raises for the last two years, well, it just makes me feel that I’m at work, not at play. And when they do it in Spanish (or Tagalog or Mandarin or Casino Marketing Even More Stupid Stuff Dennis Conrad points out a few casino marketing ideas that don’t quite make sense A Sure Bet Log onto www.asgam.com for the latest industry intelligence and a subscription to our digital edition — all absolutely free.