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I got to thinking today... I wondered why it is that every CET property in the country EXCEPT all of its properties in the state of Nevada has switched to the Total Touch system.
It took some doing to get the answer but it stunned me when I found out.
Anyone care to hazard a guess?
Are you referring to the system on the slot and video poker machines where you can order drinks, and such?
That system was first tested at Rincon.
My guess is it is easier and less costly to change out the smaller casinos first and to take the bugs out in the smaller casinos.
My best guess without really thinking about it much would be it may have to do with some behind the scenes stuff. I don't know how the casinos get the systems and put them in and all that, but it seems like there are several different systems and many casinos use the same one. Like there are 5 different systems and casinos choose whichever one they want. So perhaps Caesars in NV has some contract deal or w/e with the company that uses that system they currently use (same card reader type as Westgate and last time I was at Tropicana. But that isn't all too interesting (IMO), and I don't think someone would have made a thread if that was the answer. Or else it may be some weird regulation or law that prohibits something about the "total touch" system (ie: maybe you can't order a drink from your machine....some law put in place to keep from waitresses going out of business [idk if that's a law or not, just an example]).
Can you give us a hint?
RS is on to it.
It has to do with the way-too-powerful Nevada Culinary Union.
The Culinary represents a vast majority of the beverage servers on the Strip, and possibly some of the bartenders as well. (Although they may belong to a separate union. I'm not 100% sure.)
At any rate, the use of any system such as Total Touch which allows patrons to order their own beverages represents what is considered in the union contract to be a "material change in working conditions," which must be collectively bargained. I believe the current contract has a couple years remaining on it.
One of the things the Culinary is best known for around LV is its literally decades-long battle with Station Casinos over unionizing it's F&B employees. The Fertittas are notoriously anti-union and both sides have probably spent well into seven figures on legal fees over the years trying to fend the other off. The battle rages to this day. There have also been skirmishes with Sheldon Adelson and Bill Boyd at various points.
I'm personally not a huge fan of Total Touch anyway... I find it clunky and ridden with bugs. I do like the self-ordering beverage aspect of it though.
Wahoo! I was right (mostly).
It seems like most every non-NV casino I've been to has a self-service drink station (ie: fountain drinks). Of course, some do not have the self service thing, but most that I've been to, do have them. Or perhaps it's the selective memory thing, ie: it stands out much more to me because I'm used to LV casinos that do not have fountain drink stations. Anyway -- do you think this could be the reason why they don't have the self service stations in NV -- that union rule?
I mean, I'd understand places on the strip or sketchier type places where more homeless hang out (downtown, AZ charlies, etc.), not having them because everyone would just fill up on the free drinks w/o gambling.....but even the more rural casinos in LV or outside of LV in NV (ie: Aliante, GVR, Red Rock, etc.) or casinos in Laughlin do not have self service drink stations.
Only one I can think of is in the Dotty's at the Hoover Dam Lodge (in NV) that has fountain drinks for self service -- either Coke or Diet Coke....but I'm pretty sure they do not have cocktail waitresses there.
I'm now getting into speculation here, as I have no first hand knowledge regarding why certain casinos do or don't have self service drink stations.
I would say though that it's very likely that the same contract that prohibits total touch probably also prohibits the self service drink stations, and I agree with RS that they are proliferating pretty much everywhere EXCEPT Nevada, so we have at least some anecdotal evidence to support that theory.
I think the only other market where rank-and-file casino employees are unionized *might* be Detroit, and I haven't been in a Detroit casino in years.
In my semi-educated opinion, the cocktail servers at casinos that do have the stations still do just fine. I would be curious to know the breakdown of alcoholic vs. non-alcoholic beverages served by a typical server during a typical shift.
Amazing how people like to make up theories--esp. about trivial, unimportant issues.
Self-serve beverage stations in NV. casinos has nothing to do with mysteries, union regs, or some new and stupid Total Touch system. Some properties simply put them in for customer convenience or because management believes it's a good business policy. I love how online anonymous amateurs just love to theorize while lacking the facts, knowledge, and experience for any type of credibility.
Don't have them in casinos around Nevada? Yeah right. That's what being addicted to the disaster called CET does for you. The largest casino in Carson City (Casino Fandango) has had the drink station for as long as they've been open. Casino Monte Lago at Lake Las Vegas had them the first time they opened. The Reserve had them before selling out to Stations. The Eldorado in Reno has one on the second floor. I remember using one at a casino in Wendover, and Virgin River has at least one in Mesquite.
Take a cup to the food joint in the back corner of Luxor. There's a self serve station there while waiting for food. They won't notice.
acescracked is probably correct. Interesting fact!
Here's a funny story related to the Culinary Union from 2010:
In the summer during WSOP, I was invited to join my friend and various other poker players to go to dinner at the Rio Seafood Buffet. I was sick at the time, and didn't go.
The next day, I asked my friend how it was. I hadn't been to the Rio buffet in awhile, and was curious if it had gone downhill. He said the food was fine, but they charged him an 18% tip -- something unheard of in a buffet setting!
I asked him how that was possible.
Apparently the union has a rule that servers ALWAYS get an 18% mandatory tip when the party is 8 or more. Because there were more than 8 of these poker players dining together at one table, that rule kicked in, and they were forced to tip 18% -- despite mostly serving themselves!
Apparently a few of the people tried to weakly argue, but most of them were naive kids in their 20s who were intimidated by terms like "union rules", and they gave up quickly.
They were NOT warned of this when they were sat down.
I would have outright refused to pay this. Union rules are fine, but they shouldn't supersede the rights of the customer to understand the cost of their meal before purchasing it. A mandatory 18% tip needs to be stated to the customer in some fashion (either written or oral) prior to ordering. Otherwise, what would stop a place from placing a mandatory 10000% tip, and only telling the customer after the meal is over?
As there were like 10 people in the group, I believe the 18% came out to something like $70 -- an obscene tip for a server who just brings drinks and takes plates away every so often.
Most of the time, at least in my experience, buffet waiters or servers or whatever are pretty bad. Typically in a buffet I'll end up getting 3 plates of food plus desert. If I sit down and wait to order a drink, it takes 15 minutes or something crazy. So now I just get food and hope they come around sooner than later. I finish my first plate without a drink. I get my drink halfway through my second meal. First plate isn't yet removed. I go to get my third plate, come back and my 2 plates are still there. Le sigh. Drink is finished halfway through third plate. Finish my third plate and they finally remove the 3 by the time I get back from dessert station. Almost done eating dessert and I finally get a refill on my drink.
I'd usually tip 20% on meals. 15% if the service is pretty bad. Higher than 20% if service was really good and/or cheap (ie: $10 meal at a cafe). But I've been finding it harder and harder to justify a 20% tip at buffets. Now a days I just tip $2-3 at a buffet.
How about just a simple drink of water in Las Vegas. Binions is the only place I ever seen a drinking fountain. This in a town where it is easy to get dehydrated. It's not only cheap it's sleazy.
Haha! Bragging about getting "3 plates of food plus dessert" at buffets. Love to see a picture of you and your fat ass. We see this everywhere: po' folk who can't afford anything more than continuous LV buffets. I haven't been to one in forever. How's that chicken fried steak :)Quote:
Originally Posted by RS__
mickey, the typical LV visitor can actually afford to buy bottles of water, and most know enough to stay away from those "drinking fountains" these days. Who knows how many dirty minorities, their packs of filthy kids, and infected faggots mouth those germ-laden things....Quote:
Originally Posted by mickeycrimm
Not many cheap buffets in Las Vegas these days, Rob, but I guess you don't get to LV very often. Hard to say the Wynn, Planet Hollywood, or M buffets are the province of "po' folk."Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob.Singer
Personally, I'm fine with the Gold Coast buffet. I actually prefer it to the Orleans. The Palms buffet is also affordable.
I usually get three plates of food. Salad on one. One kind of meat, potatoes, and vegetable on another. Pasta or Mediterranean food on a third. Then dessert. Rob weighs 20 pounds more than me, so the side effects don't seem to be too bad.
Rob, maybe you should consider a buffet diet? I'm just sayin' -- if you're having weight management issues eating all hoity toity, maybe you should stick to buffets and try to drop some poundage.