Five ways to improve your guest service so it is extremely powerful and effective
Okay, you’ve probably finalized that horrendous year-end task of budgeting … YAY for you! Or, you’re still creating a new one. Now is the time when we reflect on the past year and start planning for the next.
Which is why I wanted to take a moment to remind you to remember the people: the most important part of your operation. And more significantly, the service your people deliver to your guests every day. That service is what drives everything you have, from loyal locals, to word-of-mouth newcomers, to the tourists responding to your often brilliant marketing strategies. (They are brilliant, aren’t they?) Without quality service, we will fail as a property, a business, even as an entire industry. Because, in the end, the gaming experience is nothing more than a feeling created by a whole host of things that boil down to one thing … Guest Service.
So make this year the Year of Service at your property.
It isn’t as hard as you think and it only requires the marketing and operational skills that you already possess. It can also be done surprisingly affordably, depending on the scope of your program and where your service sits right now (of course if it is terrible, then it ain’t gonna be cheap to fix). But let’s face it, who really has terrible service? From good to almost great, most properties these days have pretty good service, and I am sure that you are one of them. So let’s not fix what isn’t broken. Let’s just improve it, with an effective and powerful Year of Service program.
Here are FIVE things that you need to make this year your Year of Service:
- Internal Marketing Program Do you already have a branded service program? Then let’s freshen up those internal marketing tactics and come out with a new and improved look for next year. Don’t have an existing service program? Then let’s start one with a simple brand (name), a logo, and some internal signage and collateral to promote it to your team on a daily basis.
- Year of Service Debut Let’s roll out your year of service with a bang, including a service pep rally with prizes, gifts and fun stuff; a dedication to service in the new year; and some basic service standards that will anchor your program and focus the employees on service skills. You know, simple stuff, like saying “hello” and “goodbye” to EVERYONE that they meet, greet, or serve.
- Regular Updates and Training Okay, how do we keep it going for the whole year? Simple, just build in regular updates, training sessions, pep rallies, etc. From short and simple pre-shift meetings to bringing in outside trainers to present new and exciting materials, there are many ways that this can be done. And many are simple, inexpensive and powerful.
- A Guest Component Don’t forget the most important part of the equation: your guests. Can we spend some time talking to them during the year? How about a focus group or customer advisory board program? Again, it doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. Keep it simple, but direct. Ask the guests what they like and don’t like, what they want, and what they need in the service that you deliver to them.
- Measurement Okay, it might be nice if you could actually measure the results of your efforts. Did service improve? Did the guest satisfaction ratings on your surveys go up? Did employees score higher in their service standards than before? Is revenue in key player segments increasing? Decreasing? Staying flat? Are player trips increasing? How about average spend per trip or time on property per trip? With better service, those numbers should improve as people spend more time and more money with each visit.
There you have it, five things you can do to make 2017 your Year of Service. All it takes is the desire, some elbow grease, some creativity, and the engagement of everyone on property, and you too, will have a great year full of great results.
Oh, and by the way, if you need help with any of the items on this checklist, then give us a call, because Raving can help. We offer service tune-ups and reviews that are inexpensive, take us right to your property, and give you not just Strategic Recommendations, but actual Action Items that you can perform immediately. Email [email protected] for more information or give her a holler at 775-329- 7864.
More importantly, our “Year of Service” program includes all of the above items and more, and can be customized to your property in a way that will set you on the path of delivering an improved (and more profitable) service product in the New Year. So whaddya waiting for? Let’s make 2017 a year to remember.
