Why Set Goals?

As managers, we understand that the Player Development Executives and Casino Hosts have an important role in customer service for the very best players, but we also need the team to focus on strategies that will attract new valuable players, retain existing players, and reactivate players that have disappeared or declined.

By designing a set of goals that measure all of these different efforts and results, you create a framework that enables the PD team to correctly spread their time and energies across this range of challenges.

It’s a Lot of Work!

It takes a lot of work to introduce Host Goals. The Director of Player Development can take the lead but there needs to be collaboration across Player Development, Finance, HR, and IT. The GM should pay close attention and provide the final sign-off.

• The Finance department can help with modeling ‘what might happen to the bottom line’ if the Hosts meet their goals, and can also help with ‘what might it cost’ if you are going to add a bonus to the base salary for the team members.
• HR can advise on the ‘softer side’ of how to communicate and roll-out the program in a positive way.
• And you need to keep IT involved throughout the planning process to make sure that IT can provide daily reports that will let you, and each Host, know the ‘pace’ i.e. exactly where they stand against their goals. Do not underestimate the amount of reporting needed from IT (unless you pick a vendor!).

It Takes a Long Time!

It will take at least three months to define the goals and obtain sign off from the General Manager. In parallel, it can take six to nine months to pick a vendor, obtain approval for the contract, go through the Gaming Authority, and stand up the solution.

Don’t wait for the funding. If you are serious then you should immediately start to design your goals, and look around for consultants and vendors.

By the time the funding is available in January, you should have written your goals, decided on a vendor, chosen a trainer, and be ready to tell them ‘Yes!’. It will then take the first quarter to get through the gaming authority, stand up the solution, and train your team, so you will be up and running for the start of the second quarter.

If you hope to introduce goals at the start of next year, then you need to start now. It is almost too late! So do your homework and ensure the budget for next year includes consulting, training, a Host contact management system, and any expenses for IT

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