When it comes to hospitality, casino resorts need to balance the desire to maximize the customer experience with the reality of operational and cost efficiency, and sometimes the newest technology isn’t the answer.
In terms of making the right investment and what’s too much and what’s not enough, it’s about finding the right mix of customer experience-enhancing technology and core customer expectations, according to Rich Rader, chief technology officer for the Umpqua Indian Development Corp. and Seven Feathers Casino and Resort in Oregon. Rader hosted a discussion Wednesday on hospitality and guest experience at the TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow in Las Vegas with Tara Fisher, CIO at Isleta Resort & Casino in New Mexico.
“We realize each casino and each demographic are completely different from ours,” Rader said. “My average guest is over 60 years old and that’s a whole different technology than somebody much younger comes to Las Vegas, especially during March Madness.”
Fisher agreed and told the audience that what works at her casino may not work at other properties.
Rader said his property is in rural Oregon with a population of 700 people; their players come from 45 to 90 miles away. Fisher’s property is in Albuquerque with a population exceeding 500,000.
A lot of technology is available to properties and IT departments might consider something “the greatest, newest, and coolest in the world,” but guests end up hating it, Rader said.
“Technology isn’t always the solution,” Rader said. “The guest experience is really an important part of gaming. We all want wallet share our tribes to be more profitable and do more things. Technology is one way to do that, but not the only way. I want to caution people on jumping on the newest technology.”
Gauging the needs starts with the pre-arrival journey, which includes reservations. Rader said his property still does a substantial amount by telephone, even with a website and an app to reach guests. “Our guests still want to talk to a human being,” to know how far they are from the elevator and how close to the gaming floor.
“Not all technology has all of the check boxes for every single option and feature,” Rader said. “About 60% to 75% of our reservations are by the operator. We looked at migrating those folks and incentivizing them with additional discounts with rewards by moving them to the web and interfaces and they haven’t adapted to it. We’re stuck on telephone operators. That’s what the guests want.”
Fisher said younger guests want to use the app, so it’s important to have that available to them and a slightly older generation wants to use the website. They previously offered valet, but with the onset of COVID, people didn’t want anybody in their cars, so the resort has done away with it.
That doesn’t apply to a place like Las Vegas, where guests expect valet service and use of an app to navigate through it, Rader said. Most properties do it manually, due to the cost of an app, and are trying to optimize what they can get out of the guest experience.
“An app for valet for a small property probably doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Rader said. “Here in Vegas, you have 3,000 to 4,000 rooms and all of those cars get parked, so it makes a lot more sense.”
When using apps and kiosks, however, Rader said it’s important that tips are an option, so employees can benefit and provide a better experience for guests.
No one in the room raised their hand when Rader asked if their properties had kiosks for checking in. He said that was the rage four to five years ago, but they turned out not to be guest friendly.
“I was at a conference in Vegas. I went to check in my room. When I put my credit card in, it wasn’t the correct one on file. I put my confirmation number in and it said if I wanted the room now, I needed to pay an extra $50.” Upset, Rader canceled the kiosk, went to the front desk, and talked to an agent who gave him a room early without paying a fee. “The guest experience without the technology was better than the technology.”
Fisher said a lot of people come to Vegas and wait in long lines to check in. That’s where an app helps. The problem is that the app doesn’t always work and people have to go into the line. “Those kinds of things are frustrating when it comes to technology.”
“Technology is an enabler and a powerful tool we can all use and leverage, but know your guests and know the expectations,” Rader added. “You need to hold suppliers accountable if it’s not great.”
Rader said he appreciates technology when it solves a problem. While attending a conference at a Baltimore hotel, the line was two to three hours long. He downloaded the hotel app, added his confirmation number, and in 10 minutes, he had his room number and key assigned to his phone.
“Your guests may want to use that technology, but only you know your guests,” Rader said. “There’s no one answer for every property out there and every casino and every tribe.”
