As I visit casinos all over the country I make it a point to stop by the buffet to gauge the quantity, quality, and quandary they create.
I am sure you are familiar with the amount of food they have at these buffets. I have observed players walking down the buffet line, loading their plates with a sample of one offering, and then another, and another. About a third of the way down the counter, food is already falling off the plate onto the floor. Even though they cannot fit any more on the plate, they try.
Whether it is the live cooking stations at Wynn Las Vegas or the seafood buffet at Barona, there is more to eat than anyone could possibly consume at one sitting. So why do most of us try to take more than we can enjoy? Greed? Inexperience? Nope! It is one of the Sure Bets at every casino. Players want it all! They think they deserve it, that they have earned it, that they are entitled to it. They think that you owe it to them. And you put it all out there for the taking.
Sure Bet #1: Beware the Buffet Blueprint
It's a common blueprint for buffets everywhere. And this "buffet blueprint" also describes much gaming marketing. Everyone uses the same plan. It starts out as a good, manageable buffet of promotions. Then we start adding things -- a little bit of this and a little bit of that -- partly to make the buffet more attractive to our players and partly because the options present themselves and the money is there to take them.
However, we end up with too much on the promotions buffet, and, as the players' plates begin to fill, things begin to fall off. Too often, what ends up on the floor are things that actually work. We then end up with the player feeling just "okay" with the promotions, and their effectiveness begins to wane.
Are you offering too big a buffet of promotions to your players? Do you spend too much time and money trying everything possible to get them to return to your gaming organization? Are you using the ‘buffet' to gain attention and draw players back, or does it simply reward players that would be there anyway?
By first taking a look at what is available to us as marketers, and then choosing what is both truly the best for us and attractive to players, we can begin to say "no" to the things that overfill buffet plates. Only then can we concentrate on the things that help us get a bigger ‘wallet share' from our players.
Sure Bet #2: Make Sure the Buffet Is Doing Its Job
As I said, there is a lot of free and low-priced food out there, and even the most modest buffets can become costly if they are not effective in achieving their objective. That is, attract and keep players in the casino when players would otherwise not be there. So look carefully at your food service and be sure you're not giving it away when players would normally be gaming.
For example, I visited Albuquerque's Santa Ana on a Tuesday at 1 p.m.. The place was packed. On a Tuesday? At 1 p.m.? What was the attraction? A buffet special at $3.99. The slots were full. The table games had a waiting line. Full tummies resulted in a full casino at a time when the casino would not normally be full.
Sure Bet #3: Use the Three P's
One of the benefits I receive from visiting casinos is how much I learn from the players. Personal observation can help us reach our most important goals with greater ease. In observing, I have discovered that there are three P's.
Pleasure - This is where you step back to truly observe your player at play. You can do this by asking yourself questions such as: "What do players want?" "What is working here?" "What is not working here?" and "What could I do to get what my gaming organization wants?" This is also the time to ask yourself "How could I achieve this with greater frequency? Bottom line, what makes the player happy (besides winning) usually makes you happy.
Payback - Often we know what we want, and we see what we could do to get there, but don't act, instead spending time and energy to justify and rationalize all the reasons we didn't. How will you hold yourself accountable to taking action on what you know is best for organization? Tell some of your players what you plan on doing. They will hold you –and your bottom line -- accountable if you don't do it. When you truly want something (and you are committed to doing what it takes to make it happen) you will welcome this accountability.
Profit - After you know what to do, you must do what you know. What steps will you take? How could you take the awareness gained in step number one and break it down in to doable actions? What success habits would help you move toward your longer-term goal?
Sure Bet #4: Form Alliances
Every day I get offers from an airline that collaborates with a car rental or hotel company. Why don't you form an alliance with your suppliers, colleagues or even your competitors to offer a "combo" package that neither of you could offer alone. This way you will share the marketing expenses.
For example: In-N-Out Burger has a secret menu. Why not print the secret menu with a coupon for the ‘secret products?' Even if the local restaurant will not collaborate, you can simply offer a rebate coupon. "Bring your receipt from In-N-Out Burger for any of the secret menu items and we will rebate that amount, in free slot play. Offer valid only on the same date as the receipt."
You may not have an In-N-Out burger in your neighborhood, but you do have donut shops, hot dog stands, pizza and other restaurants that may not compete with what you offer at your casino. So why not partner?
You can use the same concept with retailers like Staples, Office Max, Pet Smart, etc. Simply partner with them to cross promote to your mutual customers.
Still stumped? How about the local gas stations? Offer a rebate for $10 in gasoline if purchased at a participating gas station.
Action Items:
Create a promotions buffet that is focused. Don't try to offer something for everyone at the same time.
Create a focus group and listen. Players may be your best source for new ideas.
Learn from your players and employees. Ask them what they want.
Create local partnerships. Your players are also someone else's customers. Both of your businesses can benefit from a strategic alliance.
