JERSEY JACK

by Jack Guarnieri, PinballSales.com & ShuffleAlley.com

Don't Let Things Slip!

Just getting back to New Jersey on the red-eye from the BCA Show in Las Vegas, I found myself in Atlantic City at an Eagles concert with my wife. Suddenly, I realized that what connected the two experiences in both cities was a lot of people having fun.

People go to those places to have fun. They may not be little kids anymore, but they have not outgrown the feeling we get when we laugh, cheer, dance and sing. That thread is very basic and it connects us all together.

An amusement center by any name we know it is a place where people come to have fun! We should be able to give our customers that fun at a good value, with clean working games in a bright cheery environment served by caring, devoted employees dedicated to making these customers happy. It's a mouthful, but that is just part of your happy task as the owner of an amusement center.

I have owned a small family arcade and a large FEC, and I will tell you that both are a challenge. Larger in many cases is easier, but everything is on a grander scale, from the rent, insurance, electric bill, salaries and equipment costs to the revenue. In the last few years, I have not seen more amusement centers opening in my area. In fact, I have seen the same ones that have been around go stale and fall apart slowly. What once was fresh and new is now tired and worn. This happens in many amusement centers after the first year, the Sophomore Slump, as they say. If you don't keep up with routine maintenance of the facility from top to bottom, your investment may never be returned.

Like any business, you need to be dedicated and devoted to it. That passion will then translate to every employee you have. If you have that passion and love for what you do, it shows naturally and the energy it creates will help motivate your employees to do better and to feel better about what they are doing. The passion they have for the business and what they do will be apparent to your customers. I have said and written it many times, "Happy Employees Create Happy Customers."

I did every job at my amusement center. Unfortunately, I just couldn't do them all at once. My employees saw me do every job, and they respected that. They figured if it was good enough for me, then how could they complain about doing that same task. I cleaned pots in the sink, worked mini golf and batting cages and hosted many parties when help did not show up on nice summer afternoons. My employees learned that our customers were coming to have fun and it was our job to make that goal come true.

When there were complaints, they were handled immediately and resolved without making enemies of our customers. In many ways, what it comes down to is simply staying on top of things. Learn all you can about your customers and make them happy when they are at your business. Learn all you can about your competition and find something to specialize in, something to be famous for and to be different from your competition. Give your customers a reason to come back to your business!

Jack Guarnieri started fixing electro-mechanical pinball machines in 1975 and has been involved in every phase of the coin-op game business since then. He operated a substantial game route in Brooklyn, N.Y., developed amusement centers and was called in as a consultant to manage Mondial Distributing and State Sales in New Jersey. In 1999, he founded PinballSales.com to sell coin-op to the home market. In 2002, he founded ShuffleAlley.com and released the Parker Bohn III Pro Bowler game, reviving the shuffle alley. His positive attitude, honest insights and opinions have made him a popular figure in the trade. While managing and growing his businesses, he still consults inside and outside the industry, and his marketing, promotional and business management expertise are widely sought. He's very active in his church, community and charitable causes as well. You can learn more at his websites (www.PinballSales.com and www.ShuffleAlley.com) or by phoning him at 866/323-JACK. Email is Jack@Pinballsales.com.

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