“To be or not to be.” According to Wikipedia, this is the most widely-known, widely-quoted line in the English language. There’s a great corollary on the slot floor today: “To dispatch or not to dispatch.” Whether you’re Hamlet or just an ordinary slot director, dispatching is the best way to “take arms against a sea of troubles.” Today it’s clear that if you don’t have a dispatching system – and, moreover, aren’t using it effectively – you’re sure to “suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” The slot manager’s version of that grief? Complaints about wait times.
While Shakespeare’s soliloquy has a 500-year legacy, dispatching as a software solution is just now reaching its 15th anniversary. Around 2004, both CIS Technology in Reno (working with Eldorado Resorts) and the William Ryan Group (working with Harrah’s corporate) created early versions aimed at improving and understanding guest service needs both on the slot floor and for cocktail service (the latter primarily with William Ryan). There were some earlier attempts, such as IGT and CDS (now Aristocrat) that offered event notifications via pagers, but it wasn’t really dispatching.
Today CIS has emerged as the leader in this category, but William Ryan is still active. And those two are no longer alone; Acres Kai, Viz Explorer and Adept 4 Gaming have all joined the dispatch space in the years since. Ironically, while all the source data for these independent dispatching solutions comes from the property’s main slot system, the major system vendors were all somewhat late to the dispatch game. Bally (now Scientific Games) jumped in about six years ago, and IGT followed recently. Aristocrat and Konami have also either launched dispatch solutions or have them in development.
In surveying a number of sources, estimates are that about 80% of the larger casinos (let’s peg that at venues that have 750 slots or more) have some form of dispatching. However, like the widespread under-utilization of slot system tools and analytical programs, many say that only half of those casinos are using their dispatching solutions to their full potential.
So what is that ideal? Let’s start with the basics. These systems were created to understand where the slowdown was occurring during wait times. Without dispatch, it was hard to know if your staff was lazy, the procedures were bad, your folks were in the wrong place, and so forth. Thus, Step One was to collect basic information about slot performance – not revenue performance (Win, Hold or Coin In), but machine events like Change Lights, Jackpots and Tilts. The main slot systems were all recording this information, but not really doing much with it. Using CIS as an example, they added some other basic procedures, such as requiring attendants to insert their employee tracking cards when they arrived at service calls and again when they paid off a jackpot. For the first time, operators could measure each component of response times, task volumes, locations, individual performance and time-of-day/day-of-week issues. While rudimentary, this data is the key to improving performance.
Jim Eller a VP at CIS, calls this “operational awareness.” With 176 installations across the country, he says, “not a single one of those properties had to increase FTEs when they added dispatcher positions, yet they all reduced guest service complaints and lowered response times.” Some of the reasons are obvious, others are not. Eller noticed, for example, that within 90 days of installing a dispatch system, almost every slot manager re-bid their shifts. In other words, they had enough staff; they were just not working at the right times, on the right days and in the right places.
All early systems, and many of the current ones, use a live dispatcher working with a base radio to direct the rest of the team. There can be plusses and minuses to this. Should the dispatcher be in the slot tip pool (this is guaranteed to start a debate)? If so, should you rotate dispatchers and attendants? Should you pay more and only select dispatchers with superior communication skills? Regardless of your method, efficiency will increase, often dramatically. Wait times can be measured for each step of an event, and the latest systems can prioritize VIP guests’ issues. I’ve often heard operators say, “We don’t have enough attendants on the floor to spare one to work in dispatch.” More than one vendor countered by saying that, “if I only had two FTEs on the floor, I’d put one in dispatch.”
There’s no universal agreement on the matter, but many argue that a good slot floor layout includes some restricted sight lines and cozy isolated pods and carousels. These can often boost play levels, but they always increase wait times. If a player can’t see an attendant, and vice versa, long wait times are inevitable. This is where dispatching is invaluable. Once a pre-set wait time is hit, usually less than two minutes, an attendant can be dispatched to blind spots anywhere. If the service request is not answered promptly, the notice can be automatically elevated to a supervisor or manager.
One downside to using a live dispatcher is that more radio traffic is generated. For some, that chatter in the earpiece can increase team stress. As technology has evolved, mobile has become an important addition to dispatching. Adept 4 Gaming was one of the first to add a mobile-only solution in 2010., “Our solution was built from the ground up with mobile in mind,” company vice president Mahesh Jituri said. He added that the “visibility of information is huge.” Acres’ Kia was another mobile-only version, and many other vendors, including CIS and William Ryan, had even earlier adapted their systems to various handheld devices to increase efficiency. Likewise, today the big system vendors – including IGT’s Mobile Responder and SG’s Servizio – have strong mobile features. Team members can use mobile devices – iPods, Android phones, iPad minis and the like – to receive alerts and prioritize their responses. Interestingly, Adept 4’s program is completely automated and does not require a dispatcher, nor does the company recommend using one.
There are some arguments that a combination of both might be preferable. Eller says that “eyes up, earpieces in” can improve guest expectations. With most slot players in the 50+ demographic, the perception that young folks are always staring at their phones and not paying attention can make guests feel the attendants don’t care about them. Both Eller and Jituri said this negative perception can be minimized by using larger devices or requiring wrist or arm straps along with smaller devices to make them look more professional. Some argue that adding mobile functionality to a human dispatch system cuts a lot of the radio traffic while still providing the human element for a better overview of the entire operation, including interfacing with other departments.
Although somewhat controversial, dispatch can also be to evaluate team performance. Being fast is not always a plus on the slot floor. A guest may want to tell you about his gall bladder operation or complain about the prime rib in the buffet. Good guest service requires that not only should we be fast, but we also need to be compassionate and, critically, a good listener. If dispatch systems are used incorrectly to measure response times, some of your best team members may feel slighted. As a former operator, I found that using longer evaluation periods – doing it quarterly, for example – can and does give valid results. The number of customers who like to talk averages out among all team members in the long run. Therefore, with a longer interval, service time measurements of individuals can provide great information for team member development. Those who are much slower than average during a proscribed 90-day period are worth further observation to see where they get bogged down, and additional training if necessary. Likewise, being too fast can also be a negative – who then will listen to those complaints about bad luck and loud music? Team member evaluations and rewards can then be determined on how close team members are to averages – not too slow and not too fast. Goldilocks was right on: aim for the center.
One new trend in dispatching is to add a preventative maintenance feature. Viz Explorer added dispatch two years ago and have now launched techViz to help floor technicians respond and track maintenance problems. Jordan Whitten, Viz’s Director of Gaming Operations, says, “We all know how important preventative maintenance can be to uptime. Our system tracks the process, records how long it takes, and provides ‘health reports’ for each machine.” He went on to mention other benefits, including parts inventory control and tech team member productivity measurements. Viz joins other vendors who’ve also added these modules. CIS’s TIMS (Technician Information Management System) offers more of the same features, which are designed to monitor everything going on with a casino’s machines – Out of Service conditions, for example – and automatically create the relevant work orders. Scientific Gaming’s Servizio is another application that’s had machine maintenance as a major component for years.
Like other dispatching benefits, mobile solutions can enhance these maintenance features, although a lot of operators have not yet deployed hardware to optimize their mobile networks. With technology constantly improving across the board, an investment in a strong and reliable wireless network with sufficient access points to insure 100% connectivity is critical. Considering that both team members and players have an ever-increasing thirst for wireless, you need to beef your network now, not later. If nothing else, the emergence of sports wagering with mobile in-game betting will force these upgrades in many jurisdictions.
A feature of many dispatching systems that operators have been slow to adopt is the electronic MEAL (Machine Entry Authorization Logs) book. These are required by MICS regulations in every jurisdiction, but nothing says they have to remain paper-based. The advantages of digitizing this process are major: reliable identification (no more trying to decipher illegible signatures and events); options to search by date, tilts and logger; faster entries (more uptime); and automated error-checking. Some operators have reported that their regulators are hesitant to adopt this technology. Ironically, the regulators would be among the biggest benefactors of a change, since an electronic MEAL allows more effective searches and provides superior investigative reporting. Here, too, the lack of a strong mobile network could be another obstacle.
Geo-fencing or geo-locating capabilities are also excellent by-products of a good wireless system. Today, a team member, whether dispatched or on mobile, can falsely report they are in-task doing a jackpot or service call when they are actually off the floor or in the breakroom. Geo-locating allows managers and supervisors to have the data to see where and when their team is deployed. While it does smack a bit of Big Brother, such data would certainly aid productivity on the floor. Most vendors said they have, or will soon have, geolocating options in their dispatch reporting.
Here’s a brief list of other suggestions the vendors offered to improve your operation:
- If you don’t have a dispatching system, get one. You’re virtually blind without it (of course, they would say that, but so would I.)
- Consider dedicated cashier windows for slot team transactions. This is less efficient for cage staffing, but the impact on guest wait times can be major. Despite any procedures you may have in the cage urging cashiers to prioritize slot team requests, it is almost impossible for one to ignore first serving a dealer or cocktail waitress who tips compared to a slot attendant who doesn’t.
- Dispatchers and mobile systems can be configured to call out or display guests’ first names, which helps to personalize service.
- Consider pouch pays on smaller jackpots of $2,500 or less. This is somewhat less efficient for the team members, since there are additional countdown and balancing issues, but guest wait times can be reduced substantially, and machines are back in service much faster. The latest generation of recycling jackpot kiosks can also help speed bank replenishments.
- As above, with jackpot payoffs consider machine key-to-credit options and system consolidated W2Gs for strong players.
- Review your staffing levels against the dispatch system reports at least once a quarter. With changing demographic trends, new technology and machine moves, things can change.
- Shift changes are notorious for producing temporary service delays. Likewise, pre-shift meetings are excellent, but can complicate this problem. Dispatch reports can be reviewed to see if service times are consistent or spike during shift changes.
- Make sure your mobile network is strong. Get one if you don’t have one.
- If your dispatch system has a method of prioritizing premium players, use it. It can make a real difference in profitability.
- Keep in touch with your vendor on a regular basis and consider additional training at least once a year (if not more frequently). Internal turnover often leads to neglected (but valuable) capabilities. Likewise, vendors often add new features that can be put into use, but only if you’re aware they exist.
There’s an interesting exercise for slot managers mentioned in a white paper written by CIS Technology: “Sit down in front of a slot machine. Look at your watch. Wait. Just five minutes. Look at your watch. Wait. How long is five minutes? A very long time.”
If you haven’t done this in a while, it is worth revisiting. Sitting in front of a slot that you can’t play is like watching paint dry: it seems to take forever. Just don’t have your GM do this exercise if you don’t have a dispatch system. You might then suffer some unintended ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ yourself.
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Vendors referenced
Acres http://acres4.com/kai/
Adept 4 Gaming www.adept4gaming.com/
CIS Technology www.cisnv.com
IGT www.igt.com/products-and-services/gaming/systems
Scientific Games www.sggaming.com/Systems/Marketing/Servizio
Viz Explorer www.vizexplorer.com
William Ryan http://williamryangroup.com/gaming.php
