The scenario in which the COVID-19 pandemic has placed us forces us to seek and implement new customer service and attention strategies. Even more so in a sector like ours, which offers entertainment and where customer experience is what differentiates successful operations.
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The uncertain future and the almost nil visibility of what the much-mentioned “new normality” will be are our biggest obstacles today. This presents us with a great challenge and gives us the opportunity to create, reinvent ourselves, take risks, expand, revalue, and reformulate what worked until a few months ago, both at an internal organizational level and at the service level.
STARTING POINT
It is important to understand that when offering entertainment, our focus must be on the experience we provide, and it must always exceed our customers’ expectations.
Before the pandemic, players sought to meet certain needs when attending a gaming room or casino: affiliation, belonging, recognition, trust, respect, etc., which are evaluated depending on the characteristics of our operation.
The type of public that attends gaming rooms in Lima is different from that in the provinces, and in turn, it is also different in each district; therefore, the demands they seek to meet are different. By identifying this, we can say that we have found the DNA of our operation and, on that basis, we can rethink our new strategy.
DETERMINING FACTOR
In times of COVID-19, there is a basic need that every establishment must cover without exception and which will be the axis of our new plan: health security. For this reason, it is mandatory to have a truly effective protocol – including collaborators, players, and suppliers – that serves for the prompt reactivation of our industry.
With the vision and experience of the main players, operators, regulators, and health experts, a plan valid for the entire country and implementable in each operation must be established.
Therefore, to focus on the process of quality customer service, adding the health protocol, we must make this experience simple and easy, and for that, we need “integrated employees.”
The training and specialization of staff are key for our opening to function optimally.
WORK PLAN
It is advisable to work on the emotional plane (the experience before, during, and after) and the senses. For example, the feeling of security (in terms of health) must be equal to or better than at home.
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Having satisfied customers has a strong impact on the company’s economic results. Between 60% and 80% of customer loyalty is explained by their satisfaction; between 50% and 80% of customer repeat business is due to their loyalty; 80% of revenue comes from existing customers; and 20% from new customers.
It is clear that resources will be limited and that budgets must be defined based on the gradual stabilization of the business, which will initially be related to the progressive hygienic sensation, but sustained by the service strategy they adopt.
Partnerships with suppliers are a good alternative for maintaining spare parts stock, machine maintenance protocols, and product training. Similarly, it is necessary to evaluate the business’s own contingencies to direct our strategies, such as customer ages (at-risk population) and the geographical location of the room, among others.
ONLINE GAMING
It is necessary to start operating with an eye on today, but with a vision for tomorrow. Therefore, it is worth highlighting three points that have gained strength as a result of the crisis and will surely remain after it.
First is digitalization: online gaming. Although sports betting has also been affected, given that the global calendar has stopped, online gaming seems to be the immediate option if one seeks to expand the business. And if we are talking about anticipating the future, eSports are experiencing the greatest growth in recent months. Some have even seen an increase of up to 600%; while, for their part, online betting saw a 15% increase after the pandemic.
PRIORITIZING SAFETY
Second is sustainability. Socially responsible companies will be more appreciated, and this may be the best time to reorganize the company’s values.
Finally, safety. People will be sensitized after this crisis. All efforts to maintain the safety of our customers will be positively valued and, therefore, profitable.
In short, we are not only exposed to an unprecedented change, but it arrived suddenly, and our industry has been profoundly affected. It will not be enough to adapt. This time, we are forced to reinvent ourselves and renew the environment.
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