Who Drives Your Guest Experience? by John Hendrie

Over the past six month I have corresponded with probably 250 Gaming companies (racing, slots, table games, bingo and the like).  Some were tribal enterprises, others independent or corporate backed.  Only one, I recall, Table Mountain Casino in California, had an Executive Director of the Guest Experience as an official title. Right on! This is an Industry with Guest (or, Player) “Touch Points” all over the place.

You tend to wonder when our Hospitality brethren will really focus.  The journey begins with a dedicated company philosophy and culture which supports an overall Guest Experience Strategy, a drive to integrate innovation and best practices and a willingness to be continually directed and informed through the Consumer voice.  This is a holistic, Customer-Centric commitment.  There is a great deal of hubris out there still, as well as a garbled message, and, often, memorable poor delivery.

Honestly, one person cannot be entirely responsible for the Guest/Customer Experience.  It is a collaborative, integrated effort and commitment with all departments, functions and employees.  However, one individual can become the Guiding Light, the Experience Czar, first among equals.

All elements of the Organization have a role to play.  Human Resources surfaces and retains the talent.   Training and Development “enculturates” the organization and elevates the performance skill levels.   Marketing designs effective campaigns.   Operations drive the results. 

This is not merely a “feel good” exercise either, as efforts are accountable and tracked.  It all starts with the Customer based “feedback” metrics, continuous assessment of that information, and objectives fully integrated into your Strategic Plan and Budgets.  Results are quantifiable.

The right “Experience” Executive can provide the following:

 • Designing the right offers and experiences for the right customers.

 • Delivering these propositions by focusing the entire company on these proposals with an emphasis on cross-functional collaboration.

 • Developing the Company’s capabilities to please customers again and again – by such means as revamping the planning process, training people in how to create new customer propositions, and establishing direct accountability for the customer experience.

 It is time to refocus, and our target must be our Customer.  We must become knowledgeable and proactive with what we learn about them.  We need someone in the Company who takes that Customer insight, shares it with energized cohorts, strategizes a response to that marketplace, brings everyone together to meet those plans, executes, constantly assesses, continually enhances market posture, embraces change and challenge, and, ultimately, makes the enterprise a better and more profitable company.  It is all about the Experience!


Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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