Zero. Zip. Zilch. That’s how often guests will return to a casino if it provides poor service. That’s also how much value guests place on poor service. But that’s also how much it costs to provide some forms of quality service.
 
Casino employees who give lousy guest service can’t expect people to come back again and again to play. They certainly can’t expect guests to become advocates for their property. If you want your casino to compete and succeed, you simply must provide outstanding customer service. Everybody suffers if you don’t – you, the casino and your customers.
 
Let’s take a closer look at these three important words.
 
Zero. That’s the amount people tip when they get bad service. Why in the world should they give a tip if they don’t get the service they demand and deserve? You can’t blame them for that. When you provide great service, it means money in your pocket. Guests are willing to pay for a great gaming experience. After all, they’re visiting your property to be entertained and have fun. You are compensated for being part of the entertainment. Going above and beyond with service is important to you, your guests and your pocketbook.
 
There’s another benefit to employees. You’re just like a guest – you want to enjoy yourself and be treated with respect. Providing great guest service will help you feel better about yourself. I don’t think you can place a monetary value on that.
 
As I said, zero is the number of times the guest wants to come back and experience your property’s poor service yet again. If your service is lousy, you’ve failed to give the guest a reason to come back, and your property and your personal livelihood cannot afford that. Competition in the gaming industry is growing by the minute and there isn’t a single property that can say it doesn’t matter if it has good service. Guests have too many entertainment choices.
 
Properties with poor guest service make zero profits. They just don’t make any money. Perhaps I exaggerate, but it is true that guests vote with their pocketbooks. You need to make sure you’re getting their vote for your property with great guest service.
 
Zilch. Zilch is slang for nothing. That’s how much value a guest places on poor service – nothing, nada, zilch. Guests want to be amazed. They want to have a great experience and they want to remember how wonderful it all was. Unfortunately, if they get zilch for service, they’ll remember the negative more than the positive. So treat your guests like kings and queens. Treat them like they are the most important people on the property. Actually, they are!
 
Zip. That’s what it costs to give a guest a smile, say hello and glow with a positive attitude. That’s how much it costs to be proactive and anticipate guests’ needs before they ask for something. That’s the cost of paying attention and listening closely when guests talk to you. Those gems of outstanding customer service cost absolutely nothing and they can pay huge dividends. So instead of giving your guests zip, let them know they are appreciated.

Martin R. Baird is chief executive officer of Robinson & Associates, Inc., a customer service consulting firm that helps casinos worldwide determine their Advocate Index, a number that indicates the extent to which properties have guests who are willing to be advocates, and then implements its Advocate Development System to create more guest advocates and generate future growth and profitability. Robinson & Associates may be reached at mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com or 480-991-6420. The company Web sites are www.advocatedevelopmentsystem.com and www.casinocustomerservice.com.