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Hosts and Things They Do

Discussion in 'Comps' started by Naturaleight, Sep 7, 2012.

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  1. Naturaleight

    Naturaleight MIA

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    What are things your host does that you like? What are some things your host does that annoys you?

    One of my pet peeves is my hosts at some properties not returning emails.
     
  2. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Not returning emails drives me crazy. I understand a few days, but never?

    And, if they are off for a few days, any idiot can leave an "out of the office" note.

    Simple stuff.
     
  3. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    My guy actually does have an 'out of office' email. Personally, I'd rather just call and do definitely have better luck with that. But I've never emailed a host and not gotten an answer within a couple days, even when I had no prior relationship.

    What he does that I like:
    Gives me offers better than anything I have showing on MLife. For example, last time my MLife had me for a free suite. He told me he could put me in Hotel 32, which is an upgrade.

    Tells me exactly what he can and can't do. If I ask for something and he can't do it, he says so. It's not rude or anything -- personally it's just good info.

    He sent a cheese plate to my room. My wife loved it.

    Gives me easy comps that I wouldn't get any other way, but that don't cost anything. VIP check in, pre-booked for a high floor/room with a view...that kind of stuff that is small, but makes a stay nicer.

    Evaluates my play for me after the trip so I'm not guessing.

    And here's the biggest one. Two trips ago I had a pretty good offer...suite and freeplay. I charged a bunch of stuff to my room -- show tickets, food, etc. It was about $400. After I got home, he called me and told me that he looked at my play and that I outplayed my offer, and that he was going to retroactively comp everything. He credited my credit card for the $400ish that was on my bill (everything but tips.)
     
  4. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    I have received quite a few things that exceeded my offers.
    My 2 for 1 ticket offers became comped tix.
    My offer for 3 comped nights in a regular room became 5 comped nights in a Sky Suite.
    Limo service has been offered without asking for it.
    Discounted cabanas at the pool.

    My hosts have overall been very responsive and taken good care of me.
     
  5. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    My host at the Hard Rock returns e-mails within 15-20 mintues (many times faster) and ALWAYS answers his phone, though I almost always just e-mail out of respect for his time. My reservations are made and confirmed quickly and efficiently. I almost always get the same room (corner deluxe suite, high floor overlooking the pool and strip) every visit, which I love!

    I'm not a big gambler by any stretch, but do stay at the property 50-60 nights a year and he (they) treat me very well... I don't for ask for much at all, but I love having a "point-person" at the HRH to contact for concert tickets and things like that. He's a GREAT ambassador for their property!!!
     
  6. Travel Fanatic

    Travel Fanatic The Arbiter of Taste Caviar Kid

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    Wow, if they are comping you 50 to 60 nights a year in a suite, you must be some kind of gambler. I know the requirements for comps at HR are a bit lower than some Strip properties, but I think you're underestimating your play!
     
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  7. craps1

    craps1 Low-Roller

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    All of my hosts at the mega resorts I would consider shi**y. No response, by the corporate book, etc. Mega resort hosts are generally a waste and don't bother.

    The ones I have at the smaller properties are very personable and very friendly. They are at my beckon call, almost annoyingly so.

    I should add I'm a sizable player ($200 - $500 / craps roll and $3-$15 per slot) and not a $25 / hand BJ player, for reference.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2012
  8. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Yikes... my statement was misleading, sorry... I travel to Vegas once and sometimes twice a month on business and my room and per-diem are covered by my association. It's one of the reasons I try to stay out of posts and conversations about price of rooms and things like that, cause I know I'm really fortunate that way. I do, 2-3 times a year, go for fun and have built-up a sizeable amount of points to make the personal burden almost nil, but I'm not getting comped for all those other stays.

    I'm pretty much good for a couple hundred dollars a night at bar-top VP unwinding from meetings, not much more...
     
  9. Lolly

    Lolly Tourist

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    I have one casino host who knows me well and just moved to the Tropicana recently from a local's casino.

    The other night I asked him if he could get me Shania Twain tickets for preferably opening night December 1st at Caesars, if not, any date.
    Since he is new to the Trop, he had to go find out and was told yes, and how many tickets did I want.

    I was about spend $500 worth of reward credits,
    now, it's taken care of. Keep in mind I have even played at the Tropicana yet!

    Best Regards,
    Lolly
     
  10. JillyFromPhilly

    JillyFromPhilly Tourist

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    I think what people tend to forget is that the level of service you're going to get from a host will likely correspond to both your play, in relation to the level of the property your host is at, and also your level of play in relation to your host's average player.

    Odds are, for the same level of play, you're going to get a much better level of treatment from a host at, say Bally's or Luxor than you're going to get at Caesars Palace or Bellagio. Likewise, your host has many, many clients - and if most of their clients are bigger than you, you're likely going to be low on their priority list. True, most places nowadays are better about assigning hosts to players so that lower level hosts will have lower level players and higher level hosts will mostly have higher level players - and while there's exceptions to the rule, such as a host who mostly has higher level players but still manages to make all his or her players feel important, there are also crappy hosts who handle all of their players poorly, too.

    But I think the most important thing to remember - especially when "trading up" the property scale - even if you're betting hundreds[or even thousands] of dollars a hand, you might be moving from a place where you were a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big one, or you might think you're a VIP, but everyone else your host handles bets your whole bankroll in a hand - so I think it's important to temper expectations in light of those factors.

    Also, the other thing I think a lot of people forget is that, just because you have a host, doesn't mean you're stuck with them - you can always approach another host, or even ask for a supervisor, state your case as to why you think your host is failing you, and request a new one - and if that doesn't work, try a new property - I'll never understand why people stay loyal to a place if they feel they're not getting the treatment they deserve - people like to call Vegas a monopoly town, but it's really not - LVS, MGM, CET, Wynn, Cosmo, Boyd, Palms, Hard Rock, Golden Nugget, etc. - there's plenty of other operators who will be happy to take your business if someplace is taking you for granted.

    I think people need to just be more willing to vote with their feet when they're not happy - when instead from a lot of what I've read on this board, it seems people become so invested in their "status" at one particular property or with one particular players' club that they start to not see the forest for the trees and wind up putting up with getting bad service and being unhappy & coming here to bitch instead of just moving on.
     
  11. Naturaleight

    Naturaleight MIA

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    It's funny you should say this because probably my most reliable host is at Bellagio, while I have trouble getting in touch with someone at Luxor or Monte Carlo.
     
  12. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    PM me if you want and I'll give you my guy at the MC, who I really like. I've got a luxor guy, too even though I haven't stayed there. But I emailed him once and got an answer back the same day.

    Jilly -- you are absolutely corect. If you don't like your host, don't bitch about it, just get a new one. With that said, there are some benefits to sticking with the same host for 3 or 4 trips. They get to know what's important to you, and also get to see your whole range of play, not just one data point.
     
  13. Naturaleight

    Naturaleight MIA

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    This is a lot harder than it sounds. When trying to switch or contact another host they seem to get defensive and hand you over to your original host. I guess there must be some kind of "my turf" mindset, at least in my experiences.
     
  14. ABQJeff

    ABQJeff Low-Roller

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    I agree, sometimes it's just better to change properties. I stayed a lot at MGM, but then my host was moved over to Mandalay. Our new host just wasn't cutting it. We just contacted our old host and we are much happier for it.
    On the other side it's a two way street. I was speaking to my host last week and she told me I was one of her favorite customers. "You know exactly what you want, and you tell me. You know what I can do for you; when you can ask for a more and when you can't. And you're always pleasant and freindly". I know that she'll answer emails by 9:30 PST the next business day. She'll do everything she can, though it might take a day or two for her to get me the best deal.
     
  15. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    I'm sorry, I meant at a different property.
     
  16. craps1

    craps1 Low-Roller

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    Jilly...great points...it's somewhat of therapy to bitch about it. :)

    At the end of the day, I will be moving on to someplace else as I don't like the way of the "new vegas" as it pertains to host detail at the heavy hitter resorts. A general room, a couple of spins at a slot and invisible service doesn't entice me to come back. I'll call and look around to some other propertys to see what is given to player with a 20k bankroll per trip. MGM doesn't think anything of it.
     
  17. blackjacknut

    blackjacknut VIP Whale

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    You are obviously talking about a Monte Carlo host. I have to agree with everything you just said...this is what my Monte Carlo host does for me also, she is GREAT! I've talked to a couple of other people it seems there is a positive trend with Monte Carlo hosts. My host returns emails with in 24 hours...she takes me out to eat each time I'm in Vegas. I get upgrades....show tickets...and she is proactive and she doesn't just sit back and wait for me to ask for things she says things like "I thought you would like "this"....so I made a note on your account....she provides EXCELLENT service.
     
  18. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    Yes, it's MC, and he's great. He does offer me things from time to time that I think maybe he's got excess -- like when I call to book, he might offer me something that's not my style -- and I assume it's because he's got it to give. He offered me a huge deal on a New Years package, even though I've never been to Vegas over the winter holidays and won't go (we go east at Christmas.) But if my biggest problem is that he's offering me free stuff, that's not much of a problem. A couple of times he tried to push Andre's on me, and I'm not sure if he really thinks that it was good or if he was under orders to push it. Doesn't matter -- it was easy to say no.

    For those who think a host just reads you the computer offers...that was true for me on my first stay at MC -- he gave me exactly the MLife offer that I had. But since that stay, I don't even read my offers because I know my host is going to beat whatever is there. This past trip I called asking to book the suite that I had in my online offer -- he offered me the Hotel 32 upgrade without me saying anything.

    More than anything though is that I trust he's going to give me what he can. I have 100% confidence that if I outplay my offer, he'll comp me more at the end.
     
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