Inside Asian Gaming

August 2015 inside asian gaming 39 CASINO MARKETING most certainly want the line to move quickly, but does a couple of extra seconds spent giving a customer a smile, perhaps welcoming them back or wishing them the best of luck, really driving your costs or are they driving your relationships? Operating successfully for the long term most certainly requires a delicate balance of efficiency and effectiveness. Just remember that it is a balance and not all about efficiency. CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Most mature player development programs have a well- articulated set of goals for each member of the team. Typically, these include new member, reactivating customers and filling vents, among others. More than likely, you’re giving your hosts these goals and basic information about customers: visits, ADT, preferred games, etc. Robust CRM systems can turn a customer from an account number and ADT to a person with wants, needs and desires. Rather than using your systems to track number of calls, take a look at the information you’re collecting and how that might help make a future visit more rewarding to both the customer and the casino. Use your systems to understand and nurture those high-worth customers. Relationships must be defined by more than ADT. DIRECT MAIL There is gold in your database. Your decliners and inactives are your best source of revenue. Ask yourself, “How much revenue can you bring in if you get only 1% of those customers back for a visit?” What if you can get 2%? 5%? 10%? This will take time and will absolutely be where your general manager’s patience is tested. For whatever reason, you have a segment of customers that have chosen to visit less often or not to return. It’s fair to assume they haven’t had a great experience. To regain this customer, you first need to do an internal audit of your offerings, services, facilities and staff... honestly. Then, audit your competitors. You must identify both the improvements you have made since their last visit(s) and the improvements you can make now. This should be done before you drop an offer in the mail. Once you have a new story to tell, then bring in your direct mail team to understand what the optimal offer might be. Combine that with the right message to see an improvement in this segment. GAMING OPTIONS CUSTOMERS WANT Hear me out. I am a marketer, specifically, a brand marketer. I believe that every part of the experience is the brand promise. That belief typically puts me in a lonely spot during any slot hold discussion. Yes, I believe that customers cannot tell each time the hold is inched tighter and tighter. No, I do not believe that customers can tell you what the hold is. However, I am a consumer; and while I may not notice the price of milk going up a penny or that steak I love costing $1.00 more since my last visit, I can tell that I used to do something for X amount of dollars and now I pay more. By the same token, I firmly believe that our customers know when their budget just doesn’t last as long as it used to. It’s the same “a dollar doesn’t go far anymore” feeling you get when you go shopping. Marketing may help ease the sting by offering free slot play, but then Call centers are rewarded for resolving calls quickly. The faster the resolution, the more calls an operator can handle. The more calls an operator can handle, the lower our cost per call. But what if we thought about making the cost a cost per relationship? Would you want to short-change the time spent building a relationship?