Patience

In the casino industry, it’s normal to see customers become angry, frustrated or overwhelmed, and it’s the dealer’s job to handle these situations using customer service skills. One of these skills is also step number 5, Patience, and customer service requires a lot of patience.

We all have stories of customers who’ve insulted us, blamed us for the money they lost or have made us angry. In this industry, it’s going to happen. When a situation like that occurs, the dealer is going to need patience, but that’s easier said than done. What if you’re not a naturally patient person, what do you do? As soon as you realize that things are getting heated and the conversation has escalated, take a few deep breaths and focus on counting to 10. This will give you enough time for the rational portion of your brain to kick in, instead of reacting purely on the fight-or-flight response.

Don’t lose your temper. Remain calm and composed. Keep in mind that people naturally tend to mirror one another, so if you’re levelheaded and patient then the player will eventually start mirroring your behavior. Tact and diplomacy must be exercised at all times even in the face of abusive behavior.

When the player is upset, the dealer’s goal would be to try and calm the guest down, sincerely listen to what their saying and take the time to try and figure out what the player wants. Attempt to understand what their problem is. Try to see things from their perspective and then offer a degree of sympathy. If their problem isn’t related to losing money, then try and offer a few solutions. ﷺ Most of the time, disgruntled players just want someone to listen to them and you would be surprised by how many irate customers settle down once they have your attention and empathy. Problems are opportunities in disguise and opportunities mean more tokes.

“Ignore the Noise” This is a great customer service skill to have since it will save you from many unwanted fights and unpleasant write-ups. Noise can be anything from naysayers, to drunks, to trolls, to just a case of bad luck.

Drunk players require a little more patience since they tend to throw around insulting language and disparaging remarks. As long as their behavior isn’t abusive, extreme, aggressive or personal, then the dealer must exhibit some tolerance. Some dealers respond to these people by treating them as a challenge, others display overwhelming kindness and courtesy as a defensive tactic. What do you do? How do you guys handle drunks?

The dealer should never get into a disagreement with the player… but saying that is sort of unrealistic. It’s happened to all of us. Since we can’t stop arguments from happening, let’s try to stop them from ever starting. And I know just the solution to that problem… Let’s duct tape the player’s mouth closed. … Ah, Bennie’s telling me I can’t do that. Well, since we can’t change the player’s attitude, I guess that means we need to change our attitude instead.

If a couple players are in a heated discussion amongst themselves, don’t take sides. In fact, don’t get involved at all, stay out of it. If the Floor makes a decision in favor of the player, don’t take this personally. The floor isn’t trying to make you look bad. Sometimes a customer relations decision needs to be made without regard to whether the dealer was correct or incorrect. Never take the game personally. If the House is losing, don’t get competitive and uptight that the player is beating you. This isn’t a competition, it’s your job. If there’s a dispute and the floor needs to be called over, then don’t lie about what happened. Be honest. Arguments are going to happen because they always do and there’s nothing anyone can do to avoid it. So the best thing to do if you find yourself in this situation is to tell the truth.

If the dealer has an argument with a player, they will always come out looking bad. If you notice that you’re starting to raise your voice above the normal conversational level, immediately stop yourself and call over the floor so they can handle the situation. Stay quiet, especially if you’re mad, the last thing you want to do is open your mouth and get yourself into more trouble.

If the player sits down at your table, and they’re already in a bad mood, then instead of waiting for a fight to happen, try and distract them by talking about an upbeat, positive subject. Disconnect the guest from their foul mood by taking them to a better place. For example, if the player is wearing a Longhorns Jersey, then start a conversation about how great the team has been doing. Try and turn a potentially bad situation into an opportunity, therefore increasing your potential tokes.