I still remember the night it happened. The slot floor was buzzing, but all I could focus on was a visibly upset VIP player at the loyalty desk. One of our best guests was attending one of our VIP events and when she arrived, she learned that we lost her reservation—her favorite machine was out of order, and her mood was quickly unraveling. The situation was escalating, and as a young leader only a few years into my career, I felt that knot of panic in my stomach. I knew all eyes—my team’s, the guests’, and likely leadership’s—were on me.
In that moment, I took a deep breath and reminded myself: People don’t remember the mistake as much as they remember how you recover from it. I listened, really listened, to the guest’s frustration, acknowledged the missteps without excuses, and began problem-solving on the spot. Within an hour, we upgraded her room, arranged for her favorite meal on the house, and secured a similar game for her to try (that she won on!). By the end of the evening, the same guest who had been ready to walk out was laughing with my team and giving me a hug.
The next day, my general manager stopped me in the break area. I expected a critique for how the problem happened in the first place. Instead, she said, “You didn’t just fix the problem—you saved the relationship.” That moment shifted my perspective on leadership. It wasn’t about avoiding every mistake; it was about turning setbacks into opportunities to build trust.
That lesson has stayed with me through 25 years in gaming, 21 in operations and now leading marketing. Today, when I design loyalty programs or guest campaigns, I think about more than points and promotions. I think about how every touchpoint is a chance to create an emotional connection, recover when things go wrong, and turn one bad moment into a reason for a guest to come back. For anyone feeling unsure or overwhelmed, know this: Every challenge is a chance to prove your value. Handle it with empathy, creativity, and composure, and you’ll build loyalty that lasts a lifetime.
—Jill Eden, Vice President of Marketing, Delaware North
