Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | November 2011 26 the opening of VIP slot lounges in Macau with more privacy, more personal service, exclusive jackpots, we were also the first gaming operator in Asia to implement a player tracking system. This enables us to have a more comprehensive understanding of the preferences of our members. What they like, why they like it—especially, when our patrons are loyal and regular players, they are not one time players. Giving customers what they need takes the form of product selection. Although our patrons choose games according to the underlying math and volatility, they tend to stick to their tried and trusted favourites. There are quite a few machines that have been offered at Mocha Clubs since the early years, and you can see those machines at Mocha only. Can you tell us more about how you keep your players loyal? Yes, I think, loyalty is the most valuable asset that we could ever have. The likes of the big casinos have a much greater range of in-property offerings to draw on for their rewards programmes. Because of our constraints, we always have to think out of the box to find some more innovative giveaways to our patrons. We have established a very strong network with external vendors, from petrol stations, supermarkets, popular Chinese restaurants, popular dessert houses, to the suppliers of optical products and Chinese delicacies such as bird’s nest. I can say that Mocha Clubs provides the most variety of redemption items to our members. And also with our comparatively cosy venues, we cultivate a club atmosphere. Our membership card is more like a private club than a casino loyalty program. Our staff will greet customers when they come in by name and they have memorised the preferences of the patrons from their favourite games to their favourite food and beverage. We try to make every visit of the patrons as treasured and enjoyable as possible. In addition, we provide a wide range of privileges and benefits to our members, from hotel rooms, shows, restaurants of our sister properties, ferry tickets, meals at local eateries, and discounts at a variety of shops to the personalised special redemption items. We also host regular and seasonal gatherings tailored to different tiers of members, such as dinner gatherings ahead of major festivals, hairy crab feast, etc. Mocha Clubs’ parent company, of course, is Melco Crown, which also operates City of Dreams and Altira. Do you have any plans to work more closely with Melco Crown going forward? Yeah, definitely. Actually, we had been working very closely with City of Dreams and Altira to leverage on all the resources and amenities of Melco Crown to maximise the value that we can offer to our patrons. Not long ago, we launched our joint slot tournament where we had over 100 VIP players from Mocha Clubs and the Signature Club of City of Dreams during the competition, and the feedback is very positive. I think we will still keep working very closely to have more synergies and to provide a more premium gaming experience and more entertainment choices to our patrons. INSIGHTS