Too often, the marketing department talks about how terrible the “system” is. “We can’t find any information,” “That module never worked,” “Our support never calls back,” and “We weren’t trained.” Most of these excuses, believe it or not, are valid. Yes, it is true. But don’t assume that the vendor is responsible.
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It’s a two-way street. Although the epidemic begins as soon as the first sales visit is made, it continues throughout every installation phase. You should check if any of these symptoms affect your marketing department to ensure your player tracking system is used to its maximum potential.
- I needed to pay more attention during training.
What honesty can you show? You’re being paid to learn a system you will use daily, but you should have concentrated on the task. “I kept getting distracted during training.” Ironically, many team members think their job is more important than listening, taking notes, and using all the functions that the trainer has given them to do their job. We can’t forget the “I thought someone would show me later” clique. Amazingly, a multimillion-dollar database investment doesn’t attract the same attention as a potluck in the break room.
- The Casino was too much of a focus for the install team to answer the question, “What do you need?”
Although they have a set of procedures and lesson plans that are very technical, the training and installation teams work with many departments and shifts. Their “canned” agendas and lesson plans are put on hold as experienced casino workers influence the training session by asking, “Show us just the new stuff.” disrupting by saying, “That doesn’t apply to us.” Too often, the trainers are exhausted and have reviewed their materials. They are eager to speed up.
- The priorities changed from learning the system to “Let’s just get it up and running” at some point during the initial installation.
After frustrating guests, delays in daily operations, and time limits, someone finally calls and says, “We’ll train on the fly with our live system; let’s make our guests happy and get their points back!” What happens two weeks later? (Hint: See reason number 1 and 2).
- Continue to upgrade.
Once everything is working properly, and everyone feels comfortable with the system, version 2.0 will be released – an “enhancement,” a “feature,” or an “upgrade.” You can install this upgrade for various reasons, including a bug fix or an upgrade to your operating system. The problem is that your keystrokes are all different. A new screen will pop up, or there’s a hardware issue. A little training usually solves this. We know how attentive everyone is to exercise.
- Casino is not responsible for the move of the original team during the installation.
Most of the people who were involved in the initial installation or upgrade are now gone. It could be natural attrition or promotion, interdepartmental moves, or simply because they can’t bear another day of working with the new player tracking system.
- I have never been answered by customer service.
Natural attrition is a common problem for vendors, particularly in customer service departments. The representatives answering the phones sometimes have better skills and are often tasked with many tasks. These include logging calls, researching, verifying accounts, and updating software versions. Your vendor uses another vendor’s database program to track, monitor, and profile calls. They maintain the product cycle to justify new features and upgrades.
- Before the installation was completed, Casino approved it.
Employees claimed they had been trained (that potluck was starting to get cold) that the new modules worked, but the hardware didn’t communicate with the software when they went live. The bitcasino also has yet to attempt to print simultaneously from three stations. Sometimes, it’s down to the departments needing to communicate with one another.
Having a consultant to help keep Casino asking the right question and accountable is important.
- The Casino did not buy what the salesperson suggested.
We’re all flies with a feather. What happened to the easy-to-run custom reports, promotional coupons, and barcode scanning options? Easy NCOA (National Change of Address), uploads, and one-card database systems? With all due respect for the business development teams at each company, they begin the sales process with one contact point and end it with the other. Refer to number 10. Also, the third-party vendor can only communicate with this vendor after that pencil is put to paper.
- Reports, reports, reports.
You chose to set up a player tracking system to track your players. Now you realize the information isn’t in one report, and not all departments can access a specific account. Many things make DNA strands more complicated than trying to determine who can run cross-departmental reports. The canned reports can be cumbersome, difficult to read, and rarely used regularly. You can download Report Writer or Crystal Reports into Access Databases and upgrade to 2.0. You have to ask yourself, who will read these manuals when you can train on the plane?
- If your CFO is happy, you have made a serious mistake.
If your General Counsel and CFO “high-fiving” each other in the cafeteria, it’s a sign that someone has renegotiated the contract.
a. Reduce the monthly maintenance fees
b. Get a 24-hour customer service clause at a discount
c. One canned report is all that’s needed to reach infinity.
d. All of the above
Unfortunately, the word “drill down,” used by CFOs, General Counsels, and GMs, is a four-letter word.
- It’s easy to get caught up in the details of the system and need more time to appreciate the good things about it.
The best player tracking system is the one that you have just installed or the one that you just left. Comparing system functions between your previous property and your latest upgrade is easy. You’d spend less time training and have more fun at your next potluck if you emphasized the improvements, the ease of use, or the uptime.
What Went Wrong with Player Tracking Systems
Often, marketing departments complain about the player tracking system not working properly, lacking information, and poor customer service. However, the problem is not solely the responsibility of the vendor. The following reasons can contribute to the problems with player tracking systems.
Lack of Attention During Training
It is important for employees to concentrate during the training process and take notes on the functions of the system. However, some team members may feel that their job is more important than the training or simply become distracted. This lack of attention during training can result in difficulties in using the system to its full potential.
Priorities Changed During Installation
During the installation process, priorities may shift from learning the system to simply getting it up and running. This can result in delays in daily operations, frustration for guests, and the need for on-the-fly training.
Absence of Original Team
Many of the people involved in the initial installation or upgrade may have left the company, leading to natural attrition. This can result in a lack of knowledge about the system and difficulties in customer service.
Poor Communication Between Departments
There may be difficulties in running cross-departmental reports and accessing specific accounts. This can result from the lack of communication between departments and the complexity of canned reports.
Inadequate Contract Negotiations
The original contract may not have included important clauses such as reduced monthly maintenance fees, 24-hour customer service, or the necessary canned reports. This can result in problems with the player tracking system and difficulty in finding solutions.