Maritz Motivation Solutions and Caesars co-present at the CXFusion conference

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Maritz Motivation Solutions, a leading provider of employee engagement programs to global companies, and client Caesars Entertainment discussed the impact of recognizing employees for customer service at the CXFusion conference in Las Vegas on April 12.

In their presentation, “Caesars Total Service-Total Return V2.0: Taking Employee Engagement, Recognition and CSAT Scores to the Next Level,” Terry Byrnes, Caesars vice president Total Service, and Kimberly Abel-Lanier, vice president of CultureNext at Maritz Motivation Solutions, outlined tips for a successful program that rewards employees for customer service, and highlighted the dramatic results on company performance.

"It's very important to invest in what matters most. You should align rewards around the single most powerful measure available, and then use this metric relentlessly to measure performance. For us, improving service creates value in terms of a greater guest spend, stronger guest loyalty and double the frequency of recommendations from guests," Byrnes said.

“You should also focus on performance, not the methodology. Eliminate the noise, distractions and excuses by agreeing fully on the measures and level the playing field by basing success on improvement. Company executives and HR professionals need to make recognition a habit and part of the company culture. Engage everyone by over-communicating both the performance desired and how it impacts the customer experience,” Abel-Lanier said.

Byrnes and Abel-Lanier showcased other tips:

· Provide frequent day-to-day recognition. Caesars uses e-cards for any employee to recognize a colleague. Caesars employees sent more than 750,000 e-cards in 2016.

· Make it personal with direct communication to employees.

· Connect everyone in a mobile-friendly reward and recognition platform so that it’s easy to find.

· Foster group competition to accelerate improvement.

· Track and measure program engagement to ensure maximum business impact.

Using the CultureNext solution, Caesars greatly improved its service culture, which translated into a strong 2016 company performance in the key areas of financial performance, employee engagement and customer satisfaction, according to Byrnes. Caesars’ overall customer service score came in at an all-time high, Byrnes said.