Experience at Cosmopolitan exposes how "normal" customers are treated

[Dan Druff]

The problem was that I was in a room labeled "Platinum" which I assumed was actually ABOVE the VIP room.

I had no idea that it was "Marriott Platinum", and the sign on the door said nothing about Marriott, but rather just "Platinum" -- a mistake I'm sure occurs there all the time.

I only went to the VIP room after discovering I was bullshitted because I knew I wasn't going to get any help from the Platinum room, given what had already occurred. It was only then I was informed that the Platinum room wasn't what it appeared to be.

Oh I have no issue with you mistaking the room, yes, of course that could have happened to anyone. My issue is what you did afterwards.

So now if you're in his shoes, replay the convo you had with him, remembering that he thinks your just a run-of-the-mill Marriott Platinum and not some casino VIP that thinks you're in a place where you would get VIP treatment. So now does his behavior make a little more sense? Marriott Platinums probably never get the things you requested so his line makes a lot more sense, don't you think?


Couple of questions:

Did you realize the room mix-up before or after you complained about him?

At no point does he not realize you are a Marriott Platinum? (Unless by some weird coincidence you are)

I am not Marriott Platinum. I don't even know what that is.

I realized the room mix-up before I complained about him. My issue at that point was not his refusal to upgrade me, but rather the phony 10-minute "search" and the subsequent lie about the lack of king bed rooms. I would have totally respected his position if he simply stood firm on "We can't upgrade you without a fee" because he didn't realize I was a Cosmo Platinum and I should get that.

What I could not respect was forcing me to wait for 10 minutes and then lying to me about what was available, swearing up and down that he and his manager were exhaustively searching the inventory to find me something.

I have no problem with employees following policy. I do have a problem when they "punish" me with intentional waits or play head games in order to get me to go away.

And of course, there's still the question why he didn't realize (or at least suspect) I was the "other" Platinum when this mistake must occur there all the time.

[ThreeBet]

By Druff's own account the guy followed procedure for the Marriott Platinum area because it was Druff that was in the wrong place. He even went and accommodated him a free roll-away when he didn't have to. Druff is just butt hurt cause the guy had to pacify him by going in the back to "speak to the manager", which, if I'm not mistaken, is what every customer representative in the world since the beginning of time is taught to do from day 1.

Actually, Druff just assumes the guy went back in the back and hung out for ten minutes. How do you know the guy wasn't back there saying "Please, please can you give this huge pain the ass some upgrade he feels soooo entitled to?", for ten minutes, and then had the manager say "No".

So what it boils down to is Druff goes to the wrong area, berates some guy who follows proper procedure and even gets him a free bed, and now tattles to the guys superiors, which, at the very least, will reflect negatively on him.

So to answer your question, yes, I believe Druff being a pain in the ass in very relevant to this story and every other encounter he's ever had with a Human Being.

Furthermore, as I mentioned to the Resort Manager, the way I was treated should not occur involving any customer, regardless of their "level".

If there is really a policy in place for standard customers to pay for a view, that should be told to them, and the front desk employee shouldn't budge. If the customer requests a manager over the matter, the manager should come out immediately and explain the policy to the customer.

It is never appropriate to spend ten minutes in the back unless there is really a "search" going on to help find the customer the room he was asking for, which obviously wasn't occurring in this case.

The high probability here was either that the guy waited 10 minutes in the back just to punish me, or perhaps it was his manager's idea that they hang out there for 10 minutes, in order to make their "exhaustive search" believable.

In either case, they are needlessly wasting the customer's time, and it's an asshole way to perform customer service.

To be blaming this on me somehow is a complete joke.

Wow, if someone making you wait ten minutes is the worst thing thats ever happened to you.......

With your massive sense of entitlement in this spot I can only imagine how big of a dick you were being.

PS. This clerk owes me a drink for sticking up for him

[ThreeBet]

I do have a problem when they "punish" me with intentional waits or play head games in order to get me to go away.

Do you not realize this is the only way they get people like you to go away?

[Beebs9Dizzle]

I do have a problem when they "punish" me with intentional waits or play head games in order to get me to go away.

Do you not realize this is the only way they get people like you to go away and never come back?

FYP

[ThreeBet]

Do you not realize this is the only way they get people like you to go away and never come back?

FYP

If they're lucky enough

[Dan Druff]

Furthermore, as I mentioned to the Resort Manager, the way I was treated should not occur involving any customer, regardless of their "level".

If there is really a policy in place for standard customers to pay for a view, that should be told to them, and the front desk employee shouldn't budge. If the customer requests a manager over the matter, the manager should come out immediately and explain the policy to the customer.

It is never appropriate to spend ten minutes in the back unless there is really a "search" going on to help find the customer the room he was asking for, which obviously wasn't occurring in this case.

The high probability here was either that the guy waited 10 minutes in the back just to punish me, or perhaps it was his manager's idea that they hang out there for 10 minutes, in order to make their "exhaustive search" believable.

In either case, they are needlessly wasting the customer's time, and it's an asshole way to perform customer service.

To be blaming this on me somehow is a complete joke.

Wow, if someone making you wait ten minutes is the worst thing thats ever happened to you.......

With your massive sense of entitlement in this spot I can only imagine how big of a dick you were being.

PS. This clerk owes me a drink for sticking up for him

I have no problem waiting 10 minutes if someone is actually working to solve the problem, or if they are helping other customers ahead of me.

Here, let me put this as simply as possible:

- Ten minute wait behind others who are ahead of me - ABSOLUTELY FINE

- Ten minute wait while employee searches for the type of hotel room I requested - ABSOLUTELY FINE

- Ten minute wait while computer system is slow or crashing - SHOULD BE CONTINGENCY FOR THIS, BUT ALSO NO BIG DEAL

- Ten minute wait done to punish me or just for "show" in order to make me go away - BULLSHIT, ESPECIALLY AT A HIGH-END VEGAS STRIP CASINO

I don't know how I can be any clearer on this.

If you think that not wanting to be fucked with by employees is a "sense of entitlement", then I don't think you know what a sense of entitlement is.

[ThreeBet]

He tried to let you off easy and clearly stated they had no rooms unless you paid the fee. "No, a view costs extra. That will be another $95."

What about that do you not understand?


You brought the 10-minute delay upon yourself by what you said AFTER he clearly stated the policy.

[anonamoose]

He tried to let you off easy and clearly stated they had no rooms unless you paid the fee. "No, a view costs extra. That will be another $95."

What about that do you not understand?


You brought the 10-minute delay upon yourself by what you said AFTER he clearly stated the policy.

Where do they teach "it's ok to lie" in the customer service handbook?

Kid should be fired and blacklisted.

[simpdog]

Druff I actually agree with most of your complaints here, but your title is very pretentious

[cmoney]

Druff,

Why didnt you just go to the private check-in room labeled "VIP" to start. I believe all platinum members are allowed in there and it makes it known right away that you are a VIP. If you are not, they actually kick you out of the room and make you check in at the other area. It is also really quiet and you never have to wait.

Cosmo is kind of a joke even for VIPs. I posted a thread about this before, but I actually had my host harassing me via text message asking why I was not playing. Cosmo is the "hot spot" right now but I dont see that lasting past another 5 years.

[GrenadaRoger]

wow...that was shabby treatment...and it must have been really upsetting to you, particularly after all the time you undoubtedly spent explaining to your girlfriend how much juice/respect you have at Ceasars & the Cosmo...


so does your girlfriend figure you as a four-flusher now? did the factory close because of this?


bottom line, best to call ahead and talk to a reservations managers or casino host to get all your particulars clear--if you truely are a good a customer as you say, then you shouldn't have to deal with tip hustling underlings.

[neveragain39]

I know I'm painting in broad strokes, but when I first learned that the Cosmo was built by a German bank I thought it possibly wasn't a great fit for Las Vegas.

Then I read about how Brian Hastings complained about the service there and then I read this from Wikipedia...

Controversy

On April 27, 2011, Cosmopolitan security staff allegedly removed a transgendered guest named Stephanie from a women's restroom, photographed her, and said that she would be banned for life if she didn't leave the premises. Shortly after the incident, the hotel-casino was flooded with complaints on its Facebook page, which prompted the hotel-casino to issue an apology to the LGBT community and to Stephanie that they would "welcome her back to the resort anytime." The incident also prompted the hotel-casino to train its staff on awareness initiatives involving the sensitive issue.

And then the Cmoney hostess report...

So maybe the Cosmo is run by tyrants after all.

[PLOL]

Advertisement: Jews discover one weird trick to getting VIP treatment

[Dan Druff]

He tried to let you off easy and clearly stated they had no rooms unless you paid the fee. "No, a view costs extra. That will be another $95."

What about that do you not understand?


You brought the 10-minute delay upon yourself by what you said AFTER he clearly stated the policy.

So I guess we're from two different schools of thought.

I feel that employees never have the right to punish or fuck with a customer, even if they feel annoyed by them.

You feel that it's justified as long as the employee stated policy once and the customer doesn't like it.

Got it.

[DutchDoDo]

We must be living in another world. We are on cloud 9 whenever we receive our yearly 2-free nights at the mainstreet station or gold coast lol. Now I'm not a high-roller and you are probably in your right, I just don't understand how people complain about a free room in a beautiful hotel like the Cosmo. Just enjoy it man, how much time are you spending in your room anyway. Cheers

[cmoney]

Also, I am sure you are aware of the perks but here they are: http://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/...tidentity.aspx

The Cosmo really doesnt promote what you actually get for platinum. It isnt all that great but you might as well take advantage of the little things like the limo, free 250 for bday etc.

[Dan Druff]

Druff,

Why didnt you just go to the private check-in room labeled "VIP" to start. I believe all platinum members are allowed in there and it makes it known right away that you are a VIP. If you are not, they actually kick you out of the room and make you check in at the other area. It is also really quiet and you never have to wait.

Cosmo is kind of a joke even for VIPs. I posted a thread about this before, but I actually had my host harassing me via text message asking why I was not playing. Cosmo is the "hot spot" right now but I dont see that lasting past another 5 years.

I didn't realize it was the Cosmo you were posting about.

I remember your story about being harassed via text by a casino host, but I don't remember you naming the Cosmo as the culprit.

This is not a surprise, by the way.

I have a pretty well-connected Vegas source who told me that there is a huge turnover of hosts at the Cosmo, and they are under constant pressure to produce revenue for the casino.

So if a host comps something and the customer doesn't play as expected, the host's ass is immediately on the line, and will be canned if this happens a few more times.

I'm not justifying at all how that host treated you (I agree it was awful), but it totally matches up with what I was told about Cosmo hosts.

My personal dealings with Cosmo hosts has been a combination of cluelessness and aggression. They have also been very tight when it comes to comping me rooms on the weekend -- basically when the Cosmo charges a shitload of money for their rooms. The only guy who comped me on the weekends got fired shortly thereafter. (Not because of me, btw. I actually played when I said I would.)

[Dan Druff]

We must be living in another world. We are on cloud 9 whenever we receive our yearly 2-free nights at the mainstreet station or gold coast lol. Now I'm not a high-roller and you are probably in your right, I just don't understand how people complain about a free room in a beautiful hotel like the Cosmo. Just enjoy it man, how much time are you spending in your room anyway. Cheers

Not complaining about the room. Just complaining about the way I was treated by the guy at the front desk.

BTW, the room is not "free" -- it is earned from heavy play at the casino. Nothing is free in Vegas.

There's a big difference between a comp Vegas room and a hotel in Chicago giving me a free room as a token of their appreciation.

[DutchDoDo]

We must be living in another world. We are on cloud 9 whenever we receive our yearly 2-free nights at the mainstreet station or gold coast lol. Now I'm not a high-roller and you are probably in your right, I just don't understand how people complain about a free room in a beautiful hotel like the Cosmo. Just enjoy it man, how much time are you spending in your room anyway. Cheers

Not complaining about the room. Just complaining about the way I was treated by the guy at the front desk.

BTW, the room is not "free" -- it is earned from heavy play at the casino. Nothing is free in Vegas.

There's a big difference between a comp Vegas room and a hotel in Chicago giving me a free room as a token of their appreciation.

I understand that if you are a platinum member, you basically paid for the room through all the gambling and like I said, you are probably in the right here, but come on..... After the manager comes back and agrees to waive the $50 I would shake his hand, give hims big Thank You and give your son a proud look how daddy took care of this :-) just saying, it's ok to have different opinions though, mine happen to be that sometimes you have to let it go....

[cmoney]

We must be living in another world. We are on cloud 9 whenever we receive our yearly 2-free nights at the mainstreet station or gold coast lol. Now I'm not a high-roller and you are probably in your right, I just don't understand how people complain about a free room in a beautiful hotel like the Cosmo. Just enjoy it man, how much time are you spending in your room anyway. Cheers

You have to understand that these hotels try to do everything to extract money from you. All these BS ads about "responsible gaming" that Harrahs puts out is total public relations nonsense. They are fine if you lose your life savings to them or gamble more than you should. Look what they did to Terrance Watanabe. The dude got rejected by the Wynn for being a degen gambler and than Harrahs got him for 125 mil.

The casinos are a business and this is what they do. However, if you are a patron you should extract as much out of them as possible. This isnt some relationship where you should automatically just be grateful with what they give you (especially at the higher card levels) . You get as much and you can from them and keep pushing until you cant push any more. I do this not because i really care about the 250 voucher they give me for my birthday or the limos, rooms or whatever. I do it out of principle. I know while my host is smiling at me she is at the same time hoping I lose it all.