Words of wisdom or common sense?

In the category of “Did they really pay to hear this speech?” comes the comments of Michael Anderson, president of the Atlantic City Hotel and Lodging Association. Anderson is also vice president of hotel operations at Bally’s Atlantic City.

In an association meeting, Anderson told his peers to concentrate on the customer.

"The customer has never been more important," Anderson said. "Yes, there are fewer, and most are spending a little less, but each customer coming through our doors has chosen to come. For that, we need to reward them with great customer service. A big smile and a heartfelt welcome from every employee will mean a lot to maintain our core business. Service provided in a caring and helpful fashion does not cost extra, but it’s been proven happy customers are loyal, even in hard times.”

Really?

Maybe Atlantic City’s hotel operators need to be reminded to take care of the few customers they have left. The Boardwalk community’s 11 casinos are being squeezed by slot parlors in neighboring Pennsylvania and the sour economy.

For the record, Atlantic City’s gaming revenues declined 9.9 percent in October, 15.1 percent in September, and are down almost 7 percent for the first 10 months of 2008.