I just got back from a cigar buyers show in Vegas.
What’s that you say?
That’s right: the TPE Buyer Show that’s held every year by Kretek International in Las Vegas, where you can peruse the latest and greatest in premium cigars, accessories, and, yes, other tobacco products.
Now, many of you may know that in addition to my work in gaming, I own a cigar store and bar in Carson City, Nevada. So, while I was there to check out some products for my store, I was also thinking about our hosts and the training they must undergo to become skilled at selling our properties to the best players. In our PD training programs, we talk about learning all the ins and outs of our gaming properties in order to properly sell them to players of high worth, from hotel and cage operations to table games and slots, from our spas and retail stores to our bars and restaurants.
It occurred to me that we do not discuss their knowledge of the finer things in life.
That’s right; I am talking about booze, bottles, and cigars. After all, many of our top players enjoy these finer things in life: a well-aged single-barrel bourbon or single malt scotch, a fine vintage Bordeaux, and yes, a premium hand-rolled cigar.
Early in my gaming education, I was introduced to these finer things when I began to run our high-limit pits at Sahara Tahoe and started mingling with our best players. Thanks to the efforts of our maître’s, executive chefs, and sommeliers, I was introduced to this world of fine spirits, cigars, and dining through impromptu training sessions hosted after shift or on shift during the slow times.
As I continued to walk the aisles of the TPE show, I began to think about how we may have neglected this part of our host training programs.
After all, knowledge in these areas (and yes, in other finer things like Rolex watches and Jimmy Choo shoes) will allow the host to be better informed and offer even better experiences to our players. We can also train them on our own properties.
With apologies to Brett Magnan, our best-of-breed F&B partner at Raving (don’t mean to trespass on your turf, Brett), we have experts in our cigar lounges, premium cocktail lounges, and fine dining restaurants. And I know from experience they would be more than happy to share their knowledge of the finer things with the appropriate host staff. Especially if it means the hosts can better offer these amenities to our best players.
Years ago, before Katrina, Janet Hawk, another of our best-of-breed Service and PD trainers, built a multi-million-dollar book of business from literally nothing on the Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi. And one of her best tactics was to visit the restaurants before her shift to sample and go over the specials with the staff. This quite frankly surprised them because no one had ever thought of doing that before. When they asked why, she calmly replied, “How can I offer our great experience to our players if I don’t know everything about them?”
So, without further ado, here are Steve’s suggestions for furthering the education of your player development hosts and executives.
- Have the hosts attend the daily briefings and sample the daily specials in the fine dining areas of your property, as Janet did.
- Host classes in the art of distilling spirits and winemaking for your hosts. You should have experts on staff who would be happy to present guests in a property-specific way right in your fine dining areas.
- Do you have a cigar lounge, wine lounge, or shop on your property? Hold the same classes in cigar making and how they can offer VIP parties around the cigars (your local shops can possibly even provide a roller or two to make cigars right on the property).
- Do you have upscale retail in your property? Hold familiarization classes with your host to introduce them to the products and what makes them special.
- Do you have a spa? Ditto for classes with the spa staff.
- If appropriate, you can even send your executive staff to shows like the one I was attending to further their education.
There you have it: six ways to extend the education of your hosts into the finer things in life so they can customize your top players’ experiences with your amenities and offerings. After all, anyone can write comp or offer someone free play, but presenting that special bottle of 24-year-old single malt scotch to just the right customer at just the right moment will create memories that your players will never forget.
P.S. Yes, as I write this, I am sipping an Old Forester 1870 Special Batch bourbon and puffing on a hand-rolled Romeo Y Julietta Special Reserve Super Toro.
To find out more about Raving’s Host and Player Development Programs, visit our webpage or download our Service Catalog.
