One thing in-person casinos offer in many cases is a personal experience. Whether it’s the host, the front desk attendant of the hotel, the players club desk rep, the cashier, or the slot attendant, the best-run casinos excel at customer service, even in a world where things are evolving to have less staff and more computer screens to assist people.
This question feels very timely as a result:
I am curious about casino staff and players. Brian is well known, and in many places frequently. So he must see the same slot attendants often. After a recent handpay, he said “thank you Mary,” which could well have been on her ID badge, or maybe he sees her pay him so often he knows her from chatting with her. Are they allowed to be social with him, or for security reasons does the casino require employees to be friendly or helpful, but not anything beyond that? (I am thinking along the lines of chatting with the slot player about things to see in their hometown, or in Brian’s case, perhaps asking about events in his life that he might have mentioned on the channel, such as building a new house, etc.)
Jim S.
The experience working with staff will vary from casino to casino, but I find it’s often the case that as you spend more time at casinos, and see the same faces more often, there’s the natural human element of getting to know people a bit at a time.
At the casinos I visit most frequently, such as the many times I’ve visited the Plaza in Las Vegas over the years, I’ve gotten to know many of the staff there, including those who work on the floor to process my jackpots.
In my personal case, because I’m there to film, there isn’t always as much downtime to chat as other players might have. When the casino floor is quieter, I’ve seen my share of staff chit-chatting with players as they do their laps on the floor keeping an eye out for any issues to resolve. And when I first arrive at a casino, if I spot an employee I know, I’ll often say hello as we’re getting ready to start the day, for instance.
As a result, you do start to get on a first name basis with the staff you interact with most often, just like anywhere else – the person behind the coffee counter is equally likely to get there if you see them regularly.
I’m not aware of anything that would keep them from having a deeper conversation other than work obligations that discourage longer distractions (to avoid them missing other customers who might be awaiting assistance). But like any service business, forging a connection with a customer and delivering positive experiences tend to be part of the job.
And in my case I often run into floor staff who are familiar with the channel and sometimes even watch, so I’ll always take a moment to connect with them. Like many of you who watch my regularly, that can be a fun moment, and I certainly enjoy the opportunity to connect as well with those who tune in!
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