客户体验:赌场立于不败之地的重要策略

  实施赌场设计的战略,可以增加赌场的玩家人数,这可以让老虎机游戏和桌上游戏获得更多的利润收入。

  虽然与老虎机的性能相关的数据用于跟踪玩家已经非常详细和精确,但从设计角度来看仍是完全主观的。赌场一直缺少一种与老虎机和桌面游戏氛围相符合的设计风格。

  赌场的老虎机运营商要计算老虎机游戏的玩家与设置的优惠券,在comped室可自由发挥,他们尝试优化产品结构和位置,像什么音乐,灯光,色彩,亲切感等等。他说:“我们相信,环境会影响到游戏的尽情发挥。”Thalden的合作伙伴 – 博伊德 – 埃默里建筑师布雷特·尤因说:“如果人们从中感到很快乐,感觉很不错,他们不介意花多一点钱。设计风格会影响你的感受。利用室内设计,可以提高财务业绩的想法是完全可行的。”

  “你可以设计一个非常具体的方案,将大幅增加或减少玩家数目,从而增加或减少赌场的盈利。”弗里德曼在他的书《条例草案》中说道:“设计在赌场的竞争中占主导地位。”

  应该问的问题是:“如果赌场是为了赚钱,那么各个方面的风格需要怎样的设计才能够达到这样的目的?而怎样的风格才能吸引客户,使他们来了还想再来?”

  这里有一些要考虑的项目:

  要面对现实,当你的业务(游戏)提供了一个没有人真正需要的产品,你最好提供一个很好的游戏体验。而当你的竞争对手有完全一样的产品时,注重游戏的体验会取得更好的效益。正如华特·迪士尼曾经说过:“你需要提供有趣的事情,你需要创造一个好玩的地方。”

  “游戏体验”从某种程度上说将决定成功还是失败。为什么在你的客厅你可以看电影,而你却到电影院看同一部电影?在网上您可以更便宜,更便捷订购,为什么要去商店?这是因为,我们都希望体验生活。我们期望生活中会有一系列有趣的经历,而不仅仅只是在我们死之前完成要完成的任务。拉斯维加斯的成功,就在于拉斯维加斯的“体验”世界的投入。

  “在新兴的体验经济中,企业必须认识到,要创造更大的经济价值,他们必须为客户创造美好的回忆,而不只是提供商品和服务。”约瑟夫派恩和詹姆斯·吉尔摩在他们的著作《体验经济》中写道。

  人再次被吸引到一个地方,是因为他们回来的时候有难忘的经历。

  公司必须设计“难忘的事件”,主题商场和餐馆已成为吸引顾客的方式之一。经验表明,为获取一个更有趣的的体验,租户和顾客将愿意支付更高的价格。拉斯维加斯论坛商店在该国每平方英尺的销售额达到最高水平表明,它的独特的体验,使得它能够很好的运作起来。

  体验是我们的未来获利的基础。我们不能只给客户一个完整的老虎机房间,我们要给他们的是“体验架构”。

  游戏是一个逃避现实的活动。不过,我们必须从日常生活中获取机会,许多人花费大量的金钱在有趣的环境中获得真正享受,并有机会获取更大的财富。

  “在最好的餐馆中获得一个难忘的体验,是因为我们不仅仅只是满足了口腹之欲。通过创建老虎机俱乐部和忠诚计划,可以塑造令玩家难忘的体验。”前董事长和哈拉斯娱乐公司首席执行官菲尔萨特在他的文章中说:“这是市场营销成功的规则,可以说,我们当前的任务是提供令人难忘的客户体验。”

  译文

  Strategic casino design can increase player activity in the casino which will result in greater slot and table game revenue and profit.

  While the data available for tracking slot performance and player performance has become very detailed and exact, design is still totally subjective. What has been missing is a connection between the character of the casino and actual performance of slot machines and table games.

  Casino slot operators calculate slot play versus coupons, free play, hold limits, comped rooms, etc. They try to optimize product mix and location. But what about music, lighting, color, intimacy and so on? “We believe that the character of the environment impacts play as much as, if not more than, hold percentage. People don’t mind spending a little more money if they are enjoying themselves and feeling good,” said Brett Ewing, partner with Thalden – Boyd – Emery Architects. “Design influences how you feel. The idea of utilizing interior design to increase financial performance should not be revolutionary.”

  “You can design a casino in very specific ways that will substantially increase or decrease player counts, and thus increase or decrease win and profitability,” states Bill Friedman in his book, Designing Casinos to Dominate the Competition.

  The questions that should be asked are: “If the casino is about making money, how does each aspect of the interior character support or detract from that goal? What sorts of design will bring customers back again and again?”

  Here are some items to consider:

  Creating a good time

  —Let’s face it, when your business (gaming) provides a product that nobody actually needs, you better deliver a good experience. And when all your competitors have exactly the same product, it better be a great experience. As Walt Disney once said, “You need to provide more than a fun thing to do; you need a fun place to do it.”

  “The experience” will determine success or failure

  —“Why go to the movies when you can see that same film in your living room? Why go to a store, when you can order it cheaper and easier online? It’s because we all want to experience life. We expect life to be a series of interesting experiences, not just tasks to be completed before we die. The success of Las Vegas is because Las Vegas has been the “experience” capital of the world.

  “In the emerging experience economy, companies must realize that to generate greater economic value they must create memories, not just goods and services,” wrote Joseph Pine and James Gilmore in their book The Experience Economy. “Every business is in the experience business—the ‘experience’ of shopping, eating, etc.—is more important than the products or the food.”

  People are drawn to a place, and more importantly, come back, because of the memorable experiences they have there.

  Companies must design “memorable events.” Themed shopping centers and restaurants have become one way to attract customers. Experience shows that the tenants and customers will pay higher prices for a more interesting experience. Considering that the Forum Shops in Las Vegas has had the highest per-square-foot sales in the country suggests that it’s the unique experience that makes it work.

  Experiences are the foundation for our future growth. We can’t just give our customers a room full of slot machines. We have to give them “experience architecture.”

  Gaming is an escapist activity. But it must be more than an opportunity to get away from everyday life. Many people really enjoy the visceral experience of risking their money in interesting surroundings for a chance at greater fortune. It combines participation and immersion.

  The best restaurants create a memorable experience because our appetite is for more than just eating. “Creating loyalty, not through slot clubs or loyalty programs but through memorable experiences,” is how Phil Satre, former chairman and CEO of Harrah’s Entertainment, described it in his article, “Rules for Marketing Success.” “We must be able to say, ‘Our business is providing unforgettable customer experiences.’”