Topic Of The Week: Complaining

[Steve]

This week's Topic of the Week is:

I was reading a lot of negative comments in some restaurants and buffet posts so I thought this would make a good Topic of the Week question:

Has complaining about a bad meal/buffet, poor service or anything that you found objectionable been settled to you satisfaction? Please elaborate.

Steve

[tryon4]

Once we had an obnoxious and drunken guest next to our table at the Rio World Buffet. This gentleman was loud, drunk and unkempt. He was so disturbing that it ruined our evening. We also had some friends with us and this was their first trip to Vegas. We complained as we left and they graciously gave us our money back and coupons for another trip. Thyey were also very sympathetic.
At Battista's Hole in the Wall we had an overcooked meal with pasta that was dry. We complained to both the waiter and front desk. They offered us a free drink or glass of wine (we don't drink)

[monsterpocket]

To me there is an art to complaining. The number one thing is what do you view as a fair resolution to the complaint. Example I was staying at the Las Vegas Hilton and there were issues with the room, I called the hotel manager who promptly moved me with a one class upgrade. To me this was a perfect resolution. Had I expected a large suite or free nights I would have been seeking too much. In this case I would have been happy with a new room and bell service. I never except free meals due to the fact that in the managers view you are complaining just to get a free meal. In a restaurant I bring up issues right away and look for replacement not free stuff. Now how about the extreme case of bad service? I have and will again call over the manager and asked for a different server, the request has always been filled and I always turn to the free thing that follows. So when do I except a free meal? Only when it in done at a place that I frequent as a thank you. I have friends that own restaurants and it is amazing how many people finish there whole meal and then complain that it was bad.

[TexasPam]

I'm a complainer when things aren't right. I was staying at the Palazzo last week and was very upset that the front desk at check-in screwed up my day. They lied to me and told me my room would be ready in 15 minutes -- it was actually more like an hour and 15 minutes. It made me late for my spa appointment. When I returned to the hotel I called a manager, who offered to move my room. I said no -- I've been hassled enough, please just send up a coffee maker and some coffee so I don't have to trek down stairs to get coffee. It was delivered within 10 minutes while I was soaking in the tub. But I was a happy camper and will be going back again in April -- this time all comped.

[SandyA]

Many years ago when I first started staying at Caesars I got a room that was truly awful - just reeked of smoke, torn bed cover, missing bulb in one of the light fixtures. I called down to the desk and asked to be moved; they said they were sold out and that was all they had available. When I got home I wrote to the president of the company primarily stating that while it was a terrible room, I felt it was a poor representation of what Caesars rooms are generally like. I got a very nice letter back, offering a two night comp....when I finally used it, they put me in a suite, sent a fruit basket and a handwritten note with it, welcoming me and thanking me for a second chance. I loved Caesars before this incident, but this cemented the relationship and I've been staying there for years.

Sandy

[krisfarnsworth]

We have had about a 50% sucess rate complaining Bellagio will always make a complaint right as soon as possible. They left our room open after cleaning it one day. Thank Goodness nothing was missing. Comped 3 days and a Sunday Brunch for all 4 of us or so we thought until we went to brunch in the morning and they only comped 1 brunch on our account notes, there were 4 in the room seemed unfair but one phone call to Catherine Seifert and she straightened them out. Best Brunch ever not just because it was free. Monte Carlo not so good, travelling with our 13 year old twin daughters FU was carved into the film on the window of 3 of the 4 rooms we were put in all we got was breakfast buffet, not even an I'm sorry form anyone not even the front desk clerk. Hopefully with the fire the film was changed on the windows and clueaned up. Forget about complaining at the Rio Seafood buffet we had the worst dinner there a few years ago and we tried to complain at $140 for 2 adults and 2 kids we expected at least a call back when we tried to complain about bad food and rude waitress she implied my husband was fat (fat people should be charged for 2 people when they leave this much on their plate overheard to another server as she picked up our plates) well if the food was good there would have been nothing left on the plates and the no show manager we asked for 6 times to complain about the rude server. We have never even thought about stepping into the Rio ever again.

[beach3993]

Not to rare I complain Vegas is pretty good compared to some places. But last year had a problem with the RIO I had no coffee pot in my room and when I went down to let them know after they realized that I was diamond - no problema -- however they did not bring cups - so it was interesting having coffee in glass than they did not replace glasses with clean glasses so I finally called over the housekeeper and showed her and she was of course, was very appolegic in her native tongue better know as spanish but I finally got after three tries later coffee pot, cups and clean glasses - oh well it can happen to anyone. It will not stop me from going to the RIO to stay they do a great job - "normally" although I will admit both Bally's and Caesar's do put them to shame a little - both places just can't do enough for you - they are very special!! I am staying for the first time at Flamingo in April - it will be interesting to see what happens there. :)

[MHIROTSU]

We got a really smokey room at the Stardust, and they just moved us. I didn't want anything from them because I was never coming back.

We also got a smelly room at Mandalay Bay (something wrong with the toilet). They fixed the problem then sprayed a whole bunch of air freshener. When we came back, it still smelled, so they moved us. The people that fixed the toilet were nice. The person that moved our bags was nice. That was enough. But the front desk could have cared less about us. That kinda bothered me.

I've only had one complaint about food, and that was at the cafe at the Las Vegas Hilton. I had a late night breakfast that tasted a little funny, and later that night, the food was existing my body out of both ends and I hoped for more body openings so that it would all leave my body faster. I was puking and pooping and sometimes doing both at he same time. Took about 12 hours to get rid of it all. I didn't complain, because I'm really not sure it was the late night breakfast that caused it, but it's the only thing I could think of. I know the Hilton would have done something if I complained because they do a lot for me even when I don't complain. I have no idea why they treat me so well because I don't gamble that much. Must be my charm and good looks (OK, you can all stop laughing).

Mike

[misterKeno]

I think (simply put) you should choose your battles.

Life is too short to complain about a lot of things.

If it's a special date, anniversary, or a whole ton of $ is involved for food/services/etc -- then, yeah - i guess you have to.

mK

[arm53]

I have NEVER gotten sick in Vegas.

I have never complained about a room.

I always get better than expected for the price.

A huge reason I ALWAYS go back. :D

Not to mention IT'S VEGAS!

No place better at any time. :)

[corinne]

This happened to a friend of mine and I've remembered it because I was very envious. They booked 4 nights at Wynn and then 7 days Carribbean cruise. They got to Wynn and were given a basic room. It smelled of cigarette smoke so they phoned down and complained and were moved to a Penthouse Suite with many apologies. The whole lot including flights to and from the UK and to Miami from Vegas was only £600 each ($1200), including the full board on the cruise. Wow, why can I never get deals like that.

Corinne

[Boston_Bill]

I think (simply put) you should choose your battles.

Life is too short to complain about a lot of things.

If it's a special date, anniversary, or a whole ton of $ is involved for food/services/etc -- then, yeah - i guess you have to.

mK

I agree. Maybe I have been lucky in this regard I just havent complained when Im in Las Vegas.

[pennyslots717]

Our Family stayed at the Flamingo--we were booked for 4 nights, but left early because the remodeling was done at night when we were trying to sleep (no, not all guests are up all night in the casinos- some people actually need their beauty rest!) We complained & were comped that last night.
It seems all the bad stuff happens the last day of our stay- at the IP, they decided to clean the septic tanks the night before we checked out-- they wouldn't do anything but say that it would be finished in the next half hour.:mad:

[AIRIESBON]

My Friend And I Go To Las Vegas Twice A Year And Stay At The Las Vegas Club Hotel And Casino. We've Always Looked Forward To Having A Very Enjoyable Dinner At The Great Moments Room. The Food Was Exceptionally Good And The Service Was Wonderful, The Staff Remembered You And Made You Feel Very Comfortable. We Will Miss This Restaurant, Sorry To See It Close.

[Sweetshel]

Had dinner with a friend last summer at Samba in The Mirage. One of the worst meals I've ever had anywhere.

Everything came out unrecognizable (a/k/a burnt). I kept asking the waiter if they could do something medium. They finally brought out a skewer and asked "who ordered rare"!

At this point, we asked for our check and the waiter told us the chef would like to "buy us" dessert. I ordered ice cream (thinking it was safe) and it was pasty!

I spoke to someone at the host desk in the restaurant who just shrugged my comments off. Needless to say, I would never go back there.

[MrKWP]

We have been going to Las Vegas once or twice a year for the past 10 years or so. I guess that makes me a newbie. Nonetheless I have only really had one complaint.

One time at the Barbary Coast. The front desk manager was horrible. We used to stay there when we took my 90 year old Mother in law with us. (Small hotels are easier for her) We booked a non smoking room for her and us. They put us on a smoking floor. When I went down to complain and ask to be moved the front desk manager informed me that I need to understand that they cannot do everything for everybody. I of course let him know that he needed to understand that I was the guest paying money to his employer to stay there and that I booked a non smoking room.
Bottom line he would not move us but once home I wrote Mr. Gauquin? He gave us 3 days comped which we used at the South Coast a year later.
I have not stepped back into the Barbary since.

I also ALWAYS complain about the 6/5 blackjack. Sorry, they don't seem to be willing to do anything about that either. :rolleyes:

Overall, I have always been very happy with the service and hotels in Las Vegas and find most if not all things to be a pretty decent deal.

[talanhart]

I had to complain about my Free 1/2 lb hot dog once. They didn't do anything about my complaint.

[landreessen]

Our worst meal ever was also the Seafood Buffet at the Rio. Our expressed displeasure fell on deaf ears, and when we wrote to complain, we only got a note back saying they were sorry we felt that way. For the price we paid, I would have expected more. We have never returned to the Rio, plus we tell everyone going to Las Vegas to avoid that place.

[vegasbabe]

when they ran out of crab legs at Sam's Town seafood buffet a few years ago, they used king crab legs from their restaurants to satisfy the shortage. They used to give you the buffet "free" if you earned 300 points. Well, to earn 300 points, I was losing $60 to over $100. Then the long wait in line for the hungry gamblers was very frustrating. So, for them to run out of food, was the straw that broke the camel's back. After many people complained, they discontinued the 300 point seafood buffet, and the lines shortened dramatically. They just couldn't handle their own promotion!

On another occassion, I complained about the shrimp and french fries being burnt, and the over use of potatoes on the buffet. Mashed, baked, boiled with veggies, sweet potatoes, potato salad, french fries, au gratin--all at the same buffet on the same night. The only result from that complaint was that I haven't hit a decent jackpot there since the complaint! Sometimes it doesn't pay to complain!

[bostonkev]

I havent had anything to complain about in Las Vegas but I have complained in the past about service or food at some places in the Boston area. Usually I have been satisfied with the resolution.

[zoomer]

In Las Vegas, as anywhere else, there are "valid" complaints and those that are seen as petty and begging for something free. If your room is dirty, the toilet broken, you were placed in a smoking room when you specifically requested non smoking, these IMO are valid complaints.

Not having a view of the strip, IMO is not a valid complaint. Nor is the assortment of food on the buffet. Is the food spoiled?....valid complaint.
But having too many potato dishes(IMO) is not my idea of a valid dining complaint. Many buffets by the way, will let you go in and "peek" at what is offered that night. Should it not meet your expectations you can go elsewhere.

I tend to believe some people LOOK for something to complain about for the sole purpose of getting it free, or at a reduced cost. People in the service industry are all too aware of this. Then, when someone has a "legitimate" complaint, all too often they are viewed as a "whiner" or "complainer". I liken it to "The boy who cried wolf".
This is not to belittle any valid complaint. But complaining say, because the buffet no longer has Bread Pudding with the intention of scoring a free meal as a result, is silly.

[judyqu]

Haven't had that many bad meals in Las Vegas, but a recent one that comes to mind was at the Bellagio 24 hour cafe. We had just arrived; had unpacked and were hungry, so decided to eat at the cafe. Took what seemed like forever for our waitress to appear, bring coffee and take our order, but it was obvious they were understaffed. We both ordered a sandwich. Husband's was okay; mine was inedible. Waitress apoligized and offered to take it back to the kitchen. I told her I would just eat the fries. She then returned to our table and told us she'd conveyed my complaint to the chef and we would not be charged for my meal. That same trip on the morning we were checking out, there was a problem with the hot water -- took forever for it to heat up while trying to shower. I mention this at check-out when I was asked about our stay. We were comped a night for the inconvenience. Now this is what I call great customer service.

[1940GMC]

At the ESPN Zone in New York New York, we waited forever for our dinner. It was over an hour!!! We thought that it was busy, so that was the reason. Oh, no....they did not put in our order!! The manager who had seated us came by to ask how our dinner was. He hadn't said the entire question when he said, "Hey!! Where is your dinner?" We told him that we hadn't been served yet.

Oh, did that start the ball rolling!!! We were offered free dessert......whatever we wanted. All we wanted were the flamin' hamburgers!!! My husband has a bad back, and he was beyond being placated. On our way out, we spoke to another manager. The entire meal was comped...drinks included. He was very apologetic, too.

[tryptophan]

when done right. I have found the pit to bend over backwards for me.

I am a low roller but have been going to Vegas since 68'.:)

[susanh]

We really have not had much to complain about when we visit. We stayed at Lady Luck one time and got a smoking instead of non-smoking room. They moved us immediately to a larger room. We were happy with that. One time at the Venetian the bed was really uncomfortable (bad back) because it was too soft. They came up right away and changed out the mattress. We couldn't have asked for better service and did not request any freebies. Felt the resolutions and prompt service were worth the minor complaints. Never had an issue with the meals we've had. Always terrific and the bread pudding with vanilla sauce at The Orleans is the best I've ever had!! I'd make a trip there just for that! And if you order tea and ask for honey they bring a whole selection of teas from which to choose, with lemon wedges, and lots of honey! Highly recommended:)

[danitaylor]

Before it's acquisition, I was a great fan of the Chinese Food at the coffee shop (of all places) in the Orleans Hotel. The chef had to be from NY; the food was delish and at great prices. Most of the locals went there for the Chinese food. From time to time though horrible food would make it to the table. A word or two to the maitre'd always brought positive feedback ... either the check disappeared, other dishes offered or both; sometimes it makes you feel better.

[lovevegas]

Once we ate at the Rio buffet and watched one of the chefs stick his finger in the food and taste it on the buffet. We told our server and she said she would tell the manager but we never heard a word from him as we finished our meal. Needless to say, we ate nothing at his station! When I got home, I emailed them and received a reply saying they were sorry and that was it. Also one time we ate the buffet at the Flamingo and I got very sick about 12 hrs. later. Couldn't prove it was that, but we're pretty sure it was the cold crab! I guess that isn't too bad in all the times we've gone there.

[BlondNBlu4]

We go to Vegas about 9 to 10 times a year. We have even bought a home there in hopes to retire there in a few years. For the most part, we don't have a lot of complaints. The only time I ever remember any casino staff being reaaly rude was one time at the Stratosphere. We were not actually staying there, but went there to play. We asked a staff member about some older machines that they used to have there that we enjoyed playing and were told that they were gone because nobody wants to play "those old things". We just replied that we were surprised and would miss those machines when she spoke up and told us if we didn't like it, why not go to another casino and play because they are still busier than ever and don't care about such silly complaints. Now, had we been rude or asked her for anything, I could have understand her attitude, but we weren't. We just left and never went back. Maybe she was just having a bad day, I don't know.

[sawsman]

My wife had a meal that was pporly prepared, icluding being undercooked.
Asked for the manager, complained, and we got a vouvher good for 2 future meals, plus the unacceptable meal was replaced.

[vegasbabe]

but when you're on a high protein, no carb diet, and all you see are carbs, with nobody at the carving station serving the protein......

Thank you for giving me a different view on the subject Zoomer!

[LadySkinArt]

I've never had to, or felt any serious need to complain about any food in Vegas, but this is not to say that some of the food sometimes left much to be desired in it's freshness or what have you.
I just personally don't like complaining, as I feel bad for the people who are working these jobs and have to put up with a bunch of cranky tourists who are often looking for stuff to be comped.
And if some staff person is rude, I just usually tell them off and put them in their place and let it go.
Only one time did I complain about the energy surcharge addition to my room bill when I had already paid for everything upfront several weeks before getting there. I ended up getting it refunded.

[trackman]

About 4 or 5 years back, we stayed at Caesars Palace. It was my wife and myself in one room, and my mother-n-law and sister-n-law in another. We had gone out to dinner, a show, drinks and gambling in another casino and when we returned late night, we noticed security at the elevators were sweating terribly. I asked why he was sweating so, and his reply was that a pipe had burst and the air-conditioning was off. When we had gotten up to our rooms, we called down to the front desk, who said the air will be back on within the hour, but comped us, both rooms, for two nights, and apologized for the inconvenience. We thought that was a very nice gesture, just for questioning how long the air would be off for. It pays to ask!!

[planetbass]

The first time I had cause to complain was about 5 years ago when we took a shuttle bus to the Monte Carlo. I seem to remember we paid $10 or so and the guy said he'd be leaving McCarran in 5 minutes. We must have sat there for over 15 minutes and we were roasting in there!

We got to the Monte Carlo and as the guy took the bags out I handed him $1 and said "you would have got more but you left us sweating in that bus for over 15 minutes". He handed my dollar back and said "if you don't like the service, you don't pay - that's how it is in this town".

The second time, my fiancee complained at Sunset Station because the supposedly vegetarian dish had beef in it. The server argued but my fiancee stood her ground and got a replacement and money off the meal. Why the heck anyone would put soya and beef in the same dish beats the heck out of me!

On our last visit (our honeymoon) we had a suite at Sam's Town and specifically wanted it because we wanted to luxuriate in a spa bath. The suite they gave us on the 2nd floor had a walk-in bath that didn't look like it could even hold water so I went down to politely complain. Before I gave them back the keys to the first suite, we had our keys to the better 8th floor suite. The front desk guys at Sammy's are among the best I've dealt with.

I suppose I should mention one incident that shows how hotel staff sometimes have their hands tied. At Luxor's late lamented Isis restaurant about 11 years ago, our enjoyment of a spectacular meal was marred by a loud, obnoxious and seemingly drunk guy a couple of tables away from us. I asked the maitre d' if he could ask the guy to tone it down, but the loudmouth was a high-roller and basically it was more than the maitre d's job was worth to try and quiet him down. Sometimes you get an economics lesson when you least expect it...

[JVegas]

I tried the sampler of different meats at Rum Jungle a few years ago. They are supposed to bring a different meat dish every few minutes. It was near time for them to change over to the nightclub, and a group of somebody famous came in about the same time (I never could see who it was).

I got the first 2 dishes on time then nothing. After about 20 minutes I complained and a manager rushed over, apologized, comped the meal and gave me passes to the nightclub. Very nice.. The food was great too..at least what of it I did get.
james

[rm2]

I usually don't complain but I did have one incident at Ballys on New Year's Eve about 2 years ago. I booked at Bally's as a surprise Christmas gift for my hubbie that year and of course paid a hefty amount because it was New Year's. We checked in at the airport and the lady said there were no North Towers available but that we would have a good room in the South Tower. When we arrived at Bally's the room was horrible. It looked like a bad trip back in time. I absolutely hated it and I was so upset because this was a special gift for my husband. He tried to make the best of it but I could not let it go. Especially since I was paying so much for the room. The bathroom was also hellish. I have never felt that disgusted by a room before.

We went to grab something to eat so that I could calm down. When we got back to Bally's I decided I would try for another room. I approached the front desk calmly. There was no need to have an attitude. I did not think we could get another room since it was New Year's eve but I had to try. The guy searched and found us a queen suite in the North Tower at no extra cost. We gladly accepted the new room. We grab our stuff from hell and opened the door to heaven. The front desk guy was professional and kind to us. Even if he could not change our room I would still feel that way. I am sure he was busy all night but not once did he make us feel my complaint was his headache. That was a great resolution.

[jslocke52]

We stayed at the Las Vegas Hilton in early July 2002. The room became too warm, so we called housekeeping. The maintenance worker checked the a/c and found it to be working normally. He said we were in an older part of the hotel and the a/c was running at capacity. He suggested that we ask for a room in the newer North Wing. The front desk complied and we got moved to a much better, more modern room, with adequate a/c.

On another trip, we ate at one particular restaurant and were not pleased with the waitress, who just wasn't pleasant. She just brought our dinners, set them on the table and walked away. We complained to the head waiter and asked that someone else bring the bill. They still had our waitress bring the bill, but all she did was set it on the table, saying nothing. I took the bill to the cashier, who ran the credit card. I wrote NOT PLEASED WITH SERVICE in the space for a tip and we walked out. We got an apology from the cashier, but that is all.

On a third trip, we stayed at Excalibur. The room suffered from a general lack of routine maintenance. We got a few things corrected by the hotel staff, but didn't want to get known as persistant complainers, so just lived with the other problems. After the stay, I got one of those email questionaires and I filled it out, noting the problems. I did get a nice reply from the head of housekeeping, acknowledging the problems and stating that the hotel had put several programs in place to address the issues. I don't know the outcome since I didn't go back.

I do note that Excalibur was voted worst hotel in one of the polls on this site. This is a terrible shame because Excalibur is in an excellent location and has so much potential. I don't know if its owners are reluctant to pour money into it because it may be being dragged down by its castle theme. The theme appeals to families in a time when Las Vegas has reshaped itself to cater to adults. Anyway, I have found that the rooms were heavily discounted compared to similar rooms at other properties.

Treasure Island had a similar problem with a family theme, but successfully remade itself. I used to get excellent rooms there for a bargain price, but they now have successfully priced themselves out of my budget. In my opinion, a proper remake of Excalibur could bring in $100,000 or more a night just from the rooms, not to mention the restaurants and casino.

Luxor has the same owners and suffered from its Egyptain theme. It sold rooms at bargain prices, but didn't let the maintenance suffer. It is now in the process of a theme makeover, and it looks like it will price itself out of my budget as well!

There is an excellent opportunity for the right person to lead the remake of Excalibur. I feel very tempted to ask the management to give me the opportunity. It would be a gamble that my ideas would pay off. I do go to Las Vegas to gamble, but don't put that much, my whole career, at stake. Anyway, maybe one of you ELV members will rally to the occasion!

[Shadow]

My friend and I took a side tour from Vegas to Oatman, AZ a few years back with Showtime Tours. The ad stated that we would take a motorcoach to Oatman, tour a gold mine, eat lunch at the mine restuarant, and have a couple of hours to spend shopping at Oatman. The bus was a combination of Laughlin and Oatman people. We stopped at Hoover Dam, and had our lunch at the Edgewater buffet in Laughlin. We continued through Oatman and had the gold mine tour. When we went back to Oatman we should have still had at least 2 hours to shop, but the bus driver got us there so late all the shops were closing. One store owner said she couldn't believe a tour bus was just bringing us. The bus driver blamed it on daylight savings time ending a few weeks before. I called Showtime Tours as soon as we got back to our hotel. She said they would check into and get back to me. I never heard anything. I called several times, wrote letters, nothing. I finally contacted the BBB and I finally received a response from them. I had paid $70.00 per ticket, they refunded me $15.00 stating that I had received "most" of the tour. I had already done a Laughlin tour, that is not what I signed up for. I was looking forward to seeing Oatman, shopping, and eating at the gold mine. Showtime Tours actually tried to blame me, saying that I should have told the bus driver I would rather see Oatman instead of the gold mine, and he could have let me off. How would I have known I wasn't going to get to see Oatman when we went to the gold mine? I paid to do both. I will never to business with Showtime Tours again.

[kokopelli]

Haven't had much to complain about in Vegas. I will be going there for the 16th time scince 2002 . Stayed on the Strip all but two times, always comped.There was one billing issue at the Mirage once[quickly resolved.] And I had a issue with spa at the MGM one time last year, to crowded to messy, sinks were baked up, all for $30. For a big place,the Spa is to small. They comped me. Hope they have plans to revamp there Spa.:

[dean_1492]

Seems funny! I always have a good time in Vegas. When I deal with people, I ask them, more than most, about what to expect. So when I get there, I know what to expect.

[lvgecko]

you don't get an opportunity to complain. We had gone to Harley Davidson Cafe to meet a work associate of mine and really enjoyed the food, service and decor. Being locals, we always look for places to recommend to family and friends that come to visit. A few months later, a friend was visiting so we decided to take her to HD. It was kind of late but the place was jumping. We were seated quickly, our orders were taken in reasonable time - so far, so good. Then we noticed that the tables around us were receiving their food - and they had all arrived AFTER us. I was going to stop the waiter the next time he came by to ask why we had not received our food. Before I saw him again, the manager showed up and explained there had been a problem with the order - the server had lost the ticket and it never got turned in. He asked if we wanted to wait for our meal - we were hungry, so we said "yes". He took our order and came back a very short time later with an appetizer that we didn't order to "tide us over". I thought it was an extremely nice gesture, but, wait, there's more! The waiter came by and apologized profusely. We ate our meals - again, good food. When it was time to get the bill from the waiter, he came by and said the manager took care of it. We were shocked, flabbergasted, impressed... As we were leaving, I stopped to thank the manager personally and explained to him that I had been raised in the restaurant business and that I thought what he did was over and above what the situation called for, but we were most grateful for the attention he devoted to the matter. I also told him we would definitely be back and bring as many visitors as we could. We went back earlier this month with some visiting family members in tow - again, good food and service.

[jbueng]

Hey all, gotta say, I don't normally complain. I've slept on the ground at 10 degrees next to a fire, and on rocky ground in the Boundary Waters, so, most places are great! However......back in 2001 I and a friend stayed at the Riviera. Our room was DIRTY. I am not kidding when I say that it looked like a construction crew walked through our room to get to wherever they were going. My secretary was going to join us mid-week and sleep on a cot, sowe couldn't have her doing that in such a dirty room. So,for the first time ever I complained to the front desk. I patiently waited my turn, then asked for a manager. I could tell from the people in front of me,that they got little satisfaction from the desk clerk. I told the manager about the room. He said they would shampoo the carpet when we were out. I told him that it would take more than one time doing that. He then turned to the computer and set us upin a much nicer room in a spendier tower. He had the baggage handlers move all of our stuff. Then he also eliminated the cot fee for the rollaway that my secratary used. Very good service I thought. Now if they could do something about the long check-in lines!
PS- I know, Iknow, I should not have made the Lady sleep on a cot!

[sonntex]

We're not big complainers, but....

At the Rio a couple of years ago, we had reserved a 2 bed smoking room.....
girl checked us in and said that was what we had.....
got to the room - it was a king, non-smoking.....
called down and she said they could move us BUT we had already unpacked and settled in (were not concerned about about the bed situation but did not notice there were no ASHTRAYS until we were unpacked), so we said NO - we did want to move. Manager said SEND THEM SOME ASHTRAYS - so they did.

Another time Hubby was staying at the Rio solo and he asked for a room with a coffee pot. Girl said she had one. He got to the room - no coffee pot. He called and asked for one. Never got it. He was POed. Has to have his coffee in the morning. Hates having to go downstairs to get it and he's too CHINCHY to call room service for it.

And then---food....
Daughter and I were eating at the Range. Her steak was not cooked according to her tastes(medium-rare), she sent it back - still too done for her. There was a hair in the sauce, sent it back - never got more sauce. We complained to the waiter. Still never got it.....
Service was ultra SLOW. Took 2-1/2 hours. We were scheduled for a show at the Hilton at 9:00. Didn't get out of the Range until almost 8:30. (Squeaked into the show on time. I drove like a crazy woman.) No managers, not enough time to complain - had to get moving.
SOOOOO, when we got back home - I e-mailed Harrahs........
took about 3 weeks of being shifted from one department to another, BUT we finally got SATISFACTION.
An e-mail arrived from the Range manager with apologies abounding AND a free meal the next time we were in town....
NEXT time was 6 months later and we took him up on it. Got a delicious meal that cost about $50 more than the one we originally ordered and GREAT SERVICE. Really sold us on the Range.....
Every meal we have had there since has been Top Notch.

[Maac]

I'm so disappointed in the closing of Bally's Buffet. We'll be staying there again in April and this was one of the reasons we choose Ballys. They state that Paris is right next door and is very good. I told Ballys that we ate at Paris and it cannot compare to Bally's buffet.
Maac

[teagacat]

Our one trip to Vegas was great...no complaints.
But...we were in Reno a few years ago and decided to try the newly remodeled buffet in the Fitzgeralds. The food was okay...not a lot of choices, but not enough to complain about. The complaint came at the end of our meal. We were eating our dessert and a rather dirty man walked in, paid for his meal and began to eat. Well, he re-used the same bowl time and time again. But the real problem came when he decided to have a bowl of soup....then he decided not to have soup and dumped it back in the pot...from the bowl he had been eating from....yukkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!
When he sat back down...after re-filling his bowl, I caught the chef that was checking the line and told him what had happened...he immediately went to the pot of soup and stirred it...and kept stirring it and was still stirring it when we left 5 monutes later!!
When we got back home, I wrote to Fitzgeralds and told them about the incident, telling them the exact time, and date...etc. I never heard one word from them...Needless to say, we will never eat there again....

[pateboo]

I love Excalibur, been staying there exclusively for about the last five years. Last time I was there the self check in machines were down and I had to go into a line at the counter. When it was my turn, they escorted me into the VIP check in room. I have no idea why I was singled out. When I talked to the man behind the counter I told him how it was my annual birthday trip when he asked if I had been there before. He said he would give me a room with a good view of the strip and he did. My only complaint about Excalibur is that they charge a dollar a day for the phone, whether you use it or not. Who uses the room phone anymore unless to call like the front desk or housekeeping these days anyway. Now days everybody has cell phones. :rolleyes:

[Big Bad Bob]

We often stay at Primm for a day just before or just after a Vegas trip. None of the Primm hotels are 4 or 5 star hotels but their service has been good to us. One time on Fourth of July, we got in late at night and the AC wasn't working well. There were no rooms left due to the three day weekend so we endured. When we got home, we called the hotel manager and explained the situation. He apologized but then informed us that they had a maintenance man on duty 24 hours a day and that we should have called and asked for him to come and take a look at it or replace it. He called him the "House Mouse" He apologized and sent us a voucher for a free room on our next trip.

On our last trip in September, our first room had a leaking toilet. We called the front desk and they said to come down and they'll give us another room--no problem. They didn't even come to check the plumbing-they just took our word for it.

[Sharon]

We haven't had to complain very often, but when Harrah's first opened their new buffet we had the worst service ever. Even though we are platinum members, only the diamond and Seven Star members were recognized. We were there for dinner and a server brought our drinks and never came back again. We were seated at a very small (2 person) table and WE actually had to clear our own table because there was no room for another plate. We had to flag down other servers just to ask for a refill on our drinks. We complained to the manager and he offered us 2 free buffets for the next day. As for getting sick in Vegas, it's pretty easy with all the germs on the machines. Last year I got the worst case of stomach flu in my life on our last day. It was so bad that my husband went to get me help and the front desk to sent up 2 paramedics. We were staying at Paris and they were so nice and friendly. They told me that it was a bad case of a 24 hr. stomach flu that was going around in Vegas at the time. Never want to go through that again on vacation.

[Steve]

First let me say I feel very awkward in complaining as most of my meals and shows are media comped as well as a portion of my hotel stay.

I justify my complaining as hopefully it will help solve a problem that might affect someone else. But it really has to be a major event for me to complain at all.

List of complaints registered:
1-Room I got at the Las Vegas Hilton was occupied.
2-Aladdin Buffet condition was deplorable.
3-Horrible service at Bill's Steakhouse.
4-Horrible service at Bally's Sidewalk Cafe.
5-Obstructive view for Siegfried and Roy show.
6-3 hour wait for the room at Harrah's.
7-Request for non-smoking table at Gallaghers Steakhouse was ignored.

Worst of the above was the condition at the Aladdin Buffet. The worst I have ever seen in Las Vegas bar none.

Steve

[irelandvegas]

Heres the story:
Our second stay at Flamingo about three years ago was a check in nightmare. Our flight was late due to weather, no fault of the Flamingo, but it did put us to the hotel about midnight. Normally, that shouldnt be a hard time to check in on a Sunday I was thinking.... Check in took FOUR HOURS or more. It was a gift trip for our son and new wife, so this was the very first taste of 'Vegas. When we got to the front of the line ( they did have three clerks checking us in at a pace that was zombie like) they told us some story about Matainance not giving them back the rooms they were remodeling (upper strip floors, i think GO rooms now) and so they were short. Every person in line went thru the same conversation. We asked very nicely if they could put us in another hotel. "oh no we cant do that" I finally turned to the waiting line and told them loudly what was going on since they hadnt notified any of us while we waited. we ended up in the center section of two room suite. Nice bar, roll away beds. A four thirty AM stop in the coffee shop to eat was surreal due to exaustion and hunger. They did move us the next day into real rooms and we had wandered thru the closed hallways and the rooms were completley under constructions no carpet etc. They were not a few days behind or anything, they were weeks away.
The result:
One free meal at the buffet, and yes, you guessed , it rapidly departed me. how can you complain when it is free..... uh yeah, that meal i just borrowed....

[GILUV2Gamble]

One Vegas trip a friend and I decided to visit The Orleans. We had never been. I like to play craps and my friend plays slots. I ventured over to the craps table to play. To keep it short and sweet the BOX person to the DEAlERS were rude and crude. I took notice of the Box person's name and the number of the craps table as well as the time of day I was at the table. We I returned home I wrote a letter with all the information to the PR people of The Orleans. Whelp, they got back to me and appoligize by giving me two nights free. We were well taken care of. It's good to make some noise.

[cjesmom]

A few years ago a friend and myself stayed at the Excalibur for the first time. The very first night I had a problem with the cashier. It was the last year that they had coins and I had won $360. on a dollar machine however when I cashed out and went over to the cashier she informed me that I had only won $320.00. I asked to speak to a floor attendant who it turned out was a friend of the cashier. She told me that the coin counter did not make mistakes and that I should just take the money I had won and be grateful. Luckily for me when I took the attendant over to the machine I had been playing it still showed that it had payed out $360.00. I was so angry that when I got home I wrote a letter to the Excalibur and they replied immediatley. They could not appologize enough and asked my friend and myself to return the following year for a week on them.
Three years later at Caesars Palace while playing the slots I sliced my finger open on one of the stools. There was a number of stap[les that were sticking outall along the bottom I was bleeding everywhere and I couldn't find anyone to help me. I cashed out and eventually found a slot attendant who found me a band-aid. But they didn't even bother to remove the stool. I wrote 3 letters to Caesars explaining what had happened eventually they sent me back a note saying they were sorry that I didn't have a good time and perhaps if I came back my luck would change???????? I don't think they even read my letter.

[RWHannu]

>>On our last trip in September, our first room had a leaking toilet.
>>We called the front desk and they said to come down and they'll give us >>another room--no problem.
>>They didn't even come to check the plumbing-they just took our word for it.

Had to make an early morning complaint...5:30 am...at the Sahara one time when water started pouring down through the light fixture in the bathroom. (According to maintenance, somebody had "dropped an champaign bottle" into the toilet one floor up and had broken it, causing an even bigger flood up there.) No offer of any compensation.

Had to complain about a lack of hot water one day during a stay at the late, lamented Westward Ho. (Broken water heater in that building.) Got the day comped.

[Deb]

We were at G and G at NYNY, one of hubbies fav places to eat. There was something like a pebble in my rice/refried beans, gross! Maybe they make them from scratch, and did not pick thru them well??!! Anyway, they were very kind, and did not charge for my meal. It was 2 yrs before we went back, and it wad very good.

[Virgil]

Havent made it to Vegas yet!
But like anywhere shit happens and things go wrong,you have a right to complain as often you spend a whole lot of $.
Its how they react to your complaint and put it right that makes you decide to give them another chance and come back. Even the cleanest and best kept Hotels have the odd off day, after all they have 2 or 3 thousand rooms and then some!

[AMMARSON]

I've had 3 bad experiencs in Las Vegas ever since I started going there in 1990. So I figured my track record is pretty good. The first was at Joe's Crab and Steakhouse in the Forum Shops. Rude waiter, horrible food, snotty Maitre D' . Manager refunded meal for 4 when I sent a complaint e-mail from home to their head office. The second was at Wolfgang Puck's Cafe at MGM, the waiter was spending more time with the waitress than serving his tables. Again sent e-mail and got a comped meal at Spago's. The third was my room at MGM. Went alone last year and they gave me a junior suite in their old tower, one night as I was getting into the elevator this really tall guy got into the elevaor with me. He had full war paint all over his face, scared the living daylights out of me until I noticed his Cirque de Soleil Jacket. Anyways, I mentioned it to the hotel and the next time I went with my husband, a month later they booked us in the Skyloft and comped the entire stay. Best time of my life.

[LamontJoe]

Once we wanted to stay at El Cortez and all they had left was the Ogden House, which the lady on the phone said were nice rooms. Well, the Ogden House is across the street from the casino, while it is safe, it is dingy and a bit depressing. Anyway, 3 days later we moved over to the rooms over the parking structure, which were an improvement. Well, my wife went and asked if we could get comped the $129 price for our last night's room stay for all the gambling we had done already. Well, they ended up comping us for our whole stay there. Which is cool, so now when we go to Vegas, we only stay there.

Vegas is so cool! It provides a great time and is relaxing, so we would rather stay there and drop some cash. See, the one thing about my wife and I is that where ever we go, as long as we are together, all is right in the world, and since we both love to play the slots and have some drinks, what better place to go but Vegas! Our first date, we were going to see a movie, but then she said, "well, what about going to the casino?" I said, cool, then when we were driving over there, I said, "Well, lets go to the Tachi Palace, it's better." I only said that because it was a longer drive and I was going to get to spend more time with her. So when we went, we each putting $ in a dollar machine. We ended up winning $560 on our first date, so casinos have a special place in my heart.

We can't wait, only 13 more days and its VEGAS TIME!!!!!!

[AMMARSON]

LamontJoe,

I know the feeling only 3 more days and we will be in Las Vegas. can't wait.

[legalois]

My son spent over ten years as a chef and vehemently insists that if you send food back to the kitchen you're inviting disaster. It seems the chefs/cooks look unkindly upon this and most likely will retaliate in an unpleasant manner.

Just a word of warning.

My experience is that if you're dissatisfied with your meal, make the best of it and when the server, manager or cashier asks how you enjoyed your meal, rather than acting boorishly, simply tell them you were disappointed.

Lois, T-57 and counting slowly....

[tiny_gal]

I am sure what legalois says is true for most fast food places or low end places but would hope that the classier places have management in place or a chef who cares about the job to bring down the heavy hand by firing the person(s) on the spot and also by a possible legal charge of somekind to anyone caught doing such childish acts.

[legalois]

I am sure what legalois says is true for most fast food places or low end places but would hope that the classier places have management in place or a chef who cares about the job to bring down the heavy hand by firing the person(s) on the spot and also by a possible legal charge of somekind to anyone caught doing such childish acts.

My son worked at several premier restaurants, including one of the Atlantic City casino restaurants - I'm purposely not naming any of them - and was an executive sous chef in the Virgin Islands with his own restaurant. He also worked for a large hotel chain in Moscow, Russia.

I repeat: Never send anything back to the kitchen.

Lois (still counting)

[brister21]

This is not about complaining, but rather filling out a comment card with a positive remark. We were eating at the Coffee Shop at Treasure Island quite a few years ago. The service was great, not always the case, I find they often can be quite slow. But the best part was when they left the check when they delivered the food. She said if we need anything else, let her know and she could adjust the check. She checked back several times. Upon leaving, I mentioned to her supervisor that I really appreciated that the check was left early on, I absolutely hate having to wait and wait and wait for the check to arrive after eating. I don't want to sit there, I want to get out there and gamble!!! She said If I would, please fill out the comment card and she would pass it on to her boss. I did, not expecting to hear back, just wanted to reaffirm that it was a good practice so they would keep it that way!! Lo and behold, I received a letter from the F&B manager, saying he appreciated my taking my time out to fill out the card with a compliment, usually they only get them back with a complaint. Included was a certicficate for 2 free meals at the Coffee Shop on our next trip! Totally unexpected but definitely came in handy!!

[magicfish]

Last month, while staying at the Orleans, we had a problem.

After checking in and unpacking on our first day of the trip, we went to the valet area to have them retrieve our rental car so that we could go to one of our favorite Vegas restaurants. After waiting a while, we saw a car that looked a lot like ours pull into the area. An older man quickly got up and took off in the car. My husband said "I think that was our rental car!".

When another, very similar car pulled up, we checked it, and it wasn't our rental car - we told the valet that we thought that another attendant had let someone else drive away in our car!!

Sure enough - the head valet was horrified and did everything humanly possible to help to recover the car; he called both rental car companies, called the man's cell repeatedly, sent him numerous text messages, all to no avail.

Security came by, took our info, and offered us a ride to dinner - we declined, stating we would feel better to stick around until the car was returned. He offered us dinner on them - and we took them up on a meal in the coffee shop.

When we were nearly finished dinner, about 3 hours after the incident, we got a call on my hubby's cell, saying the guy was on his way back to the hotel with the car.

After dinner, we went back to the valet area, and found that the car had been returned. The head valet said he understood if we would not want to valet park for the rest of the trip, but offered to leave our car out for quick pickup if we chose to use their services for the rest of our stay. He was professional, helpful, and downright nice. We thanked him, and went up to our room.

Within a few minutes of returning to our room, the assistant general manager of the property called us, apologizing profusely for the mistake. He said that he thought that the poor valet supervisor, a young man, was going to have a heart attack when he had to tell management about the error. He stated that he appreciated the fact that we had been nice about the problem, and offered us another comped meal, but in any of their nicer restaurants.

We had a wonderful dinner the next night at the Prime Rib Loft, enjoyed having our car readily available for the rest of our visit, and generally feeling like high rollers on our low roller budget!!

The only negative is that the valet who did not check tickets and gave away our rental car never apologized.

We later found out, via our rental car company that this type of problem only happened 3 times in Vegas in 2007!!!

On the last day of our stay, we thanked the valet supervisor for his help and professionalism, and we found out that the valet who made the mistake was suspended for a few days. We were glad that no one lost their job over this incident.

A problem turned into a positive for us. We have already schedlued what will be our third stay at the Orleans for this August.

[randomnumber]

We had a room at the IP last July, just a single night on the last leg of a Southwestern states family vacation.

Two strong first impressions - the service was very friendly, the hotel is shabby. When we got to the room, I noticed that a man's wet swim trunks had been left behind by the previous guests and missed by the housekeeper.

We called the front desk and a housekeeping supervisor came by an took the trunks away.

Guess we should have made a closer inspection of the room. When we returned from dinner, we were going to take an evening shower only to open the shower curtain to find the tub covered in black hairs. We called the front desk and the same housekeeping supervisor came by. She called in two members of her staff and they gave the entire room an extensive cleaning while we waited.

Upon returning home, I contacted the Imperial Palace and asked for the name of the person responsible for the housekeeping staff. The operator refused to give us the name. So I sent an e-mail to the General Manager.

She apologized for the situation and that was the end of it.

My final impressions of the IP was that there was a lot of line level and supervisory staff that were trying their hardest to deliver great service, but that the higher ups were not giving them the support necessary either in terms of keeping the casino or hotel in good repair or in giving anyone the power or authority to effect service recoveries.

It would have been nice to have been offered a different room or something for our inconvenience, but we wouldn't have used it anyway. We will never return to the IP. However, I would suggest that they start empowering their staff and definitely their supervisors with the ability to make service recoveries. I am also disappointed that Harrah's lack the pride in their brand to allow such a substandard property in their company.

[emmit1]

I have several incidents to mention, mostly good. I used to travel a lot and spend over 100 nights per year in hotels. I became used to checking the room before unpacking. At the Four Queens I quickly checked the room and found that a tile had come off of the wall in the bathtub. I called the desk and told them because I was afraid of water damage. They said not to worry about it. When we returned to the room we had a message that we needed to call the desk. They said we were being moved to a suite. I guess they decided the tile was a problem after all.
In Tunica at the Fitz I noticed that the toilet was running because of a poor seal in the tank. Again I called to help them. They tried three times to fix it and never got it done. No comps or room changes there.
Finally, at Railroad Pass in Henderson I spilt food on my shirt during dinner. I went to the bathroom to try to clean it, but only made it worse. Later we were playing some slots when a security guard asked me if I would go with him. My wife thought I was drunk and in trouble - but they took me to the point redemption area and offered me a free shirt. Obviously they noticed my stain.

[jorgofthejungl]

One thing to keep in mind when you complain about your food in a regular sit down meal restaurant is that you can't see what is going on in the kitchen. So if you send back your meal you better be aware that there are people out there who will do certain things to your food for being a complainer!
Not saying it happens all the time but i have heard horror stories from a few people. I also have had the pleasure of seeing the kitchen of some of these restaurants and believe me you would be scared very scared!:eek:

[sterlingacres]

We have been going to Vegas twice a year since 1996 and have had almost no problems. We booked the show Tony and Tina's Wedding at the Rio. It was TERRIBLE ANY high school drama class could do a much better job. Did not stay for the "dinner" because the show was so bad. It took talking to 2 people but they did do the right thing and fully refund the price of the tickets ($186). Got the feeling we were not the first to complain. Have gone back to the Rio many other times because they did the right thing. BTW save your money DO NOT see Tony and Tina's Wedding

[VegasBride]

Just this January we were staying at the Riviera and waiting to get into our room. I was told we could have access to the room at 1:00. Went back to check-in at that time and was told the room was ready. I went up to the room (with a bellman, thankfully), the key worked fine, but found out the room had not been cleaned. When I looked further, I found out it was still occupied. All their belongings were still there. I really felt funny being in someone else's room in the middle of all their things. That was why I was glad the bellman was with me. He had me call a certain number and they gave me another room. It turned out to be a one-bedroom suite. So much nicer and bigger than the original room. The only inconvience was that I had to go all the way down to registration to get new keys. It was just a minor one.

Well, as nice as the room was, we found out it had a Murphy bed in it. For those of you who don't know what a Murphy bed is, it's a bed that folds down out of the wall. I didn't know those were still around. It lays flat on the floor with no space in between. I kept stubbing my toes on the metal frame. After three days of that, I had some sore toes.

When it was time to check out, the lady asked if we wanted to use our two free buffets at this time. Then she asked if we wanted our two free show tickets. I told her we were leaving but it would have been nice to know about those things a couple of days ago, not on the day we were checking out.

I filled out a comment sheet and sent it in with the above items mentioned. I didn't expect to hear anything. But, lo and behold, I get a letter from the manager with apologies for the way things were handled. He informed us that the next time we stay, he will up grade our room. I will have to wait until January to see if he follows through.:rolleyes:

[harold]

I give complaining two categories:

1. Complaining for complaining's sake with an attitude that you 'deserve' something.

2. Asking for something to be fixed that wasn't up to par to begin with.

But hey, sometimes you gotta just vent and put yourself in the first category so you don't go crazy.

Our room at the Venetian had a broken safe when we arrived. I called the front desk and was told someone would be up in 15 minutes. I doubted that. Much to my surprise the maintenance man arrived within the 15 minute window. He was clean, spoke english and apologetic. He took the time to compliment our view, ask about our trip and show us some of the room features.

That night we were stuck between multiple rooms of a single group having a party in the hallway. When I called the front desk the next morning, they, without hesitation, offered a new room. I was instructed to go the front of the line at the front desk and give them my name and room number. My key was waiting for me. I was offered (and declined) baggage assistance.

Now that's service

Sometimes I think places give away the store when people complain. I understand it doesn't cost anything to give someone an upgrade to an empty suite. But I think they might encourage the attitude of complaining to get freebees. They create the Frankenstein monster.

[krisfarnsworth]

We just got back from Vegas Last week and we stayed at South Point. Now usually I understand that at a place like that they attract a younger clienlele, however this weekend there was a Bball tournry and the hotel was swampped by unsupervised teens who used every four letter word and even a few I hadn't heard. They turned the hot tub into an orgy. talking about what it would smell like if they did the deed in the pool and removing their girlfriends tops, 2 young girls were swimming under the water with goggles to see what was going on and kicked my hubby in the groin, we mentioned it to security, no response called on duty manager no response, nexy day more of the same. they were rude and foul mouthed to everyone. Sunday night I fired off a e-mail to the hotel and got a call from guest relations within 18 hours of me sending the e-mail. she apologized and let me know that 4 times of the year vegas is swarmed by these brats, 3rd week of July, 2nd week of August, Thanksgiving and President's weekend. She told me to call her when we were ready to stay again and she would take care of our reservations, what ever that means, but I feel better knowing that someone actually cared bout the problems we had and didn;t just blow us off.