Well, we got rid of coins and all that backbreaking count and cashiering labour, we don’t have coin hoppers to keep the techies busy or make that welcoming clacky racket. We should be making a substantially better ROI than before, but surprise, surprise, technology isn’t cheap, and it can bite you. You need to choose carefully.
We now have tables games that don’t need dealers or inspectors, and if you've got enough of them, you dont even need any expensive middle management! Don’t need dirty chips either. "Place your bets please" can be expressed in every language known to man (including one that seems to be a little known Chinese Yak farming dialect). You can have that language spoken to you by any pseudo-sexy whisper or rasping growl within the human audible range. Superb and flexible technology if accompanied with the personal touch.
Self service machines now perform cashiering functions faster and cheaper than cashiers do, and they don’t take sickies or give backchat, but no chance of a smile, friendly joke or a shoulder to cry on when you’ve lost your lot. Big opportunity to improve your ROI, if you do your costings right, and don’t forget the warm and fuzzy.
Management now have more information than they will ever know what to do with. From their office PC they can crunch massive quantities of numbers into meaningful information, allowing us to target a desirable demographic with limitless numbers of annoying SMS's and emails. The "desirable demographic" is, of course, a group of real people who just happen to keep us in the manner to which we have been accustomed, but now couldn’t be correctly greeted if the penalty were immediate beheading.
Don’t ever lose track of where that money comes from ....
If all this progress and increased efficiency is so desirable, then why are over-the-top, loud and chatty dealers, personable barstaff, cocky palette men, friendly waiters, and indiscrete craps teams the most popular places to be? Why? Because a warm, personal welcome, the odd (very odd occasionally!) joke here and there ensures our clients feel valued. That’s what retention is about. It’s an interactive human and entertainment experience, not a customised way of soulessly whiling away the hours. You might be able to virtually replicate some warm and fuzzy, you'll never replace all of it.
The big issue for many management is then "whose shareholders receive the better return, and who gets the biggest bonus?". Will it be pushing the "personal touch" with 20 minute breaks to keep the staff sweet, excess cashiers ensuring no queues, free buffets and drinks every night, teams of jolly PR's punting headline-making promotions, or will it be the fully automated sterile, "bright and shiny" just down the road, run by two IT engineers contracted-in on their days off?
How do we embrace the best of all of this technology, make the client feel like they are being hosted at Balmoral AND stay competitive?
It’s a matter of degree and balance, and how you keep yourself competitive. Its tricky and needs to be well considered.
CashEfficient.net at your service!
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