indian casinos and quality customer service programs

7/27/2019 INDIAN CASINOS AND QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAMS

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Training and Technical Assistance to Tribal Organizations

514 Monroe SE Albuquerque, NM 87108-3504

505-268-4120 505-268-4130 fax

e-mail: [email protected];

www.naresources.net

INDIAN CASINOS AND

QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAMS by Joseph Pluchinota, Ph.D.

There are several “hot” topics of interest to Indian gaming establishments; among them is the

issue of how such enterprises can best address customer satisfaction. As competition increases

among Indian casinos for basically the same local clientele, human resource managers are being

pressured to have their staff deliver friendly and helpful services to gaming customers. The task

is far from simple, and Indian gaming is not the only industry that has struggled to retain its

clientele through quality customer service deliveries.

Since the mid 1980’s, when companies and service-oriented organizations began to review their

customer satisfaction quotient, a variety of assessments have been administered to determine the

quality of their rendered customer services. Two decades later, it comes as little surprise that

recent studies still show that many managers themselves rate the quality of services to customers

as at best “fair”, and overwhelmingly rate such services as “poor”. It is ironic that when polled,

most human resource managers claim that to maintain their establishment’s competitiveness they

must rely on the quality of the organization’s staff services to customers. Yet few organizations

take the time to ask their customers if indeed the quality of services to them is exemplary or even

acceptable.

Indian casino employees need to objectively review what customers think of the people services

experienced by them. Further, casino employees must learn of the obvious relationship between

customer satisfaction and the success of the enterprise. An excellent means to bring this message

into focus (as also a crucial assessment of an employee’s performance evaluation) is for humanresource managers within Indian casinos to implement two crucial tasks: First, to assess among

their staff how they rate customer service deliveries; and, second, to assess on an on-going basis

how customers rate the quality of services rendered to them.

Regarding the first task, (i.e., assessing how staff views current customer service deliveries)

human resource managers need to be aware of what recent studies have told us about this issue.

In a recent nation-wide survey, participants (180 managers representing 86 mid to large

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companies) agreed that the quality of customer service throughout the U.S. was not very good

(17% rated it only fair or poor). Other interesting and poignant facts about the survey responses

by managers tell us the following:

· Only 57% rated “meeting customer needs” as their number one priority.

· Only 49% had implemented modalities to improve services based on customers’

suggestions or complaints (this despite an M.I.T. study that clearly showed that the best

service innovations were customer-driven).

· Only 59% of respondents make any attempt to contact lost customers

· In over 17% of represented companies, not even salespeople talk to customers; 22% of

the senior management and 29% of marketing staff also do not ta1k to customers at all.

· Only 60% report that they base their “competitive strategies” on “attention to

customers’ needs”. Ironically, at the same time 21% of respondents readily admit that true

quality service should be based on assessing customers’ perceptions; an assessment strategy

seldom implemented.

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· An amazing fact yields that 33% of respondents state that their marketing strategy aims

to produce patronage from new, as opposed to repeat, customers. Many other studies have

confirmed that, on the average, its five times more expensive to attract a new customer, than

maintaining an existing one.

The above survey should serve as a “manual’ of what Indian gaming establishments, as service-

oriented organizations, could and should be doing to improve customer focus. Some examples:

· Human resource managers should have people “contact” staff report their observations

of customer interactions on an on-going basis (only 49% of surveyed companies do this).

· The enterprise should conduct phone and mail surveys to determine customers’ wants

(42% of respondents currently utilize these methods-12% use none at all).



· Gaming establishments should make it a priority to research and share information from

customers with virtually everyone within the organizations (a very small percentage of

surveyed companies currently do this).

· Someone within the gaming establishment should be appointed as customer

“ombudsman”; entrusted to objectively represent the customer’s point of view at all relevantmeetings. (Less than 8% of respondents currently have such a post).

· Senior managers within the establishments must spend more time with customers to

personally assess perceptions on quality services. (40% of respondents state that senior

managers spend less than 2% of their time with customers).

· Indian gaming enterprises, in determining senior managers’ future compensation, should

make “customer satisfaction’ assessments a primary criterion. (Only 3% of respondents

currently do this. Of those 3%, 86% have found that this method yields amazing customer-

service improvements).

· Indian gaming establishments should utilize formal quality-improvement programs, and

individual recognition/rewards for outstanding customer-service deliveries by employees.

Training of employees on such programs remains the most effective methodology. (Only

43% of respondents employ such programs).

· Finally, Indian gaming establishments should review their promotional programs and

assess if such programs are, not only successful in drawing more clients, but also if such

programs are indeed a viable attraction to existing customers.

No doubt about it, customer satisfaction should be among the most important tasks addressed byIndian gaming employees. If the task has become an assignment to only those employees directly

on the floor with customers, the enterprise may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Quality

customer service is extremely essential in an industry that relies so heavily on both customer

satisfaction and the unquantifiable value of personal entertainment. Customer service must be

everyone’s responsibility. From upper management to whoever may be in charge of spotless

restrooms, the task of showing customers that they are “kings” and “queens” should be the

foremost requirement in everyone’s job description.

The questionnaire below addresses what research within leading industries have discovered

about how to render good service to the whimsical and capricious customer.

Culled from various customer service assessment instruments, the following questions should

form the basis of Indian gaming establishments’ own formulation (and subsequent

implementation) of a survey to be administered within their own staff. (It should be noted that, at



the very minimum, any organization’s attempt to focus on customer service improvement yields

positive, long-lasting and economic salutary results):

1. As an Indian casino, our highest priority should be...(rank from 1

[highest] to 6 [lowest]):

a. Meeting customer needs b. Service quality

c. Cost controls

d. Employee morale

e. Yielding higher profits

f. Meeting cultural expectations

2. Staff within the organization are aware of what customers think of our

service:

a. Everyone

b. Most staff members

c. Some staff members

d. Few staff members

3. We “listen” carefully to customers through the following informal

feedback systems and act on such information:

a. Observing customers at the point when must services are rendered

b. Having managers spend at least eight hours per month visiting with

customers

c. Having people “contact” personnel report their observations

d. Rotating some personnel in order to have many staff members assist

customers’ needse. No feedback system is currently utilized

4. Our casino utilizes the following research methods to determine

customers’ needs, wants and expectations (check as many as apply):

a. Phone and mail surveys

b. Feedback on advertising and promotional campaigns

c. Toll-free numbers

d. Business-reply cards

e. No methods exist

5. Our casino utilizes the above research methods:a. Monthly

b. Occasionally

c. Quarterly

d. Once per year

e. Never



6. The following departments within the casino receive, utilize and

implement feedback received on the above research (check as many as apply):

a. Senior management

b. Human resource development/personnel

c. Marketing/promotion

d. Operations managemente. Financial management

f. Tribal liaison offices

g. Gaming commissions

h. Security

7. The percentage of our services improvements based on customer

suggestions/complaints is:

a. Less than 24%

b. 25-50%

c. 51-75%

d. More than 75%

8. When we are able to assess that a customer or a group of customers have

been lost, we implement the following (check as many as apply):

a. Find out why they’ve been lost by contacting them, if possible

b. Find out why by contacting pertinent staff members

c. Usually know whyd. Take other action

e. Do nothing

9. The following casino departments interact directly and on an on-going

basis with customers (check as many as apply):

a. Senior management

b. Human resource development/personnel

c. Marketing/promotion

d. Operations management

e. Financial management

f. Tribal liaison officesg. Gaming commission

h. Security

10. Competitive strategies within our casino are based on the following…(1

[highest]- 5 [lowest]):

a. Attention to customers’ needs

b. Location and access



c. Technological or games’ innovations

d. Prices

e. Aggressive promotions/marketing

f. A culturally faithful environment

11. Customers view us as an Indian enterprise/casino known for its . . .(1[highestj-5 [lowest]):

a. Attention to customers’ needs

b. Location and access

c. Technological or games’ innovations

d. Prices

e. Aggressive promotions/marketing strategies

f. A culturally faithful environment

12. Our casino’s marketing strategy aims to produce and maintain maximum

patronage through:

a. New customers

b. Existing customers

c. Winning back lost customers

13. The amount of business our casino gets from repeat customers is:

a. Under 25%

b. 25-50%

c. 51-75%

d. Over 75%

14. The amount of time senior managers (define) spend interacting with

customers is:

a. Almost none

b. 10%

c. 25%

d. Over 25%

15. Senior managers’ compensation within the casino, is closely based on the

following criteria [1 highest]-5 [lowest]):

a. Goal achievement

b. Revenue generated

c. Customer satisfaction

d. Employee satisfaction



e. Relationship with the tribal Council/Gaming commission

16. Our casino has the following systems or departments to ensure quality

customer satisfaction:

a. A complaint department

b. A tribal-casino liaison officer c. Problem-solving teams to address causes of customer dissatisfaction

d. Customer service office within the human resource department

e. An individual recognition/reward program for exceptional customer service

17. Overall, would you agree that your casino ranks customer satisfaction as

more important than profit margin?

a. Agree

b. Disagree

c. Do not know

18. Most casinos within the Indian gaming industry compete on:

a. Price/promotional schemes

b. Service quality

c. Attention to customers’ needs

d. Technological/games innovation

e. Location of the casino

19. As a consumer myself, I would rate the quality of customer service in this

country as:

a. Excellent b. Good

c. Fair

d. Poor

20. Most of this country’s service enterprises consider customer satisfaction a

top priority

a. Agree

b. Disagree

c. Do not know

The above survey instrument, with proper modifications, should be administered to Indian casinostaff to assess their own evaluation of the need for good customer services. As Indian gaming

makes strides to capture a higher percentage of the available market, and as tribal enterprises

strive to provide additional services to their customers, the need to review the quality of such

deliveries becomes increasingly important. Conversely, a lack of focus on good customer service

programs will become an issue easily exploited by competitors. The capital outlay to implement

customer service programs, and to conduct pertinent survey to assess the current status of such

services, is relatively minor; the rewards, however, can prove enormous.

indian casinos and quality customer service programs

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