5 THINGS THAT IMPROVE YOUR GAMING ROOM ATMOSPHERE
We can’t control the economy and there are always minor issues that we can’t change but what we can, and should always control, is the atmosphere in our gaming floors for our players. That is what makes them feel comfortable and brings them back for more visits.
Here are five things I do to ensure that the atmosphere is positive for players.
Segmenting your gaming floor
We used to segment the gaming floor by denomination groups but most games these days are available as multidenomination product. This means many gaming floors are no longer providing organised spaces for different types of players.
By segmenting the gaming floor by game type, game volatility and player type, we can make the gaming room more comfortable and enhance the atmosphere. Take notice of where player demographic groups like to play in your club, and the games they spend the most time on.
Using your gaming data, and market information wherever you can find it (independent data, sales reps, LMOs) helps you to create a chart of each games’ volatility, popularity and age, and match it up to different player demographics, such as daytime / evening players, men / women, players in each reward level, and different age groups.
Use this information to plan the layout of your machines on the gaming floor so that players who like the same things are seated near each other. That way you tap into the social connection that our customers are looking for when they visit.
Provide game diversity and variety.
It is tempting to look at your ranking charts and only buy what is at the top, but if that is just a list of games your VIP players prefer, you may be ignoring the preferences of the majority of your players.
Diversifying the gaming floor with a variety of game types and manufacturers products helps to give all players a greater choice and an opportunity to find their game preference. Some players come in for short periods of play, while others like to keep themselves entertained for a longer time and they like very different styles of games. Make sure you have something for everyone.
Develop a link strategy.
Differentiate your gaming floor from your competitors by offering links with a variety of grand jackpot levels. If every club in your area has the same link jackpot available, then players could go anywhere for the same experience.
Investigate what links and link jackpots other clubs and hotels in your area offer… and find the gaps.
Consistent staff training
Get back to basics. Do you just rely on your experienced staff to train new staff members, or do you have a policy standard that everyone must follow, irrespective of their experience? If it’s written down bad habits have less of a chance to creep onto your gaming floor. McDonalds has terrible food, but through service consistency alone, they’ve made billions! Don’t underestimate the value of consistent customer service training.
Is your gaming floor clean? Like, really ultra, ‘Mum would approve’ clean.
One of the biggest risks in our venues is ‘industrial blindness’. When you work in a venue every day you often miss seeing the small details. But your customers don’t miss them!
Are your carpets torn or worn? Are your walls and gaming benches free from dings and scratches? Do your gaming chairs need a steam-clean? Is your gaming floor signage looking tired? Do you have posters and notices (uughh – with stickytape!) stuck all over the walls that make the venue look cluttered? Are your machines banked up neatly so that like machine types are benched together and look neat? Are you missing toppers or lights? Does your gaming room smell nice? Are your bathrooms the cleanest bathrooms on the planet?
When was the last time you did a really detailed check of your gaming floor? Make a list and consider making this a monthly task for senior staff. Getting them to work together on this one is important as two heads are definitely better than one when overcoming that industrial blindness.
As the industry is becoming more competitive, it doesn’t cost anything to focus on improving the “atmosphere” on your gaming floor and give your venue a reputation for excellence. Gaining an extra visit from customers is key, so make your venue the preferred option for your players.
By Justine Channing – Gaming Specialist
Justine is an experienced gaming specialist working with many clubs and pubs across NSW/QLD. She assists venues to plan their gaming strategy by interrogating and analysing gaming and membership data, mentoring young gaming managers, and planning machine purchase strategies to improve gaming results.
