Several episodes ago, we asked whether M Life cutbacks would impact customer service. In Episode 47, Bill goes on an epic tant to sat they did. Later, John goes on a rant to complain about Paris Las Vegas charging someone 50 bucks to plug in their laptop. Along the way, the Drink of the Way is the Corn n' Oil and we share all the latest Vegas news. Come travel with us!
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Episode 47: Customer service?
Drink of the Day- Corn ‘n’ Oil
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces blackstrap rum (or aged Barbados rum)
- 1/2 ounce falernum
- 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters (Bill interjects about the John definition of “3 dashes”)
- Garnish: lime wedge
This drink is built in the glass. Fill a rocks glass with ice, then add the lime juice, falernum, and bitters, and stot (yes, normally, you shake when lime justice is involved- just go with it)
Then float your dark rum gently on top and garnish with a lime peel
Feature Story:
We previously covered MGM properties laying off concierges and bell hops, shiting many responsibilities to other staff.
This made us wonder if stretching the staff thin would have any negative impacts on the quality of customer care and the overall guest experience.
Bill now has a story he’d like to tell, we we will discuss:
- For our upcoming Labor Day trip to the W, my buddy Mike and I have connecting rooms. I decided to price out what a two bedroom suite would be, and that meant cancelling my original room for I could see the MLife discount. The two bedroom suite cost more with less space, so I decided to go back to my original room. Unfortunately, the original deal was gone and I was going to have to pay another 2-300 bucks.
- That’s not a legal or an ethics problem. That’s just poor customer service. A customer should be able to price out what an alternative room type would be without losing the deal they already have.
- At this point in the story I am still in a reasonably good mood, so I spent an hour a day over four days in mid-June trying to book the new deal. I could see the price, but the MLife website wouldn’t let me book it. That meant I had to call in.
- It shouldn’t be so hard to give MLife my money. Unfortunately, you and our other friends are at this hotel, so its not like I could easily change hotels.
- Here is where the customer service failing became a real problem. I called in and was quoted the same price I could see on the website. I agreed to it. The agent took my payment and charged me for the first room. Then, AFTER SHE AGREED TO A PRICE AND HAD ALREADY TAKEN THE PAYMENT ON ONE OF THE ROOMS, she said the second room was no longer available and that I would have to pay roughly an additional $800.
- I physically mailed MLife customer service on June 20, and they received the letter at 5:24 a.m. on June 24. They never responded.
- I emailed them on Sunday at 3:53 p.m. I got an auto-response, but as of Wednesday have no real response.
News
- Scott at Vital Vegas is reporting what he labels a “rumor” that the Downtown Grand has stopped paying their vendors. He states that he has talked to some of the vendors.
- And Scott broke news at TI is now partnering with Accor, a world-wide hotel operator that partners with a number of brands that, to be delicate, is underwhelming- including names no longer gracing Vegas properties such as SLS and Delano.
- Scott also broke news of a GREAT financial quarter at Red Rock, showing that locals casinos are doing just fine while the Strip continues to lose ground
- And one more stolen from Scott, chef-driven smash burger NADC Burger (Not A Damn Chance) is open as a pop-up in the old Suns Out Buns Out location at Resorts World.
- EaterVegas’ Jannet Karel reports that NaughtyPatty, the Smashburger joint at Cosmo’s Block 16 Food Hall opened on July 28, giving the property a replacement for the shuttered Holsteins, which has moved to the Arts District
- She also shared that Dave’s Hot Chicken is now open at Terminal D at the Airport. No word if airlines are upgrading airplane lavatories on departing flights to prepare for regrettable spicy chicken decisions by hungover tourists leaving Las Vegas
- According to Travel and Leisure, MGM Grand is amidst a 300M renovation to their rooms and suites. The first of those rooms are available to book now, and the rest will be available by year’s end.(Travel Ruby already has a video showing off one of the new Grand King rooms along with a few other new facilities on the property)
- According to CNBC, The Las Vegas Sphere will soon screen 1939′s “The Wizard of Oz” in a new immersive film experience. The project places viewers inside the world of Oz using the Sphere’s 160,000-square-foot wraparound screen. The film will play in 16K resolution with full spatial audio using 167,000 speakers and haptic seating, according to a June press release.
- On a related note, Twitter user Chris Holmes reported that the Love sign at Venetian/Palazzo, reportedly to make way for a Wizard of Oz add
- According to Newsweek, Las Vegas hotel occupancy is down 17% in early July to a total of 66.7%.
- VEGAS WTF View From the Wing is reporting that a visitor at the Paris Las Vegas was charged $50 for unplugging a cord from the wall so she could plug in her laptop. The Paris responded that the charge was legitimate, because there was a sign telling her not to do this. That sign was on the minibar tray, which was not located near the plug. There was not another convenient place to plug in.
