The Macau Gaming Research Association’s Macau Gaming Service Index (GSI) 2020 shows that the toilet environment quality at local casinos has dropped for three consecutive years.
The survey’s findings were released in a statement during an online zoom presentation yesterday.
According to the statement, the association used GSI, a subjective analysis based on findings by “mystery-shopper” -style researchers to measure the service quality of Macau casinos. The statement noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the “mystery-shoppers” were only able to visit the casinos during the fourth quarter last year, adding that they visited 15 “representative” casinos, encompassing the operations of all six Macau casino operators, twice – once at the beginning of October and the other time in November – and completed 1,248 samples.
Macau has 37 casinos in operation, according to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ).
The statement said that jobs covered in the samples comprised table game dealers, cashiers, security workers, staff working in slot machine areas, and attendants working in casinos’ membership departments, cloakrooms, shuttle bus service or toilets.
The research showed that the service quality in a sample of Macau casinos – especially in the “smiling” category when dealing with customers – has shown improvement so far this year. The statement also said that, generally speaking, Cotai casinos perform better than casinos in the Macau peninsula. The statement pointed out that during the pandemic, the association used other measurements to assess whether facemask-wearing service providers were smiling, such as “bagging” under the eyes and wrinkles on the side of the eyes.
According to the statement, for dealers in casinos, their GSI score on smiling has increased 30 percent but “tolerance” towards customers decreased 30 percent. In Cotai casinos the smiling category scored a historical high.
The statement said that the overall GSI score increased 1.28 percent year-on-year, adding that smiling and proactive categories showed improvement compared to 2019. However, the statement also noted that the service providers’ tolerance level showed a decrease on the GSI score in 2020.
The statement also pointed out that time and days are influential factors in security and customer services as they vary during weekends, weekdays, mornings and nighttimes. The statement stressed that the GSI score for the casinos’ toilet environment has dropped for three consecutive years, urging casino operator to improve the situation.
This undated handout photo provided by the Macau Gaming Research Association shows attendees gathering for an in-person press conference.
