Vol. 3, No. 12, December 2006
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Phone-tastic
Tele-services rep fields all manner of calls
Dawn McCauley always loved the telephone. Now, for eight hours a day, she’s married to one.
The tele-services rep for Harrah’s, Showboat, Bally’s and Caesars handles about 125 calls a day. McCauley finds rooms, show tickets and dinner reservations for potential and existing customers. She is equal parts telephone operator, salesperson and closer, armed with social skills.
For casinos, McCauley and colleagues represent the point of attack. Tele-service reps become the first voice a customer hears when deciding where to stay in Atlantic City. Good ones can sway undecided customers to the property or keep unhappy patrons from leaving. The reps become unofficial junior hosts.
McCauley speaks well for the property with a warm, unruffled, and gracious telephone presence.
“When I was a teenager, my parents had to get me a special telephone, just so they could have one to talk on,” McCauley says, giggling. “I never realized I would talk on the telephone the entire day, for a job. I love talking to various customers.
“They will call and ask for help and you can try to book something for that person so that they don’t get off the line. If they tell you they can get something cheaper somewhere else, you remind them about the good deals you have to offer. Always dig for the best deal.
“You stay upbeat, positive and extremely patient. Once in awhile, if they get negative, you thank them for calling and wish them a nice day.”
McCauley entered the business, family style, in 1988. Her mother worked at the Sands and had a friend at Showboat. McCauley interviewed there for hotel operator, scheduling and casino marketing positions. She received a job offer in all three, but selected marketing.
The position evolved into tele-service rep and grew from one casino to four. “I was driving to Showboat for 10 years; it felt like a second home,” McCauley says. “Everybody knows each other. You feel uprooted when you have to move your office. But after they moved us over to Harrah’s, it’s worked out fine.
“We have a lot more to know now. There is more access to the various properties, so much more going on with the Pier at Caesars and all of the new shops. We have more to offer and more information to share.”
McCauley enjoys the job’s technological advances. One computer click opens seating charts for restaurants, shows and room grids. Gone is the day of writing up special requests, checking manifests and risking the loss of business by keeping customers on hold.
Employees often look to advance from their first position. McCauley, however, remains content with job security and official recognition. Customer feedback to supervisors gained her several awards, including three Employee of the Month designations.
Some of the psychic reward is personal. One of McCauley’s finest days involved helping an elderly woman. This was one time she received, rather than gave, the good vibes.
“I took extra time to help this lady, who was having a really tough day,” McCauley says. “She was so appreciative of everything being done for her. I told her she had some of the wonderful qualities that reminded me of my grandmother. My grandmother was on my mind, because she had recently passed away. When I told this woman, she said ‘Your grandmother would be very proud of you right now.’ It was very worthwhile to hear that.”
