The media have been filled recently with stories of how Vegas and its attraction for visitors has been on the decline. Excessive pricing on food and drink and assortments of hidden charges are typically noted as the primary factor of decreasing tourism numbers.
But there are some “free” factors of Vegas attraction that appear to have been subliminally overlooked by casinos, hotels and Strip businesses that are detrimentally affecting people’s feelings about the true greatness of this entertainment and sports capital.
The first one is rooted in each business owner’s personnel and their interaction with customers. As a local, I visit and take friends to a variety of Strip casinos and businesses. Unfortunately, many businesses seemingly go out of their way not to interact with the visitors. What they are missing is called hospitality — and that includes making each of their customers feel special, on a personal, face-to-face basis. People return to places where they feel welcomed and special. But you almost have to fight to get eye-to-eye contact and interaction from some casino and hotel staff.
The next item are the “perks” — more commonly known as “comps.” They don’t have to be huge things. But trust me, those little things go a long way. The casino or hotel can give guests something with its logo on them or offer complimentary tickets to shows to fill empty seats, and the guests can’t stop talking about those. Off-strip casinos do a much better job at these simple but effective customer satisfaction aspects of the business.
Las Vegas built its reputation on making guests feel special and welcomed. Casinos and businesses really need to self-examine how they make their customers rave about their experiences here.
