Still too pooped from my trip -- actually got a very bad cold while there -- and hope to write a trip report soon but wanted to say now how impressed I was, repeatedly (with the exception of my very last interaction), with CET customer service during my recent 10-day trip to Vegas. It was consistently very good. Excellent drink service at Flamingo and Bally's but especially at Flamingo. Both DBueler and I (we hung out at Flamingo for two days playing) noticed how it seemed like a CW was coming around literally every 5 minutes, with what seemed like a genuine smile.
While I was playing alone at Bally's and while DBueler was playing alone at Flamingo, security stopped by briefly just to say hello and to let us know to reach out to them if we needed anything. The security guard even gave DBueler a card with his name on it on the front and on the back it had five or six bullets about what security could do for you, e.g., escort you to your room or car, etc. Very impressive. Printing a zillion of those cards probably cost a buck but the fact that someone thought about this and drilled it down to front-line employees spoke volumes to me.
The Keno folks were friendly, buffet check in folks were cool, DL folks were decent (not warm and fuzzy but fine enough though one CW at the Paris DL was SUPER friendly).
I was playing VP heavily one night and one host stopped by and actually scared me at first and I didn't know why he was stopping by and bothering me LOL, but he offered to comp me to the Bally's steakhouse. Like an idiot, I said "no, but thank you." Sorry, big brother. As soon as I said "no", I knew I should have said "yes." I am sure you and your gal would have enjoyed the steakhouse. My bad.
Slot attendants and machine cleaning ladies were friendly but not overly so -- I hate folks hovering over me while I play -- and when I got a W2G at Flamingo, one attendant smoothly talked about coming back to pay me another W2G jackpot soon. Early in my trip I was playing on my birthday and two different people came by to wish me happy birthday, I guess because it had popped up on computer screen in some back room while I was playing. (God knows what attendants and hosts see on a computer screen while we play.) Again, wishing me happy birthday didn't cost anything but 12 days later, I remember it and frankly, given that I didn't see my brother and his girlfriend until later it was nice to have someone acknowledge my birthday in person, even if was a stranger. (This is sounding sad or pathetic but it didn't feel that way! LOL).
Housekeeping service was excellent (though I made a decision at the outset to tip well on a daily basis). Chocolates, nuts and water delivered to my room at the beginning of each stay (I had multiple ones at Bally's), was also very cool.
But the serious service came during my second check in (second stay at Bally's). LONG story short, I had multiple Bally's stays during my 10-day trip but they were each tied to offers and while the CET phone rep was able to book the offers within 48 hours of each other, I couldn't book offers back to back. I had stayed at Palace Station for a slot tourney as the break between my first and second Bally's stay and wanted to stay at Palace Station again later during my trip to cover the two days between my second and third Bally's stays. My host at Palace Station said she couldn't book me at Palace twice in under seven days, which I found strange given that I feel like on my own I could have booked my offers online as I wanted but wanted to go through her so she would get credit for my play. It also didn't make sense to me because I had put a LOT of coin-in during my Palace Station stay so if I'm a host there, I'm thinking "what can I do to make sure this person stays on my property?"
Anyway, DBueler, who was at Red Rock but was moving to Flamingo, was kind enough to give me a ride from Palace to Bally's and as we were driving over I decided I was too tired (really bad cold was coming on, I was sleep deprived, and was a little bummed as I had spent a fair amount of time working in my room, including during most of the business day on my birthday -- argh) and I REALLY didn't want to move multiple times. I was going to be at Bally's that Monday and Tuesday, would need to stay some place else Wednesday and Thursday, and then would check back into Bally's Friday through Monday, flying home that Monday. I told DBueler that I was going to talk to the folks in the Diamond check in about getting a really cheap rate for two nights and I would just PAY for the room, if I could use TR credits; that's how much I didn't want to move. It has probably been a decade since I paid for a room.
I got to the Diamond check in really wiped out and talked to the check in person and explained what I wanted to do. I expected drama, etc. but after I said what I wanted to do she said "sure, no problem." I seriously wanted to cry I was so relieved. I could just stay in one place for a week and rest, really unpack etc. I figured the room would suck and asked if I could be in the North Tower for the entire week and she said, again, "sure, not a problem." Again, I was really relieved as my stay included last weekend, which was when a lot of folks were going to be in town for the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert. There was also a big convention earlier that week.
She goes to talk briefly to a host and comes back and again, I'm expecting drama, at which point she tells me she has two options for me and I'm thinking, drama is a coming. She says one option is a room on a high floor with a decent view and the other option is a "very nice room" but on a lower floor so not a great view and at the end of the hall. She said if my brother stayed with me a couple of nights -- I had said he might but that otherwise I was going to be alone -- there would be a murphy bed he could sleep in that housekeeping could let out. This is sounding weird to me but she's looking at me like "THIS IS A REALLY NICE ROOM AND YOU NEED TO TAKE ME UP ON THIS OFFER." I asked her the room rate, and, bracing for the worst, she says, for two nights, with tax, etc. , the total would come to . . . . . . $78.40. I say, for "two nights", and I can pay with TR credits? And she says yes though I would have to leave a CC or pay for the room in cash. I give her a hundy and she gives me change and says I can get the $78.40 back on check out when the room is covered with TR credits. I am feeling a little dizzy, in part because I'm not feeling very well and in part because I can't believe how easy this was to stay here continuously for seven nights, including two offers (one was FSP and the other was 2 comped tix to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill).
I got to the floor, the room is at the end of the hall, and I realize my room has two doors with two related numbers on them. End of long story is that I literally have two rooms, with a connecting door, the main room being, I think she said 700+ SF, with his and her closets and sinks, a massive Jacuzzi, separate toilet room, separate bidet room, and separate shower. Even my "secondary" room was the nicest room I have ever had at Bally's and had a bar area, dining area, built in refrigerator, etc. The murphy bed was completely made and looked heavenly.
When I got to the rooms I walked around stunned for about five minutes and then just slumped into a sofa to enjoy it all. This was going to be my "home" FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS AND NIGHTS at a total cost of SEVENTY-EIGHT DOLLARS AND FORTY CENTS (and really "free" as I was going to use TR credits and I had so many credits that I was literally not going to use this trip). Both DBueler and CLV have seen my rooms and they can attest to the loveliness.
CET is serious about customer service. The host really hooked me up with a room but she's a smart cookie as the service affected very much the decision about where I chose to play for the week. My play was about 95% CET for the week when it would have otherwise been about 50%. And, to think, I really WANTED to stay at Palace Station for two additional nights but my host said it wasn't possible. I won a decent amount but also played a LOT so wound up losing for the trip but it wasn't too painful and I so enjoyed my stay at Bally's.
So, I have drunk the CET Kool Aid again, but for good reason. Some of other non-CET properties could really learn a thing or two from CET about customer service. I am a witness.
While I was playing alone at Bally's and while DBueler was playing alone at Flamingo, security stopped by briefly just to say hello and to let us know to reach out to them if we needed anything. The security guard even gave DBueler a card with his name on it on the front and on the back it had five or six bullets about what security could do for you, e.g., escort you to your room or car, etc. Very impressive. Printing a zillion of those cards probably cost a buck but the fact that someone thought about this and drilled it down to front-line employees spoke volumes to me.
The Keno folks were friendly, buffet check in folks were cool, DL folks were decent (not warm and fuzzy but fine enough though one CW at the Paris DL was SUPER friendly).
I was playing VP heavily one night and one host stopped by and actually scared me at first and I didn't know why he was stopping by and bothering me LOL, but he offered to comp me to the Bally's steakhouse. Like an idiot, I said "no, but thank you." Sorry, big brother. As soon as I said "no", I knew I should have said "yes." I am sure you and your gal would have enjoyed the steakhouse. My bad.
Slot attendants and machine cleaning ladies were friendly but not overly so -- I hate folks hovering over me while I play -- and when I got a W2G at Flamingo, one attendant smoothly talked about coming back to pay me another W2G jackpot soon. Early in my trip I was playing on my birthday and two different people came by to wish me happy birthday, I guess because it had popped up on computer screen in some back room while I was playing. (God knows what attendants and hosts see on a computer screen while we play.) Again, wishing me happy birthday didn't cost anything but 12 days later, I remember it and frankly, given that I didn't see my brother and his girlfriend until later it was nice to have someone acknowledge my birthday in person, even if was a stranger. (This is sounding sad or pathetic but it didn't feel that way! LOL).
Housekeeping service was excellent (though I made a decision at the outset to tip well on a daily basis). Chocolates, nuts and water delivered to my room at the beginning of each stay (I had multiple ones at Bally's), was also very cool.
But the serious service came during my second check in (second stay at Bally's). LONG story short, I had multiple Bally's stays during my 10-day trip but they were each tied to offers and while the CET phone rep was able to book the offers within 48 hours of each other, I couldn't book offers back to back. I had stayed at Palace Station for a slot tourney as the break between my first and second Bally's stay and wanted to stay at Palace Station again later during my trip to cover the two days between my second and third Bally's stays. My host at Palace Station said she couldn't book me at Palace twice in under seven days, which I found strange given that I feel like on my own I could have booked my offers online as I wanted but wanted to go through her so she would get credit for my play. It also didn't make sense to me because I had put a LOT of coin-in during my Palace Station stay so if I'm a host there, I'm thinking "what can I do to make sure this person stays on my property?"
Anyway, DBueler, who was at Red Rock but was moving to Flamingo, was kind enough to give me a ride from Palace to Bally's and as we were driving over I decided I was too tired (really bad cold was coming on, I was sleep deprived, and was a little bummed as I had spent a fair amount of time working in my room, including during most of the business day on my birthday -- argh) and I REALLY didn't want to move multiple times. I was going to be at Bally's that Monday and Tuesday, would need to stay some place else Wednesday and Thursday, and then would check back into Bally's Friday through Monday, flying home that Monday. I told DBueler that I was going to talk to the folks in the Diamond check in about getting a really cheap rate for two nights and I would just PAY for the room, if I could use TR credits; that's how much I didn't want to move. It has probably been a decade since I paid for a room.
I got to the Diamond check in really wiped out and talked to the check in person and explained what I wanted to do. I expected drama, etc. but after I said what I wanted to do she said "sure, no problem." I seriously wanted to cry I was so relieved. I could just stay in one place for a week and rest, really unpack etc. I figured the room would suck and asked if I could be in the North Tower for the entire week and she said, again, "sure, not a problem." Again, I was really relieved as my stay included last weekend, which was when a lot of folks were going to be in town for the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert. There was also a big convention earlier that week.
She goes to talk briefly to a host and comes back and again, I'm expecting drama, at which point she tells me she has two options for me and I'm thinking, drama is a coming. She says one option is a room on a high floor with a decent view and the other option is a "very nice room" but on a lower floor so not a great view and at the end of the hall. She said if my brother stayed with me a couple of nights -- I had said he might but that otherwise I was going to be alone -- there would be a murphy bed he could sleep in that housekeeping could let out. This is sounding weird to me but she's looking at me like "THIS IS A REALLY NICE ROOM AND YOU NEED TO TAKE ME UP ON THIS OFFER." I asked her the room rate, and, bracing for the worst, she says, for two nights, with tax, etc. , the total would come to . . . . . . $78.40. I say, for "two nights", and I can pay with TR credits? And she says yes though I would have to leave a CC or pay for the room in cash. I give her a hundy and she gives me change and says I can get the $78.40 back on check out when the room is covered with TR credits. I am feeling a little dizzy, in part because I'm not feeling very well and in part because I can't believe how easy this was to stay here continuously for seven nights, including two offers (one was FSP and the other was 2 comped tix to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill).
I got to the floor, the room is at the end of the hall, and I realize my room has two doors with two related numbers on them. End of long story is that I literally have two rooms, with a connecting door, the main room being, I think she said 700+ SF, with his and her closets and sinks, a massive Jacuzzi, separate toilet room, separate bidet room, and separate shower. Even my "secondary" room was the nicest room I have ever had at Bally's and had a bar area, dining area, built in refrigerator, etc. The murphy bed was completely made and looked heavenly.
When I got to the rooms I walked around stunned for about five minutes and then just slumped into a sofa to enjoy it all. This was going to be my "home" FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS AND NIGHTS at a total cost of SEVENTY-EIGHT DOLLARS AND FORTY CENTS (and really "free" as I was going to use TR credits and I had so many credits that I was literally not going to use this trip). Both DBueler and CLV have seen my rooms and they can attest to the loveliness.
CET is serious about customer service. The host really hooked me up with a room but she's a smart cookie as the service affected very much the decision about where I chose to play for the week. My play was about 95% CET for the week when it would have otherwise been about 50%. And, to think, I really WANTED to stay at Palace Station for two additional nights but my host said it wasn't possible. I won a decent amount but also played a LOT so wound up losing for the trip but it wasn't too painful and I so enjoyed my stay at Bally's.
So, I have drunk the CET Kool Aid again, but for good reason. Some of other non-CET properties could really learn a thing or two from CET about customer service. I am a witness.
