I have been seeing a lot of press releases and emails from this past week about what casinos are doing for their players due to their closures. Some of the strategy I have seen is very well thought out and some of it seems to be knee-jerk reactions with concerns over upset guests. I put together a few quick thoughts today on strategy as you are thinking about positive messaging and preparing to open your casinos when the time comes:
DO NOT over-reinvest in your players to get them back in the door
Chances are they miss you too. They will take advantage of anything you want to give them and will ask for everything. This is what they do. There is no need to offer them all of March’s offer they could not redeem. Do not add additional reinvestment to their monthly offers!
Offers that I believe should be extended:
- Birthday offers that were not consumed. Give your players 30 days from reopening to use any birthday offers that were or should have been offered that were not redeemed.
- If points would have expired, extend those another 30 days.
- Any tiers that would have expired, make sure you give your players the appropriate amount of time to earn the play to maintain or play up.
When the time comes to pull data for the next mailer, make sure you are excluding the time the casino was closed from the mailer
If the dates are included, depending on your metrics and the math used, you could move your players into lower segments then they should be based on their qualifications while you were open. Don’t lower a player’s average by including dates that you were closed in the equation.
Go ahead and give them something; just put it on a postcard or some separate communication
Do this when you have a clearer date on opening. By sending a separate email or postcard, this will keep it from getting lost or perceived as an entitlement. The objective for this offer is to make them feel special. You missed them so use that as a message, welcome your guests back and give them a game on a kiosk where they can win extra freeplay, send them an additional offer here, have a party for your VIP as they come back, etc.
DO NOT GET INTO FREEPLAY WARS!
This will be decremental to all casinos involved. No one will win that battle after being closed. Every one of you will need the revenue.
This is an unfortunate circumstance for all of us. We are thinking about our team members and friends and family we know that are laid-off or placed on furlough. We are thinking about all those sick and in need. We are thinking about the welfare of our country and world. We are thinking about you … and wish all of you health, protection, healing, peace and success.
