Casino Host Techniques
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Casino Host Techniques Definition
Casino hosts work for the marketing department of a casino, and marketing is what they do. The idea here is to develop relationships with higher value players so that they not only stay at your casino longer, they come back more often, and they hopefully play less or preferably not at all at competing casinos. What is a Casino Host? A casino host is a personal casino representative. Instead of calling reservations to book a room, or calling restaurants to book a reservation, your host will be able to take care of everything for you. If you are in a casino, there will usually be a designated host on duty that can help you at any hour, even if you don. Here's how Casino Floor is used in Casino Host jobs: Worked as a casino marketing representative on the casino floor in the high dollar slot machine area. Identified and developed potential high-end players from casino floor. Greeted all customers on the casino floor. The primary functions of the casino host are to create experiences for high worth customers by providing the complimentary perks that make their visit truly personal. At the core of this function is the understanding that casino customers – indeed all of us – want the businesses we patronize to know who we are and what we like.
- 3 Benefits of Having a Host
What is a Casino Host?
A casino host is a personal casino representative. Instead of calling reservations to book a room, or calling restaurants to book a reservation, your host will be able to take care of everything for you. If you are in a casino, there will usually be a designated host on duty that can help you at any hour, even if you don’t have one assigned to you.
Hosts are not usually on the casino floor like dealers or floor people. They will greet you and stop by if you are playing, but they do not have any other job beyond making sure their players are taken care of. At some casino properties, there will be different tiers of hosts, where higher value players are assigned to more experienced hosts.
Have a Host Assigned
If you only play low limit blackjack or slots a few times per year, the odds are that you won’t have a host assigned. If you ask for one, the casino may find a host for you, but it will largely defeat the purpose as they won’t have a lot to offer you. Look at it this way, the host if your own butler when you are planning a trip to, or are currently at a casino. If your play is valuable enough to the casino, they will assign you said butler. If you are an infrequent, low limit player, this is not an expense they are looking to spare.
Casinos handle their host programs differently depending on the property. Some will meet you face to face while you are playing. Others will give you a call or email to establish a line of contact. If you have put in a decent amount of gambling volume at a casino but still don’t have a host (or one that you know of), the next step is to reach out.
If you are at a casino, visiting the host office is your best play for obtaining a host. Sometimes you will already have on your account, but they simply didn’t contact you. Other times a host will need to be located for you. Most casinos have dozens of hosts (depending on their size), so one should be available for your immediate assistance. Once you finally have a casino host, the next step is understanding what benefits you will now be able to realize.
Benefits of Having a Host
The tricky part about having a host is that there is a lot of give and take. Do the hosts want to see you play a lot at their casino? Yes, of course. Do they want to see you lose? No, though some incorrectly believe this to be the case. The ultimate goal of any host is to ensure that you are kept happy during your visit.
Try to be reasonable about what you should expect as a player. If you are playing $100/spin high limit slots for hours on end, your host will likely offer you unlimited room charges, but if you are playing smaller games, they will draw the line at a lower limit.
Convenience
Convenience is what a host is all about. They will arrange a ride for you, book show tickets, book your rooms, arrange restaurant reservations, and cater to just about every need you have. Within reason, a host will do anything (non monetary) that improves your stay, even if you aren’t a high limit player. This measure of convenience is why players of almost any limit will benefit from having their own host
Casino Offers
If you have a host, they will generally be able to cater specific offers to your play. For example, they can make sure you are the first to know about a gift card and free play giveaway. Perhaps the casino you are playing at is going to be sold out for New Years. If you are a consistent player, your host will reach out to make sure you have a room available if you are looking for one. Offers come in the mail all the time, but a good host will make sure you are always able to book the ones that you want before they fill up.
Comped Rooms
Casino Host Techniques Game
Comped rooms are much, much easier to obtain if you have a host. Calling the reservations line will not usually net you a free room, especially without an explicit offer. A host, however, can bypass this and book a room on your behalf. Plus, this is less likely to impact your future offers than if you book via the marketing department. The host should be your friend, so always try to book a room with them first before you call the hotel itself.
Comped Meals
As is the case with rooms, a host will be able to offer you more in the way of free food than the casino will give you by default. Sure, the casino may allow you to use your comps to pay for any room or dining charges, but a host can comp an amount above and beyond this. Ask ahead and your host should be able to tell you how much comp money they can allocate for meals.
Extra Benefits
A quality host will get to know you personally. As a result, they will have the ability to give you some extra perks where they see fit. For example, you may receive a free play offer or a bottle of wine on your birthday. They may even surprise you with a gift on Christmas. These are the sort of added benefits that only a host can deliver.
I’ve said it on many occasions, one of my favorite things to talk about is strategy, specifically marketing strategy. A solid strategy unveils a path to success because it identifies where you want to end up. It differs from your marketing plan, which is the collection of steps you’ll take on the path and the tools you’ll need to get further.You may (or may not) know that most of my work history has been in the casino industry. It has been a career that has allowed me to grow in my skills as a marketer. And though I work in other industries now, I often rely on the lessons learned “taking a gamble.” There are five casino marketing strategies any business, large or small, can adopt.
Winning Casino Marketing Strategy: Database Marketing
Like any other businesses, casinos compete for the disposable dollars of adults, specifically disposable dollars that adult may choose to use for entertainment. Casino marketers are asking for a not-so-insignificant part of that entertainment budget. While a trip to the movies with popcorn and soda could easily top $50 for two people, casinos are looking for that spend from one adult. So, how they identify and target is worth a look. In my opinion, few companies leverage a database quite like a casino. They have been collecting information about customers for years and are now able to leverage that information to determine who the most valuable customers are today and will be tomorrow. They have learned to understand the triggers that drive visits during targeted times. And, given the explosion of technology, they continue to use snail mail in successful ways. You can do this too! CRM and sales tools about from free starters great for small businesses to rock star business intelligence tools.
Winning Casino Marketing Strategy: Personalization
You’ve seen the movies. You’ve seen HIM. He’s the slick smooth-talking casino host. Wrong! Let’s bring that time machine back to the present. Today’s casino host is part salesperson, part customer service representative. The primary functions of the casino host are to create experiences for high worth customers by providing the complimentary perks that make their visit truly personal. At the core of this function is the understanding that casino customers – indeed all of us – want the businesses we patronize to know who we are and what we like. Years ago, I dropped a dress off to my usual dry cleaner. I walked in and place my dress on the counter as usual. The young lady behind the counter greeted me and proceeded to complete my ticket and letting me know when my dress would be ready. Notice anything? She didn’t ask for my name. She knew it even though I barely stopped there every one or two months. To this day, that little moment is still memorable. Jim White is vice president of customer experience for Symphony Post Acute Network. As one of the most innovative providers of post acute care, Symphony looked to him to create an environment that would differentiate them. Sure. “In the Medical Resort model that we have created, a personalized experience is truly the only way to differentiate yourself from all the other businesses that do what we do. It’s all the the little extra touches – in addition to the excellent clinical care we provide, that causes more people to recommend us and make us their provider of choice.”
Casino Host Techniques Games
Winning Casino Marketing Strategy: A Chance to Win
Ever wonder what makes people buy lottery tickets when the odds are stacked against them? Psychologists will tell you that our brains can’t really compute probabilities that are that high. They might also argue we mere humans fall into a trap of “near miss”, in other words, “If I was that close this time, I could be the winner next time.” But what about freebies? When 7-Eleven gives away free Slurpees, people line up by the hundreds and thousands. Whether it be free or a gamble, people want a chance to win something. Casinos understand this and build calendars of events that use drawings, free spins and tournaments to create multiple chances to win.
Winning Casino Marketing Strategy: Value
Anyone with a dollar to spend wants to feel they are getting something of value for that dollar. Casinos understand pricing and value like few other businesses. Thousands of focus groups have repeated the same feeling. Gamblers know the odds of winning are not in their favor, but the want to be able to play a sufficient amount of time with the budget they have. That’s how they interpret value on the casino floor. Additionally, casinos price certain food venues to appeal to that need for value. Value is not a dollar amount, it is the relationship to your customer’s wallet. So, as you look at your offerings and customer experience, think about those moments you add value and where you take it away. Sometimes, something as easy as using a POS system that easily emails a receipt can add value to a checkout.
Winning Casino Marketing Strategy: Community
Let’s be honest, when casinos came to the area, many looked forward to the fun and excitement. Few really believed the operations would enhance the community. At the last company I worked for, employees performed over 14,000 hours of community service in only one year. Perform a simple search on the American Gaming Association site and you’ll see example on top of example of how the communities were enriched by the hard work of casino employees. And, yes, I am aware that some people are unable (through their own control or forces beyond their control) to game responsibly, but this story is amount being a part of the community and encouraging your employees to use their time (and perhaps a day or two of yours) to be a part of this beautiful city and the surrounding parishes. Get involved. There are too many needs and I bet given the opportunity, your employees would love to get involved.
As a marketer, I constantly look to all industries for examples of best practices. These are the five casino marketing strategies that can easily be adopted by you.