Stay cation at Flamingo

[House of Orange]

Thanks all. I'm sure the flea meant bottled water for sale?

[RS__]

Pretty sure hotels frequently have something like Evian for sale. Not in the mini fridge, but above on the TV stand or something.

Although I don't think fleastiff was talking about faucets....many suites have a bar with a faucet, FWIW.

[Alan Mendelson]

Yeah, sorry, I misunderstood.

Yes, in the mini bars and on countertops they have bottled water for sale.

And up until the bankruptcy filing Caesars gave you free bottled water along with the chocolate coins for turn down service. They did away with turndown service, and the chocolate coins and the free bottles of water.

By the way, at Caesars the price for a bottle of water either on the counter or from the mini bar is $6.95 and it's $2.95 in the gift shop.

If the Seven Stars/Diamond check in is open, there are usually free bottles of water in there available for the taking -- NO ONE checks for a SS or Diamond card. Unfortunately, that check-in closes at midnight or earlier, depending on the night of the week.

[Alan Mendelson]

while we're on the subject of ice water:

Ever since my transplants my doctors have advised me NOT to use any ice from restaurants or vending machines because of the danger of bacteria. The devices for making ice may not be properly cleaned. And for the most part, drinks dispensed by restaurants are usually dispensed cold to begin with.

I have a problem, however, when I order Bailey's. If the Bailey's hasn't been kept chilled it's a horrible drink. So I usually order Bailey's on the rocks and hope that the alcohol in the Bailey's disinfects the ice and the glass. LOL

[FleaStiff]

Ever since my transplants my doctors have advised me NOT to use any ice from restaurants or vending machines because of the danger of bacteria.

In your case even those super expensive (and often charity related) bottles of water in the room would be better. Epidemiologists always check the ice machines and some casinos with self serve stations for beverages ripped them out due to maintenance and contamination problems from people dumping their containers.

Even triple distilled water used in operating rooms will often have some bacteria but it is best to avoid problems. Ever since Roses Are Dead (Acting On Impulse) which featured the ultra sexy Linda Fiorentino and a woman's corpse hidden in an ice machine, I've not given those machines complete trust.

One advantage of any staycation is that you can re-stock your supply of shower caps, lotions, conditioners, soaps, etc. Some people even take a roll of toilet paper with them, though to me that is being really cheap. Still, even if things don't go entirely as planned, living in Vegas but accepting a StayCation comp is often a good idea: you aviod any DUIs if nothing else. So often its not what you get on a staycation, but what you avoid: DUIs, preparing your own dinner, 'same old routine', etc. It doesn't have to be the Ritz.

[Alan Mendelson]

I got a phone call from a customer relations manager at Flamingo on Saturday (yesterday) responding to the online survey from Caesars about my stay at Flamingo. Yes Dan, it seems someone really reads those online surveys and comments.

I received the survey via email a couple of days after the stay at Flamingo. What I wrote in the survey wasn't as detailed as what I wrote here and on my website but it certainly got their attention.

The manager asked what they could do to get me back? I said it's very unlikely we would ever go back since I can stay at Caesars Palace. But the manager said she would call me in a couple of days. I said it would have to be something I can't get at Caesars Palace.

[ftpjesus]

Its all about 7 stars Rob.. They get to stay for free there as 7S thus why the loyalty remains..

[redietz]

I got a phone call from a customer relations manager at Flamingo on Saturday (yesterday) responding to the online survey from Caesars about my stay at Flamingo. Yes Dan, it seems someone really reads those online surveys and comments.

I received the survey via email a couple of days after the stay at Flamingo. What I wrote in the survey wasn't as detailed as what I wrote here and on my website but it certainly got their attention.

The manager asked what they could do to get me back? I said it's very unlikely we would ever go back since I can stay at Caesars Palace. But the manager said she would call me in a couple of days. I said it would have to be something I can't get at Caesars Palace.

Watch it, Alan. You may wind up sucking down a Johnny Rockets' vanilla shake while cavorting with cheap hookers in the Wildlife Habitat.

[Alan Mendelson]

Years ago I loved the Johnny Rockets on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. But I haven't been to one in years. In fact, I never had a shake there. The last time I went to a Johnny Rockets I was diabetic (pre pancreas transplant) and I would not have milkshakes. Now that I can have them -- ONLY CHOCOLATE!

[Dan Druff]

Years ago I loved the Johnny Rockets on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. But I haven't been to one in years. In fact, I never had a shake there. The last time I went to a Johnny Rockets I was diabetic (pre pancreas transplant) and I would not have milkshakes. Now that I can have them -- ONLY CHOCOLATE!

A bit off topic, but once of the worst dates I ever had in my life was at that Johnny Rockets on Melrose.

I was only 17, and met a girl off a computer bulletin board. She seemed nice on the phone, and we got along well. Back in those days, you had no idea what the person looked like until you met them. You only had their stats (height, weight, race, age), but even those were sometimes lied about.

I got there, and was very pleasantly surprised. The girl was very pretty!

However, as the date went on, she was extremely bossy and bitchy to me. I had only limited dating experience at that point in my life, and the few girls I had dated had been very nice on the first date, so I didn't quite know what to do.

Amazingly, at one point, she actually berated me for NOT standing up to her. That is, she acknowledged that she was being a bitch, and was mad that I didn't act like an asshole back to her.

Needless to say, I was done with her by this point, and I dropped her back home. She lived on Sweetzer Avenue in West Hollywood. Exactly 2 weeks later, the infamous murder of Rebecca Schaeffer (google it) occurred on that exact same street.

I actually did learn from this experience. In the future, when a girl treated me poorly on a first date, I was no longer a "nice guy", but rather gave it back to them and told them off. Didn't happen often, but when it did, it felt a lot better.

[Alan Mendelson]

Here's more about the phone call on Saturday: the manager didn't dispute any of the complaints and kept saying renovations and improvements were coming. The manager also said she looked up my play history and was going to talk to my host at Caesars Palace about putting together some kind of offer. The manager was very sympathetic about what my girlfriend went through at the pool and the manager is a woman. The manager was also concerned about my experience at the craps tables and knew very well how dealers should act with customers.

I did reinforce in the conversation that we had a great room but that's all that was great.

I also told her that I spent some time playing video poker in the high limit room but there wasn't even a greeting when I walked in, no cocktail waitress, and there were two employees sitting there who didn't walk around or greet players.

At Caesars you're always greeted. And cocktail waitresses are coming by -- sometimes too often.

[Dan Druff]

I got a phone call from a customer relations manager at Flamingo on Saturday (yesterday) responding to the online survey from Caesars about my stay at Flamingo. Yes Dan, it seems someone really reads those online surveys and comments.

I received the survey via email a couple of days after the stay at Flamingo. What I wrote in the survey wasn't as detailed as what I wrote here and on my website but it certainly got their attention.

The manager asked what they could do to get me back? I said it's very unlikely we would ever go back since I can stay at Caesars Palace. But the manager said she would call me in a couple of days. I said it would have to be something I can't get at Caesars Palace.

Good to see they are reading the surveys. Usually they don't, and they just aggregate the responses.

You should tell the manager that you want a suite and some sort of food comp. See if she goes for it. Remind her that you already can stay for free at any Caesars property, so a regular comped room won't mean anything to you.

[Dan Druff]

Here's more about the phone call on Saturday: the manager didn't dispute any of the complaints and kept saying renovations and improvements were coming. The manager also said she looked up my play history and was going to talk to my host at Caesars Palace about putting together some kind of offer. The manager was very sympathetic about what my girlfriend went through at the pool and the manager is a woman. The manager was also concerned about my experience at the craps tables and knew very well how dealers should act with customers.

I did reinforce in the conversation that we had a great room but that's all that was great.

I also told her that I spent some time playing video poker in the high limit room but there wasn't even a greeting when I walked in, no cocktail waitress, and there were two employees sitting there who didn't walk around or greet players.

At Caesars you're always greeted. And cocktail waitresses are coming by -- sometimes too often.

Well, I just read this post. It sounds like they are already "putting together an offer", so maybe you will indeed get something like a suite and a food comp. If you don't, you should say that's what you want.

It's too late now, but you should have dropped the trivial stuff from your complaint, and kept to the important stuff. If you complain about too many things at once, you come off as a pain-in-the-ass customer who is just over-critical about everything.

You need to focus on the bigger and/or easily verifiable things.

In this case, I would have complained about the way your girlfriend was treated at the pool, and the poor experience at the craps tables. Maybe also throw in the fact that cocktail waitresses never came by to the high limit room.

You should have left out the part about the lack of greeting at the high limit room, as well as the part about the two employees who didn't walk around and talk to anyone.

It is good that you mentioned the room was nice, because that mixed a positive into the situation, which indicates that you're not impossible to please.

Reminds me of a situation I once had at a middle-eastern takeout place. They printed a coupon each week (the same one over and over, with a new expiration date), and one time I accidentally brought the one from the prior week.

They had a new girl working behind the counter, who looked about 20. When I gave the coupon, she told me, "That's expired", and refused to take it. I tried to explain that the same coupon appears in many publications every week, and I just accidentally grabbed the one from a week ago. At that point, she started berating me and got extremely rude.

Just as I was starting to give her a piece of my mind for how she was treating me, the owner walked up. This was a mom and pop place, and he recognized me because I had been there many times without any previous issue.

I told him what happened. She didn't help her case by calling me a name in front of him.

Then I said to him, "Look, I really like this place. The food is very good, and you and your wife seem like great people. But I can't continue coming here anymore if you have rude employees like this girl."

He told me, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it", and gave me a nice discount on the meal which I didn't even ask for.

The next week, he told me, "That girl doesn't work here anymore. We got rid of her."

[Dan Druff]

Here's more about the phone call on Saturday: the manager didn't dispute any of the complaints and kept saying renovations and improvements were coming. The manager also said she looked up my play history and was going to talk to my host at Caesars Palace about putting together some kind of offer. The manager was very sympathetic about what my girlfriend went through at the pool and the manager is a woman. The manager was also concerned about my experience at the craps tables and knew very well how dealers should act with customers.

I did reinforce in the conversation that we had a great room but that's all that was great.

I also told her that I spent some time playing video poker in the high limit room but there wasn't even a greeting when I walked in, no cocktail waitress, and there were two employees sitting there who didn't walk around or greet players.

At Caesars you're always greeted. And cocktail waitresses are coming by -- sometimes too often.

Well, I just read this post. It sounds like they are already "putting together an offer", so maybe you will indeed get something like a suite and a food comp. If you don't, you should say that's what you want.

It's too late now, but you should have dropped the trivial stuff from your complaint, and kept to the important stuff. If you complain about too many things at once, you come off as a pain-in-the-ass customer who is just over-critical about everything.

You need to focus on the bigger and/or easily verifiable things.

In this case, I would have complained about the way your girlfriend was treated at the pool, and the poor experience at the craps tables. Maybe also throw in the fact that cocktail waitresses never came to the high limit room.

You should have left out the part about the lack of greeting at the high limit room, as well as the part about the two employees who didn't walk around and talk to anyone.

It is good that you mentioned the room was nice, because that mixed a positive into the situation, which indicates that you're not impossible to please.

[Alan Mendelson]

Actually Dan they rank employee interaction with guests very high.

Did you know that hosts are penalized if they don't make face to face contact with their customers during each trip?

On high limit gaming areas the employees ARE supposed to say hello to each player.

In nearly every survey there's a question or two about employee interactions.

The only thing that could make me return to Flamingo is a huge food comp, plus a lot of free play. I wouldn't need a suite.

[Dan Druff]

Actually Dan they rank employee interaction with guests very high.

Did you know that hosts are penalized if they don't make face to face contact with their customers during each trip?

On high limit gaming areas the employees ARE supposed to say hello to each player.

In nearly every survey there's a question or two about employee interactions.

The only thing that could make me return to Flamingo is a huge food comp, plus a lot of free play. I wouldn't need a suite.

I would think a suite would impress the girlfriend.

I realize that the employees are supposed to say hi, but those complaints are still minor compared to the other things.

Again, if you complain about too many issues, they all drown each other out.

[Alan Mendelson]

I am beyond the "impressing stage" with my girlfriend. Everyone of my complaints are hot buttons for Caesars Entertainment. They know it. Flamingo is a disaster.

She doesn't need a fancy suite either. She's more interested in show tickets and getting comps to restaurants. She's a better bargain shopper than I am.

[redietz]

I've come to one inescapable conclusion regarding CET -- they have put ambience for Flamingo, Rio, and Harrah's at the bottom of some barrel of priorities and let these properties age out of style in an unpretty way. It's one thing to be retro. It's another to be raggedy, loud, and unkempt. These three properties are all of the above.

[Alan Mendelson]

Rio, in particular, is a property that Caesars has been trying to sell. Without the WSOP the Rio is worthless. Caesars plans to move the WSOP to Caesars Palace once the Rio is sold, and for that reason no one will buy the Rio. That means the Rio will be left to whither.

Harrah’s and Flamingo are Center Strip and there's no excuse to ignore them except that Caesars has no money and what they had they wasted on the High Roller and the Linq which was a $550-million project.

[Alan Mendelson]

Here's an update on the call from customer relations at the Flamingo on July 1:

After three weeks NOTHING happened.