Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | August 2013 20 Is there a distinct course of training that goes into serving high-limit players? Are employees trained specifically to work in an area like the Pavilion Club? There’s a gaming-specific course. But, you know, honestly, I would say serving a premium mass gaming customer or serving a customer in a very expensive restaurant is actually very similar. There is no rule book. You’ve got to be able to walk up and read the difference between the customer who wants his meal in 40 minutes and the customer who wants his meal in two hours. And if you’re really good you don’t have to ask that question, you just know the answer. The premium mass customers are the same. Some customers like the staff to be very engaging with them and talk to them, and some customers prefer to be left alone while they gamble. The key is having a staff that can tell the difference. And that comes down to employing the very best people, giving them excellent training, and ensuring every single person at Galaxy Macau is committed to our “World Class, Asian Heart” service standards. That’s what makes coming to Galaxy Macau an outstanding experience, whether you are a gamer or non-gamer, a premium Pavilion player or on the main gaming floor. What about player development staff? In the absence of junkets, their role would be vital. How does this work when it comes to an elite player who happens to be a cash player. Well, it’s very important. These people work for us. These are the people that have the relationships directly with our customers and, again, they have to deliver our “World Class, Asian Heart” service in a way that is appropriate to each individual customer. They provide a highly personalized service and they work really hard to make the customers aware of all the amenities available to them at Galaxy Macau. Often they will introduce the customers to Galaxy Macau and they are instrumental in ensuring that the customer returns. So they’re a very important part of the team. In terms of average bet size, for Galaxy Macau where does mass end and premium mass begin? The price points are basically the same around town. But most places consider pretty much a limit above 2,000 [Hong Kong] dollars to be premium mass. “Asian heart service,” I think that we are at the head of the industry in terms of quality. But we still need to work very hard to stay ahead of the competition. The segment is growing every bit as fast as the premium table customers, so we just need to keep offering them the superior service, the great experience, and all the extra amenities that we’re providing to the table customers. The Pavilion High Limit Slots was created for this very reason, offering a luxuriously designed area where members can indulge in an exclusive slot machine experience with a variety of popular games, as well as progressive and mystery jackpots. Premium slot players were particularly pleased to see the premium attention, commitment and due respect that we have given to high- limit slot players with the establishment of this exclusive, private, and dedicated slot gaming area. It’s been very well received and has certainly met the players’ increasingly sophisticated expectations. What do spaces like that and like Pavilion Club say about the changing expectations and preferences of these players? It’s interesting. It’s not so much about what they expect or what they’ll settle for, but what they deserve. Five years ago, there was no such thing as somebody who bet 20,000 or 30,000 or 40,000 [Hong Kong] dollars on the mass gaming floor. All of that betting was done in VIP rooms. Now there are players who bet 200,000 and 300,000 and 400,000 a hand in mass gaming. And those players not only expect but they deserve a superior experience. And that’s what Pavilion Club High Limits gives them. It has all the amenities of the VIP room, because the people gambling in there are gambling at exactly the same level. So, obviously, there is a need for this at Galaxy Macau. Did it originate with player feedback or was it based on Galaxy’s own observations? I would say almost 90% player feedback. And then some information on where we believe the market is headed. But it was our customers telling us they wanted an even more exclusive experience, an even more luxurious experience, and it’s our job to listen to them and then to deliver that. We’ve got to continue to offer a superior experience, and a superior experience means what the customer wants. How do you create that experience? Strategically speaking, what are its key elements? I think most important is service. Our guests need good service. And good service means different things to different guests. Here at Galaxy Macau we believe in a level of attention to detail which we call our signature “World Class, Asian Heart” service. Some guests want to be extensively pampered and constantly have things delivered to them. For example: some guests just want a cup of hot tea. The key to delivering a highly attentive experience is having staff that can deliver that level of personalized and sincere service. Anyone can build a beautiful gaming room. Not everyone can have staff that can deliver a first-class gaming experience. I think that’s the key differentiator. So training, the fostering of a distinct corporate culture, these would be fundamental to the strategy? Our employees are by far our most important asset, and we continue to invest in them, training them, helping them to learn how to do their jobs even better. We have an entire department devoted just to training. They train the new employees, and they also increase the skill sets of the existing employees. After all, it is our employees that are the embodiment of our unique “World Class, Asian Heart” approach that forms the real personality and culture of Galaxy Macau. We are warm, respectful, attentive, but passionate too. Everything we do come from the heart and it is very important that we are seen to be transparent, honest and trustworthy and always sincere. INSIGHTS “Macau right now is largely a southeastern China destination. And we want to grow to be a worldwide resort destination. Of those premium mass customers a lot of them are from various countries around Asia, whether it’s Singapore or Korea or Indonesia.”