Casino Staff: Slot Attendants and Supervisors
Let’s play a quick game – let’s try and guess where you are in the casino…
You hear ringing bells, spinning wheels, and the endless clink of dropping coins… you see flashing lights, and observe excited players shouting and whooping it up… ok, where are you?
Ding Ding Ding… we have a winner!!! Yup, you’re in the slot machine area.
Slot machines are some of the biggest money-makers for the casino (for some casinos, it’s 70% of the take.) And it’s not just because they are easy to play and a favorite of gamblers worldwide – slots are also a big casino hit because unlike other games, they do not need an employee / dealer for every single machine. In fact, one slot attendant can usually handle an entire room of slots.
So what is a slot attendant, you ask, and what do they do? Well, picture this: you’re at the slots… you win big (more than the machine can pay out in coins). A big bell goes off, lights on your machine light up, and you wait… you wait for the slot attendant to come pay you.
Or, perhaps you are playing a game, and the wheel stops spinning. The machine is broken. But you’ve been playing this machine awhile (and it’s ready to pay – you can just feel it!!) So you would like to keep playing if only someone could come fix it. So again, you wait for a slot attendant.
In simple terms, Slot Attendants assist guests who play slot machines (sometimes also referred to as “Electronic Gaming Machines”). They are similar to a dealer or floorperson, but they work the slots area. They help patrons, they fix machines, and they answer questions, handle payouts, and perform generally any other duty pertaining to slots. They can even help a blue-haired lady out of her chair after nine hours of intense gaming at the nickel slots!!
Slot attendants are the “first line” of customer service, and are usually supervised by a slot supervisor (one supervisor may handle several slot areas). Slot attendants and slot attendant supervisors have overlapping duties and responsibilities, as both employees are responsible for dealing with customer service issues. If the slot attendant has the ability and authority to satisfy a customer request, then he or she will do so and not bother the slot supervisor (i.e.: Both can issue Jackpot Payout Slips for large amounts of money.)
Since a slot supervisor must understand the machines inside out, many supervisors are former slot attendants and/or slot mechanics. Even though both employees overlap in duties, a slot supervisor has a greater authority. If the slot attendant cannot fulfill a responsibility (such as satisfying a customer’s complaint) then the supervisor will be called in. Slot supervisors can oversee several slot attendants, will usually personally handle “High Roller” slot machine areas, and handle administrative tasks (such as employee schedules).
So the next time you win big, and the machine you are playing is ringing and flashing, just sit tight and know a slot attendant will soon be tending to your needs (which hopefully will involve several large bills!)
