MRI Casino Marketing Blog
Small Things Make A Big Difference

Small Things Make A Big Difference

MRI has spent a lot of time discussing how a brand is only as strong as the people and company culture it represents. Similarly, a positive customer experience distinguishes your casino from the competition, relying on the actions of your staff and how they deliver memorable service to build brand loyalty and repeat business. The importance of the little things in that memorable service, like small gestures or a friendly smile, are often most effective in creating buzz and positive word-of-mouth.

As usual, those notions of branding and customer service got me thinking. Here in the Philadelphia area, there’s a chain of convenience stores named Wawa that, over the last few years, has expanded its footprint to include locations in a handful of areas down the east coast. No matter the city or state, Wawa typically arranges its stores in the same way, using similar décor and menu items.

However, they don’t have Bill.

Bill works at the Wawa location nearest our office. You’ll see him wear different hats at times, a cashier or janitor one moment and a stock associate the next, but it’s his continuing role as the store ambassador that genuinely makes him and the store shine. Bill makes it a habit of greeting many of the customers by their first name, including half of the people that work in my office alone.

Bill’s name tag helped me commit his name to memory. So, what kind of strange sorcery did he use to magically learn my name?

He asked.

One day at the register, we were having our normal conversation when he remarked how he sees me in the store all the time, and introduced himself, saying it was good for his mind to try and recall his customers’ names. Of course, from a customer service and experience perspective, it goes far deeper than that.

Sure, it’s probably a good mental workout for Bill to remember customer names, but the impact it has on me and other customers is not easy to quantify. Bill makes a person feel special when they walk into the store, and he greets them by their first name.

Bill’s actions are straightforward and sincere. They’re not complicated, don’t require a massive investment of time or money but are incredibly effective in making that Wawa location unique. You notice when Bill’s not there, and of the other Wawa locations I regularly frequent, the one near our office stands out. Bill himself stands out from his co-workers by delivering a better experience.

Casinos Can Learn From Bill

There’s plenty to learn from Bill’s simple but powerful actions, especially for casinos that are so dependent on creating an exceptional, memorable customer experience. Even a smile goes a long way in endearing you to your guests, fortifying the emotional bond between brand and customer that makes it difficult for the competition to overcome.

Furthermore, greeting people on the floor by name and taking that extra step in service, can have an exponential effect on your business. That type of service, along with the overall gaming experience it helps foster, is an indispensable building block of a strong and recognizable brand, one that stands the test of time and lets your casino stand out.

Wawa’s competitor is aggressively adding locations throughout the area. Even if they build a new one directly across from the Wawa I frequent, it’ll take a lot more than their award-winning gas station chicken to get me to cross the road. Bill is a powerful weapon in the fight for Philly convenience store supremacy, and the same can be said for a warm greeting and inviting smile from the staff in your casino.