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Article from Jackson Rancheria newletter

Jackson Rancheria, a CA Indian casino, sends out a newletter like
many casinos. I received the most recent one yesterday and it had an
interesting article in it which I thought I'd post here. The reason
I'm posting it is that it seems somebody is listening to Compton
Dancer consulting, and I found it interesting that they included the
comments on DB and DDB paytables. I haven't actually seen the
Compton Dancer report, but I'd have to believe there was far more
input on availability of playable VP than was represented in the
article.

Reprinted from Arrow, the Jackson Rancheria Newsletter

[begin article]
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?

We know that you have choices about where to play, and we appreciate
each time you choose the Jackson Rancheria Casino.

Do you know why you select one casino over another?

A recent issue of "Playback", an online newsletter produced by
Compton Dancer Consulting that looks at gaming from the players'
perspectives, is devoted entirely to comments directly from players
about loyalty and leaving.

"I have had several experiences in a casino that surely make me
realize that this casino is a place I do not want to visit again,"
says Jerry W. of Massachusetts.

"For example, on my third stay at a casino in Vegas, I was playing
Caribbean Stud with a table of friendly, easy-going people. We had a
Dealer who was quiet and not much fun, but that happens."

"Everyone at the table was having a good time and all was well with
the world. Suddenly the Dealer started scolding me, why I don't
know, but it embarrassed me. A few minutes later she did it to
another player for no apparent reason."

"I left the table and told the Pit Boss what happened. He just said
sorry, but everyone has a bad day and left me standing there. I
understand this is a fact of life but I got annoyed at his
disinterest."

"I called the Casino Manager and left a message. He never responded."

"I went to the front desk to see him and was told I couldn't."

"The Dealer's action became most insignificant next to the total lack
of response from the very people whose job it is to promote goodwill
with its customers. I never went back, either to stay or play."

"Here's what makes me loyal to a casino," adds another Nevada
player. "Delivering promised benefits, making me feel special
(giving me access to Hosts, remembering me, etc.) and having good
comps available (such as having healthy dining options,
entertainment, and high quality merchandise that can be purchased for
points)."

" love the treatment my friends and I received at a Casino in Bixoli
[sic] Mississippi," says Kathy M.

"I took my friend on her birthday. I ordered a birthday cake,
because it was a very importnat issue with these friends and their
tradition. i received the grandest birthday cake ever, delivered to
our room."

"We've been going back ever since then because everyone is so good to
us. We feel as important as the high rollers because of the way they
treat us."

Chris in California says she "checked out a new Casino. Their
quarter Double Bonus machines pay 7/5/4 and Double Double pays
6/5/4. My Masque Video Poker software doesn't even list the payback
on machines set this low...with those pay tables we will never
return."

A.P. in Ontario lists "a number of things that are the same at the
casinos I frequent the most:"
-"They are consistent in their policies."
-"The Hosts that I deal wiht treat me with respect and courtesy.
When I ask about something, I am given a reasonably direct answer.
They are happy to converse with me. They don't make me feel that I
am interrupting them."
-"The floor staff have smiles on their faces. You just feel good in
a casino where the staff is happy and responsive."
-"The casino environment is clean, with no litter left to linger."

Susan H. comments "The first contact a customer has with an employee
can be the last. When I am gambling, I am spending my money on
entertainment. I want to be hapy when I'm entertained."

"Even if an employee has to decline my request, it needs to be done
in a manner where I know (s)he did what that employee could. The
attitude of employees throughout a venue is important."

"I want an acknowledgement/smile from the people I come into contact
with, from the person with the $1000 suit I pass in the hall to the
person dumping the trash. No matter where the person is in the
system, that employee has the power to offend a (potential) customer
or cause the customer to want to come back and play/stay again.

[end of article]

Within the article there is a sidebar asking for comments. An
excerpt states:

"So what is is that makes you come back to Jackson Rancheria Casino,
Hotel & Conference Center.

What do we do that pleases you? What annoys you? Why do you choose
the Jackson Rancheria over other casinos? What could we change to
make our casino better?"

It then goes on to offer various methods of getting the input to the
appropriate folks at the Casino.

A recent issue of "Playback", an online newsletter produced by
Compton Dancer Consulting that looks at gaming from the players'
perspectives, is devoted entirely to comments directly from players
about loyalty and leaving.

What's the link/url to their website? Can I read it for free, or do
I have to subscribe? If it's the latter, what's the price?

I'd also LUV to know which casinos get this newsletter. There are
some very accurate and valid statements(mostly about the importance
of the attitude of EVERY casino employee) in those customer comments.

Within the article there is a sidebar asking for comments. An
excerpt states:

"So what is is that makes you come back to Jackson Rancheria
Casino, Hotel & Conference Center.

What do we do that pleases you? What annoys you? Why do you
choose the Jackson Rancheria over other casinos? What could we
change to make our casino better?"

It then goes on to offer various methods of getting the input to
the appropriate folks at the Casino.

More casinos need to do this type of thing! Most of those I've had
dialogue with @AC, the dialogue's come mostly in the form of internet
polls, that I've never gotten responses to(my answers on) and haven't
yet seen any evidence that the answers they get on them(overall) make
ANY difference or result in ANY changes.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "MJRaposa" <MJRaposa@a...> wrote:

MJRaposa wrote:

> A recent issue of "Playback", an online newsletter produced by
> Compton Dancer Consulting that looks at gaming from the players'
> perspectives, is devoted entirely to comments directly from players
> about loyalty and leaving.

Jeff replied:

What's the link/url to their website? Can I read it for free, or do
I have to subscribe? If it's the latter, what's the price?

Jeff, the intended audience of this newsletter is the casino manager,
so I don't know that a "subscription" is available to the average player.

However, the Administrator here regularly posts a link from which the
most recent issue (and back issues) can be downloaded. The Adobe
Acrobat reader needs to be installed on your PV.

The link he last posted on Nov. 25 to the "archive" was:
http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1955/20228/VP/PB.htm

If you don't have the Reader installed on your PC, there's a link
there from which to download that as well.

- Harry

<<It then goes on to offer various methods of getting the input to

the appropriate folks at the Casino.

More casinos need to do this type of thing! Most of those I've had
dialogue with @AC, the dialogue's come mostly in the form of Internet
polls, that I've never gotten responses to(my answers on) and haven't
yet seen any evidence that the answers they get on them(overall) make
ANY difference or result in ANY changes.>>

Customer service - what customers like and dislike - this is the very subject I pound on in my frequent speaking engagements at seminars for casino executives and other casino employees. Some "get it" and some don't. But I am happy that I can influence some.

···

____________________
Jean $cott - "The Frugal Gambler"
MORE FRUGAL GAMBLING can now
be ordered, autographed, at
http://www.FrugalGambler.biz

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.543 / Virus Database: 337 - Release Date: 11/21/2003

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Jackson Rancheria, a CA Indian casino, sends out a newletter like
many casinos. I found it interesting that they included the
comments on DB and DDB paytables. >

Chris in California says she "checked out a new Casino. Their
quarter Double Bonus machines pay 7/5/4 and Double Double pays
6/5/4. My Masque Video Poker software doesn't even list the

payback

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "MJRaposa" <MJRaposa@a...> wrote:

on machines set this low...with those pay tables we will never
return."

-----------------
I would be willing to bet the mystery new casino is the Thunder
Valley Casino near Sacramento. I too went to check out the place, and
it is beautiful. The paytables were a jaw dropper as reported. I
thought I had found a playable 8/5 bonus poker, but after my money
was in, I found they paid even money on the 2 pair. I had to pay
$4.50 for a Coors beer, no comps on drinks. The funny thing is that
the place is packed, and it was hard to find any VP machine that was
not being played. They must be really raking in the $$., but they
will not be getting any more from me. What are the players at that
place thinking?

-----------------
I would be willing to bet the mystery new casino is the Thunder
Valley Casino near Sacramento. I too went to check out the place,

and

it is beautiful. The paytables were a jaw dropper as reported.

The funny thing is that the place is packed, and it was hard to
find any VP machine that was not being played. They must be really
raking in the $$., but they will not be getting any more from me.
What are the players at that place thinking?

It was indeed Thunder Valley. A link to Playback was posted and I
read the report which named the casino.

A couple of interesting notes on Thunder Valley. All the commercials
were shot at Green Valley, the casinos are very similar in design /
style. Also, (according to the Dec LVA), in September "Washoe County
casinos, which are in Reno and Sparks, experienced their lowest gross
win in 11 years, almost certainly due to the effect of the new
Thunder Valley casino near Sacramento"

And the worst news for Reno / Sparks is, that was during a time when
the weather wasn't a factor. Come winter, even more folk will choose
to stop at Thunder Valley as opposed to heading over Donner Pass.
I'm hoping for some good deals to come out of Reno, but not much yet.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "hamstockman" <AB6PQ@a...> wrote: