Get Employees Off Autopilot and Improve Your Guest Service

By Martin R. Baird

I was recently reminded of a common saying that my friends and I used often in high school and college:  “Money talks and stories walk!”  We didn’t use the word “stories” but I think you get the point. 

This phrase of bygone years came to mind while I was chatting with some casino managers.  They were brainstorming about ways to make training “stick.”  You know, how do you get employees to use their new guest-service skills after training and not just talk about them?

With more than seven years of experience helping casinos develop and promote a guest-service culture, I’ve learned a few things that will help make guest service a way of life on the job and not just a topic of discussion. 

Improving guest service is not about rocket science, it’s about changing behavior and helping people experience a new way of doing things.  If people have always done things a certain way, it’s a habit.  When we do things out of sheer habit, we’re functioning on autopilot.  Think of driving to a store that you’ve been to hundreds of times.  When you drive home from the store, do you mentally plan what you must do every inch of the way to reach your destination?  It happens to all of us.  We’re home and can’t really remember how we got there.  We were on autopilot and made it home safely with little or no real thought.

So to improve guest service, you need to get people to shed old habits and adopt new ones.  That is often easier said than done.  People are creatures of habit and change is not something they eagerly seek.  They like to do things the familiar way because it’s easy.

Let’s look at some techniques that can help switch off your employees’ autopilot.

1 – Money talks,  If you want to change a behavior, CASH is a good way to get people’s attention.  Getting your employees to perform the basic behavior of smiling should be simple enough, right?  Think again.  I’m amazed every day at the number of people who don’t smile while they’re at work.  I’m not talking about people who have serious, demanding jobs like brain surgeons.  I’m talking about people who work at floral shops, rental-car companies and even gifting companies.

People listen when money is involved.  Money talks and people are suddenly focused.  I’m not saying people are greedy, but if you want them to do something new, make it worth their while.  Give them something they can spend on Friday night and you’re on the right track.

2 – Be a leader for your employees.  During its more challenging times, Chrysler aired a famous TV commercial in which Lee Iacocca walked on screen and said, “Lead, follow or get out of the way!”  When it comes to making guest service improvement, two of the three are not options.  It takes leaders and leadership.  Most people are followers and they look for someone who can lead them to a better place.  Casino management needs to be the leadership force that their employees are drawn to.

If employees see people in management performing the desired guest-service behaviors – smiling at guests and coworkers, for example – they notice it.  They may not verbalize it in a positive way, but it’s noticed.  For example, you may hear them say things like, “I’d smile, too, if I got paid as much as she does.”  or “They don’t work grave yard; it’s easy to smile.” or “they don’t have to work, so all they have to do is smile.”

These comments are actually positive.  They notice that you are different in a good way.  Thinking about guest service may start with little digging comments, but it needs to start somewhere.

Lead by example because even when you don’t think a coworker or guest is looking, they are and they can learn from you and your behavior.

3 – Finally, look at your fun factor.  Are your people – and you, too – having fun doing what they do?  If someone dreads the day-to-day activities of their job, it’s very difficult to get them to help your guests have a great gaming experience.

“Can’t we do stuff as a group?”  I hear that comment a lot while I’m around casino employees.  I’m amazed at how often these people want to be together, even after working long shifts and crazy hours.  They become a family and, as such, they want to do social things together.  Having four fun events a year helps raise the fun-o-meter.  Your people want to have the opportunity to blow off steam and talk with friends in a nonworking environment.

Look for ways to inject fun into your property on a regular basis.  These don’t have to be huge galas.  They can be something as simple as softball and hot dogs.  Adding fun on a regular basis will affect people in a positive way.

Money still talks but it takes an organized effort to make guest service improvements.  The quest for better guest service is a never-ending battle that can be won.

Martin R. Baird is president of Robinson & Associates, Inc., a guest service consulting firm based in Phoenix, Ariz., that provides specialty guest service training, management skills training, presentation skills training, team building programs and employee incentive and recognition programs for the gaming industry.  The company is owned by Lydia and Martin Baird.  The Bairds have a Web site, www.casinocustomerservice.com, that’s devoted to helping casinos improve their guest service so they can compete and increase revenues.  Robinson & Associates may be reached by contacting Martin at 480-991-6420 or at mbaird@casinocustomerservice.com.  The company is a member of the Casino Management Association and an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Association.