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Customer Success
Visit the Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors' website
www.grouppinnacle.com
1) Customer Success Capabilities
2) Scope of Services
3) Articles on Industry Subjects
Customer Success Capabilities
The Redemption Plus Customer Success program exists to help our customers with advice and expertise on all aspects of their business. George McAuliffe manages our customer Success program. Now in his 30th year of Out of Home entertainment management, George brings a variety of general management expertise, as well as specific skills in family entertainment centers, to the service of our customers.
In his career he managed one of the large, public company amusement chains, began operating redemption as early as 1985, crane machines in 1986, and designed and launched one of the first Family Entertainment Centers in the U.S. in 1989. he was a founding director and is a past president and lifetime member of IALEI, the International Association of the Leisure and Entertainment Industry.
George founded Pinnacle Entertainment Group in 1996 and has consulted for numerous projects including the launch of the ESPN Zone restaurant-entertainment chain, DisneyQuest and for such well known household names as Brunswick Corporation, Fantasy Foto, Sega, and Shakey's Pizza, as well as numerous individually owned facilities. He has spoken at numerous industry conventions worldwide and contributes articles regularly to Play Meter magazine and Tourist attractions & Parks. For more specifics please click on mcauliffe qualifications.
Scope of Services
New Facilities
We can offer a full menu of support for all aspects of new facility development. Our approach is to set up the facility, through proper business planning, design, and execution, so that it delivers a superior guest experience from the first day of operation. A superior guest experience means that guests stay longer, tell their friends, and come back more often, ensuring a long and successful life of the facility.
Design
We can recommend architect(s) for floor plan and theming development; review your floor plan, suggest adjustments or alternative layouts. We interact with your architect/designer on all game & attraction placement, redemption center design and related.
Game Selection and Purchasing
We work with our clients to create the game/attraction list to ensure that you have the right mix of games and attractions, purchased at fair prices from industry suppliers (note that we do not sell new equipment, we have excellent purchasing relationships with industry suppliers, including the ability to "buy direct" on certain product. We do not accept commissions on sales to our consulting clients, rather we leverage our purchasing power on behalf of the client). We can help locate quality used and refurbished games whenever possible/desirable, and execute the purchase for you or play a support role.
Redemption Management System
We create both a "Game Plan" for you and a merchandise plan. In the Game Plan we establish payout standards for redemption games and direct merchandisers. This is an essential first step to maintaining your cost of sales budget. We also create a merchandise plan to include: markup parameters, a full Price Point Matrix (selection of merchandise and set price points), and we establish merchandise categories. We put together an initial order customized for the size of your redemption counter and the expected volume of your facility. Our Redemption Plus merchandisers are available to come to your facility for the initial stocking of your redemption center; at that time we will also train your staff in the principles of merchandising the Redemption Center.
Finally, we can provide you with procedures establishing a 'closed loop" merchandise control system. This helps you to maximize game sales and control redemption costs, from ordering, through stocking, redemption to the customer, periodic inventory and management reporting systems.
Debit Card Systems
We have been involved with the selection and operation of all of the major card and redemption management systems on the market. We are available to assist you in evaluating suppliers, developing requirements, evaluating economics, and in negotiating final debit card system proposal. Once selected we will work with you and the debit card system provider on system configuration and specifications to customize for Client's operation. We typically assist in coordinating the install, training, and support with vendor.
Operating Manual
We have produced an operating manual for game area and entertainment operations which includes all policies and procedures for the first class operation of the game/attraction area, including the atmosphere, staff positions, profiles and training, games/attractions maintenance, and operating the redemption center. Our manual incorporates our thrity years of hands on experience in a simple, well organized document. It serves as a blueprint for successful operations.
Other Deliverables
- collection procedures, weekly report design and system, periodic management reports for trends, asset performance, "red flag" and exception reporting.
- We can develop pricing parameters for all games and attractions for peak and off peak periods.
- Develop general operational controls such as: ticketing, inventory, token and cash control; facility/game maintenance and security.
- Capitalize on entertainment capabilities to support marketing initiatives, work with your marketing team and integrate into website and internet opportunities.
- Assist your marketing team with development of birthday party programs and group sales programs.
- Assist Client with financial modeling for Business Plan purposes
Human Resources, Training, and Education
- Assist in recruiting key entertainment management.
- Work with your entertainment management and staff to educate them on the industry and the internal systems and standards as described above.
- Presentations to staff as part of the pre-grand opening visit.
- Work with Client to produce staffing schedule(s) and payroll budget.
- Work with Client to identify, educate, and assist in the training of game technician(s).
Grand Opening
- Assist entertainment management in creating item by item checklists to ensure a smooth opening.
- Supervise entertainment management in executing pre-opening plans.
- Travel to site for a three day period, including travel, at Client's direction (it is anticipated that this will occur in connection with the preopening shake out period). Assist with setup, pre opening, and post opening refinement of operations.
- Review management reports, comment, and phone conference reviews for 1st 45 days after opening.
- Two day site visit after 45 days for game inspection, review of systems, refresher training.
Ongoing
We are available to assist all of our Redemption Plus customers for routine questions on an ongoing basis, or with advice on the occasional operational problem, at no charge. For more in depth consulting services we can provide a quote.
As every facility has unique needs, the scope of services for each will be customized from the list above. Please call for a quotation. Consulting quotes are often rebated based on attaining predetermined merchandise volume levels.
Articles on Industry Subjects
"Brunswick Center of Excellence White Paper" - How can I widen my audience, increase my revenue per customer visit, strengthen my appeal to families, and improve as a birthday and group sales destination? Answer: Create a state of the art Game Room featuring redemption games and merchandise... more
"Communicating with Employees" - Poor communication is one of the most common criticisms employees have about the businesses they work for... more
"Cranes: Still a Workhorse After All These Years" - Although their history goes way back, the modern day crane was reintroduced to the U.S. market in the mid 1980s... more
"Out Of Home Entertainment - March 2007" - Since the first caveman turned to his wife and said, "You know, Gladys, I'm getting sick of sitting around looking at these three stone walls," people have been searching for entertainment outside of their homes... more
"Understanding Generation Y" - Our research shows the biggest divide facing our society is not a gender divide, racial divide, income or technology divide but it is the generational divide... more
"Vending Times - September 2007" - A decade after Sammy's Sports Arena demonstrated that a skill game combined with a practical method of delivering a wide variety of prizes could capture the public's attention, the amusement-merchandising segment remains vibrant and profitable... more
"New Shakey's Mounts its Comeback" - The great Shakey's Pizza name was long known throughout the United States (and many parts of the world) as the place to go for great pizza and good times. In recent years, outside of California and a few other selected markets, the question has been, "Where did Shakey's go?"... more
"Look for Opportunities when Times are Tough" - At the recent ASI show in Las Vegas, we spent a lot of time in the aisles talking to operators, distributors, and manufacturers. "How is your business doing?" was the opening question for many conversations... more
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