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Hard Rock: Brain-Meltingly Bad Customer Service

Discussion in 'Off-Strip Hotels' started by remmerde, Oct 4, 2016.

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  1. remmerde

    remmerde VMB's Resident Cigar Sommelier

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    So it's official, Hard Rock Hotel is a no go for me ever again.

    If you read my trip report, you know they dumped me into smoking room. Told me they were full and couldn't change that until Monday at earliest. Not good. Also couldn't accommodate a request for a "Do not disturb" sign for my door. Seriously. They could not give me one, told me housekeeping could bring me one in the morning (uh, that defeats the purpose). Toilet barely worked. Security only pretended to care about the loud partiers who were annoying most of the floor.

    I'm not a demanding prima donna, but if you're charging me Cosmo/Aria rates for Saturday night ($300+) you better provide Cosmo/Aria level service. And they didn't even come close.

    So upon check out, I wanted to see what they could do for me...I know this is long, but it's head-shakingly-idiotic...and I had this entire conversation in a calm voice, a smile on face, trying my best to be a reasonable customer...

    Politely asked if they'd honor the slightly lower rate I saw on their website the next day after my reservation. "No."

    Politely asked why I got a smoking room when I reserved a non-smoking. "We don't guarantee rooms."

    Politely asked why my reservation didn't guarantee my room, when every other Las Vegas property does exactly that. "It just doesn't."

    Politely asked why then, if reservation doesn't guarantee my room, why it requires cancellation 3 days prior to arrival. "Because it guarantees you a room, if a room is available."

    Wait, what? "If a room is available, then you will be guaranteed to get it."

    <At this point my brain begins to melt.>

    Wha....uh....<struggling to even parse that sentence>....Um, so if a room is NOT available, what happens with your guarantee then? "We would refund any charges to your account."

    So your guarantee is basically a non-guarantee, and that if no room at all whatsoever is available, we won't steal money from you. How generous of you. But on the other hand, if a room is available, you get what you get and you'll just have to take whatever we give you. "Well, that's not how I'd put it."

    Okay, so can you at least honor the lower rate that showed up after I placed my non-refundable non-guaranteed non-cancellable reservation? It only would be fair to do that. "No sir, we guarantee your rate won't go up when you book your reservation."

    I see, so my rate was guaranteed for a room you ended up not having available. "No sir, you did get a room."

    But not the one I reserved. "You didn't reserve a specific room."

    I see, I just reserved a specific rate, not a room. So my $269 rate was guaranteed, but that could end up being sleeping in the dumpster? "Sir...that's..."

    Never mind, don't answer that. Sorry, I know you're trying your best. Can you do something? I come to Vegas a lot, and I'm sure with my level of play you'd like to have me come back. "Well, I can take off the resort fees for two nights."

    Okay, but even with that my average cost per night here is well over $220 a night, and I can go pretty much anywhere on the strip for that. "I'm sorry, that's the best I can do."

    I doubt that. But at this point, I think you guys know I'm never coming back here and you're determined to squeeze as much out of me as possible before you see me walk out that door for the last time. <Desk agent just shrugs.>


    And so, I expect to only ever set foot on this property in the future to have lunch at the cafe. Ugh.
     
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  2. Richard Alpert

    Richard Alpert LOST

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    They really had you between a Hard and a Rock Place!

    RICHARD
     
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  3. ExVegasLocal

    ExVegasLocal Low-Roller

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    Last year, I had an experience like yours at the Palms. My whole experience there was underwhelming and I will never return.

    This kind of experience can happen at any hotel. So, I have decided only to stay where my expectations can be easily met. For example, I'll be out there in a couple of weeks to see a concert at the Cosmo. The only place near the Cosmo that I would like to stay is Vdara. The rate was $1,250 for three nights, after taxes and resort fees. But I booked it anyway and tried to tell myself that it would be worth it. Then, I realized that no matter how good my experience was at Vdara, they could never meet my expectations for that kind of room rate. Every inconvenience would feel like an insult.

    So, I sucked it up and booked a comp room at Silverton. I have no expectations, other than a simple, clean room and a comfortable bed. And, after I check out with a bill of $0.00, I have no doubt that I'll walk out feeling like I got the better end of the deal.

    The moral: Never pay more for a product than the value the product is capable of providing. There's nothing that HRH could do for me to make paying $300+ per night worth it to stay with them.
     
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  4. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Gosh... I'm so sorry you had such a crappy experience! They NEED your business, but based on your comments, sure didn't seem to care whether they earned it or not. I LOVE the place, but then I've gone there so much (once or twice a month for better than 10 years, except for the last year) that I know who to call when I book, who to speak to when I have an issue and generally, I've always been provided the "royal" treatment, NOT cause I'm a big spender, I'm not, just because I've gotten to know so many of the staff and management.

    A quick glance at Yelp or Trip Advisor reviews confirms a great many indifferent employees. I've seen and come across them too. As stated above, I've just been fortunate to get to know the good ones, of which there are many. I'm sorry some of them didn't make your stay a better one. You're correct, properties in Las Vegas are aplenty and voting with your feet and $$$ is what you should do.
     
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  5. remmerde

    remmerde VMB's Resident Cigar Sommelier

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    Well stated.

    Friends were staying at HRH on a full comp, so wanted to make it convenient by staying at the same place. Wasn't worth it. Should have just stayed at my usual Bally's for less than half the price and just do the 5 minute drive each way.
     
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  6. remmerde

    remmerde VMB's Resident Cigar Sommelier

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    This is a good point. In my case, I know who to look for at Bally's and NYNY so I never have a problem either of those places.
     
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  7. smerrian

    smerrian View from Bally's

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    Training in customer service is something some corporations do very well and others do miserably. I find it amazing that the two hotels that I have found to have snooty attitudes among the personnel are Hard Rock and Palms...like the property is too good for you and you're lucky to be staying there. (Actually, I find Cosmo to have the same attitude) And yet, I also have found many lower level properties, like the Silverton, to have staff so accommodating and friendly. On my trip next month I passed up 2 free nights at HRH and will be staying at MSS, RR and Bally's and renting a car with the money I'm saving. Perhaps Station Casinos can retrain the people at Palms. These days, I only walk into the HRH and Palms to use a free play offer.
     
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  8. BarelyHangingOn

    BarelyHangingOn VIP Whale

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    How do they justify give you a smelly, yellow wall stained smoking room when you reserved a non. Thats fucking bush league.
     
  9. Snidely

    Snidely VIP Whale

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    Golden Nugget in Vegas did that to me. I reserved non-smoking there. They said all their "regular" non-smoking rooms were sold out and they only had non-smoking in their premium tower and if I wanted non-smoking I'd have to pay extra.
     
  10. zenvegas

    zenvegas High-Roller

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    I don't know how high you escalated your problems. You should have spoken with a manager. The people working the counters and answering the phone (I'm thinking utilities and phone companies) have no authority to do anything. I've had some problems in the past where I've had to go up three or four levels. I know its time consuming and a huge pain in the ... However, if you want to solve something to your satisfaction, you have to do the time. Sometimes, it still doesn't get satisfied.
    I had a problem with my phone satellite provider taking services off in error and then telling me that they couldn't find the code to put them back. But I would be given a discount for six months and then have to pay more. I escalated it as far as I could go and asked to speak to that person's superior. I should have mentioned that it was through a phone company in Canada. I was told (wait for it)... That that person didn't take phone calls. They work for a phone company and don't take phone calls.
    I went nuts. I eventually did get the problem solved but only because I found a kind soul who actually cared. Most don't and thats the rub.

    I believe that its all math. Most people who complain don't vote with their feet. They continue to come back. They must know the math on who'll they actually lose against what it costs to placate them.
     
    I need a vacation from my vacations
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  11. saintpauljeff

    saintpauljeff VIP Whale

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    you should try writing a physical letter to corporate; don't know if that means anything these days but back in the day if someone received a hand written letter detailing really poor customer service, it would really make a difference

    these days I usually take to Twitter and hammer on the business... folks retweet/comment on it and it gets attention more often than not
     
  12. zignerlv

    zignerlv VIP Whale

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    I feel for you, but aside from the not giving you a do not disturb sign, and not quieting the partiers, most of your issues are about things that are standard as most hotel/casinos. "Why my reservation didn't guarantee my room, when every other Las Vegas property does exactly that." From the context, you were insisting that the reservation should guarantee your room TYPE, not your room, as you typed. Two different things. As far as room type being guaranteed in "every other Las Vegas property" that is simply not true. In fact, most reservation confirmations state that room preferences are not guaranteed. While most of us get rooms with the smoking preference that we want, it is normal practice that your reservation does not guarantee your smoking preference. Some hotels have a policy of matching the lowest available rate, but many don't, and if is wasn't Hard Rocks policy then it shouldn't be expected from them. Not to mention, if you wanted this rate, it would have been best to negotiate before your stay, not while checking out when you have no leverage.

    I went to Hard Rocks reservation website, and before you book it gives you a chance to read to terms and conditions of the booking (which you must agree to to complete the reservation). Here is what it says "Room Preferences - We will make every effort to fulfill your preference requests; however they are not guaranteed, as rooms are assigned at check-in." That cannot be more clear, and as I said, this is the standard language for most hotels, unlike what you stated.

    I know you don't want to hear this, but almost all of what she said was true and reasonable, and would be true of most LV hotels that were fully booked, aside from the do not disturb and the noise issue. They took off the resort fee, so it's not like they did nothing to try to appease you.

    The same thing you complained about here can happen at most hotels in LV during a busy time.
     
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  13. remmerde

    remmerde VMB's Resident Cigar Sommelier

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    Well, thanks for that load of condescending nonsense.

    I'm not a Vegas newbie, I've stayed there before when it was super-busy and my room preference was not available. Every time....EVERY TIME, I was either given a break on the rate or given a better room than was requested. Your claim that it's standard practice for any hotel that doesn't have the requested room type to just tell you "stuff it", charge you the full rate, and not make any attempt to appease a customer runs contrary to my entire life experience of traveling.
     
  14. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    I'll provide one classic example of why I'm a repeat customer... a month or so ago, I was a victim of the great Southwest Airlines computer crash and my connecting flight back to Reno was cancelled. I was traveling thru Vegas. I rebooked at the airport for the following day, hopped in a limo and was off to the Hard Rock. During the time I was waiting to re-book, I called the HRH VIP direct line to try to get a room arranged. I guess this was about 6:30 p.m. or so. The call went to voicemail. I arrived at the Hard Rock and went directly to the separate VIP check-in located in the HRH Tower about 7:45 p.m. One girl I knew well and one I didn't were just standing there talking. The one I knew welcomed me by name, but stated, the hotel was completely sold-out, in fact "14 rooms oversold" whatever that means. This was a Tuesday or Wednesday and I was surprised, but they were hosting a conference. I begged and said I'd sleep in a broom-closet... she laughed and reiterated, "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do." I then asked if they'd received my message about 30 minutes earlier and she said, "NO... looked at the phone and the red light and goes, "oh here it is."

    So... while I do understand my last minute request for a room couldn't be honored, I guess I was hoping for a little more graveling on her part. I've tipped this young lady well over the years. So there I am, wheeled carry-on and laptop brief-case in tow back out the door in the close to 100 heat to roll across the street to Rumor or another neighborhood property. A valet, who I've seen before, but didn't really know, stopped me and asked why I was leaving. I told him. He says, "hold on... let me make a call." Well he wasn't successful either, BUT when I started to leave again, he said, "hold on, let's make some calls before you go walking out there." He called Rumor and they apparently were sold-out due to a heavy-girls convention (we laughed about that), then tried another place and finally got me a room at Alexis Park, again right across the street, but traveling as I was, I wasn't going to try and jaywalk, so wouldda had to go out and up to the corner, cross at the light and back down. Not exactly climbing Mt. Everest, but he could tell my usually sunny disposition was waning and over numerous things, not just my inability to get a room there. He called the Hard Rock Escalade around, put me and my stuff in it and sent me to the Alexis Park for the night. Now... in my book, that's good service! I tipped him $50 and when I got home sent an e-mail about him directly to the head of Warner Gaming that operates the property, who I've conversed with on a few occasions. I downplayed the girls in VIP and made this fella a hero, cause in my book he is. He cared enough to want to ensure I was taken care of that evening and that impresses me.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2016
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  15. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    room type isnt guarenteed . u can book a king and get 2 quenns ,book non smooking and get smoking its in the fine print about the do not disturb sign thats the easist , just go down the hall and steal one off the down of some one else.i cant tell u how many times ive put mine out and left and came back it was missing. and the person next door to me never had one but now has one.

    but theres parties and it disturbed u theres ways too stop that or get your room taken care off.
     
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  16. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    It cheers me no end to hear that there are still some good folks out there who understand service and see beyond the confines of their job description. And good on ya for the decent tip.
     
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  17. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    I have to disagree with you on this. Many of us on this board use our feet to complain. We won't stay someplace that we don't feel welcome at. Especially when there are so many other places to stay at.

    That said many of us understand there sometimes are mitigating circumstances (like during big shows or conventions, or arriving later in the night) that could case a place to be booked solid and not have other rooms available. We also know that even the best hotels may have a clerk who is a jerk so sometimes we may not be able to get what we wanted/requested. Sometimes it is better to go back later and check with another clerk to see if they can help out.

    If you read the comments on places like Tripadvisor you will see that the HRH does have some complaints and some commenters have complained about the lack of service and attitude at the hotel. This is unfortunate and some people will not stay at the hotel due to the bad service. HRH really hasn't done much to improve their service but I think they have enough people who are wiling to stay at the hotel to offset those people who boycott the place.
     
  18. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    HA! I just got a laugh... I'm putting some proposals in my laptop-briefcase for a meeting this afternoon and have a Hard Rock DND door-placard in there! I've only been there a couple times this year, but as mentioned many times before, I used to stay there monthly. I finally ended up snagging one, because I got tired of having to call for one!!! So I carry my own!!!! If you ever decide to go back, let me know, I'll send you mine!!!
     
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  19. deadeyefive

    deadeyefive Big Daddy

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    You should send the above to Planetfeedback.com

    I have had good luck with them getting resolution for me in situations like this. They seem to get it to the right people.
     
  20. remmerde

    remmerde VMB's Resident Cigar Sommelier

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    Ha ha, you must have had mine!

    Glad you have some good experiences there. Means there's at least a few people there who care. I hope that continues for you on future visits there.

    I wouldn't have been so upset but for the utter indifference of the two front desk agents I dealt with. And both at check-in and check-out there was no one in line behind me, so it would have been no hindrance to them at least trying to make a phone call or making SOME kind of effort to escalate. I was polite, calm, and not angry, and yet I got no sincerity in return.
     
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