Play Meter

Taking a long hard look beyond the obvious I Valerie Cognevich Editor PLAY METER remember several years ago I was up in Michigan visiting Chuck Milhem of Valley. He was named "Man of the Year" by the American Amusement Machine Charitable Foundation, and I was honored to write the story of his life. As we were driving to his office, he pointed out an operator's building and asked me if! was familiar with that particular operator. I wasn't, but Chuck proceeded to tell me that that operator was the backbone of our industry. He was hardworking, diligent, and determined to be successful. He wasn't a big operator, but then Chuck pointed out that there are more small operators than big ones. I thought about his words that day, secretly thinking that perhaps he was wrong and small operators were only mucking up the works for the bigger ones. If you read my editorial last month you'll remember that I wrote about operators who really are mucking up the works, and I'll admit that I resent that they are included in an industry I'm very proud of. But the more I thought about that operator on the comer, I knew that's not who I was talking about last month. I realize how vital small operators are to the industry. At the recent Ohio Coin Machine Association trade show, we heard a lot about the National Amusement Network Inc. (NANI) and how it is supposed to fit into our industry. One statement stuck in my mind: the success of NANI will not lie with huge operators just as the lottery does not rely solely on large operations. The lottery makes sense and is available to everyone because you can purchase tickets on just about every comer, from where you buy gas to the grocery store. No matter what you are doing or where you are going, there's a lottery ticket a breath away. I visited a game room in Ohio that is participating in the NANI program. Contrary to what I expected, this was not a gigantic family entertainment center bulging with space and equipment. This was one of "Chuck's" operators who is doing what he has to do to keep his business fresh and alive. 8 One of the owners talked candidly of the time when his father passed away, leaving three brothers at the helm of the business. "A distributor my father had done business with for many, many years abandoned us. They would not even talk with us because they assumed we would not make it," he said. "But the lessons my father instilled in us made certain we would succeed. Do we do business with that distributor anymore? Of course not, because they weren't willing to even give us a chance. It's pretty sad when someone you've trusted for so many years simply turns their back on you." Their father taught them valuable lessons that all operators should live by. One was not to fear competition. "Dad always said not to fear competition. He said that competition would bring more customers to the area and eventually those customers would go to the best place in the area. So just be the best place in the area!" Our industry is at a crossroads right now. We're offered new technology, but there are no instructions on what is the right thing to do. Is NANI for your business? Ask Don Rizek, and he'll tell you that his dad believed in taking risks. He knew that if you didn't try something new, you'd never be any better than the guy down the street. Tami Paulsen, past AMOA president, called Ohio operators progressive and compared them to those in her home state of Minnesota. She is certain that operators are going to have to change their thinking and get into the '90s or be gone. "Progressive operators see value in promotions," she began. "How important are our league promotions? Let's just say that without them we wouldn't be in business. Progressive operators have computerized their businesses. But it amazes me that there are still over half of the operators who have not made the step toward computers." She continued, "Progressive operators have also diversified into other ventures. There is always something that you can do to expand your business. In Minnesota we have found an alternative in pull-tabs. There is always something." And what better way to view our industry than to truly believe there are alternatives and actively seeki ways to expand your businesses. Yes, there is always something. It's just that we aren't always willing to open the door and let it in. Knock knock! .A OCTOBER 1995