Do they say that casinos are Number One in customer service, but is it more than that? Casinos have proven over and over again that if they know more about their customers, they can target and profile those that will make the most money for them. When they’re comping rooms and drinks or asking about how your wife likes her new job, do you stop to ask yourself how well the casinos know you, and why they go to such efforts? If they know what types of games you like and what your financial situation is, they can milk far more money from your wallet than by providing plain old customer service.
The purpose of casinos getting to know their customers is simple: It helps them make more money. When they know which games you enjoy playing, they can help suggest new games you might enjoy. When they provide you with free hotel rooms, meals, and show tickets, they encourage you to return, and we all know that the House stands to win most of the time. The more you play, the more money rolls into the casino, and their customers think that they simply appreciate the patronage. I’m all for great customer service, but in an age where we have to worry about databases and identity theft, how much do you want the casinos to know about you? This is where online casinos are much better as there is no need for you to enter all of your information as you enjoy their services. Jasabola2 is a credible option here.
There are a few ways in which casinos can collect data on their frequent customers and especially high rollers. One of those methods was started by Harrah’s Entertainment in the late nineties. They rolled out what is now called the Total Rewards program, which gives their most important customers (currently estimated at more than 20 million) a card that earns them points. When they play games, they either insert the card into a slot or provide it to the table employee to slide. That information is then recorded in the casino’s database and you earn your way toward more freebies. It might seem like you both win, but the casino is profiting more than you are from this system.
Once the data is collected from the loyalty cards, it is compared with key demographics and other public databases to give the casino employees a real-time understanding of how to treat that particular customer. The system is so advanced that, by the time you’ve handed over your card at a table and seated yourself to play a game of Blackjack, the attendant at the table will now your betting strategy, how much you’ve won or lost before and how valuable you are to the casino. All of that information can be transported in a matter of seconds. The database runs 24/7 because casinos never close.
There is one positive side to all of this, based on an article written by CNN’s Kim Nash in July of 2003. Apparently casinos don’t share their information with other businesses or sources. They prefer to use the information to their advantage but won’t compromise their edge or their customer’s privacy by selling, renting, or distributing that information. So even though every employee at Harrah’s might know how many children you have and how much money you make every year, you can be pretty confident in the knowledge that your dry cleaners aren’t privy to that same information.
