Pulse
CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT DEEP HOSPITALITY
Caesars Entertainment: Te importance of equitability
In an enlightening interview with G3, Jan Jones Blackhurst, Board Member at Caesars and the former mayor of Las Vegas, explains why chasing the bottom line alone doesn’t pay. Companies who focus not just on being profitable, but on being equitable, are the ones that will see shareholders get the highest possible return on their investment. What has driven your passion for change?
It stems from the fact I inadvertently took a segway into politics. I happened to be the mayor of Las Vegas at a time when we were the fastest growing city in the United States. We went from 15 million to 35 million visitors, added 60,000 hotel rooms, and built a new school every month just to accommodate the growth.
However, I realised (and maybe this was because I was new to politics) I didn't answer to bosses on the Strip or people in government, but to the people of Las Vegas. If you understand who you answer to, you make more thoughtful decisions. Yes, I wanted the developers to come, but I wanted them to add parks, walking spaces, libraries, and schools so the people who moved there had a quality, sustainable life.
Understanding politics doesn't have to be controversial and difficult if you are doing the right things for the right reasons. I was then Head of Government Relations and Communications in Corporate Social Responsibility at Caesars, so I now had constituents, stakeholders, regulators, and legislators to answer to.
Telling a story about why potential partners should want to do business with your company more than any other is incredibly important, particularly in our industry.
We have seen the downside of when you don't tell that story. Look at what happened in the UK when they imposed limitations on machines to 'stop problem gambling'. Everyone with any knowledge of gaming knows such action has nothing to do with stopping problem gambling. A natural extension of understanding who your stakeholders are is to talk to them, not yourself, in a way that developers and nurtures a beneficial relationship.
What is the difference between 'deep' hospitality and 'bread and butter' hospitality?
Caesars facilitates deep hospitality in multiple ways; through basic customer service training, programmes about creating inclusive cultures, and business resource groups where colleagues can collaborate - whether it is veterans, women, black, latino or just groups wanting to spend time understanding each other's issues.
Jan Jones Blackhurst Board Member Caesars Entertainment
Bread and butter hospitality is how people have presented hospitality for years - friendly, customer facing service in an environment that provides consumers an experience whereby want to come back. Essentially, nice and responsive.
Deep hospitality is when you really take the time to know who your customers is, their differences, and understand that not all customers are motivated by the same experience, offering, or environment. Deep hospitality is where you have the flexibility and consciousness to adapt, creating an environment where the workforce feels appreciated and recognised enough to take the extra step to make sure the hospitality experience is extraordinary.
How does Caesars practice and enact deep hospitality?
Ultimately, it's about having policies that reinforce the fact you as an employer have a high opinion of the quality of life you want your workforce to experience so that they feel a part of something bigger. Tey should feel they aren't just hired to do a job but to be part of a team. Tat's a very different feeling when it comes to motivating people to bring their best selves to work and that's what Caesars is always looking to do. How we touch our employees in a way that makes their service feel valued and what they bring every day to our properties is hugely important.
What is your advice to operators looking to make that transition?
You have to listen. Anyone can put in place programmes, policies, and procedures, but if you're just telling people what you want them to do and how you think they feel, you are never going to get the same response. You're not having a conversation or developing a relationship.
Caesars recently conducted a town hall meeting on human trafficking designed to improve our workforces understand of the issue which 750
Telling a story about why potential partners should want to do business with your company is incredibly important, particularly in our industry. We have seen the downside of when you don't tell that story. Look at what happened in the UK when they imposed limitations on machines to 'stop problem gambling'. Everyone with any knowledge of gaming knows such action has nothing to do with stopping problem gambling.
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA P111
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