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Change in Aria bartop drink comp policy?

Discussion in 'Comps' started by CaptainJack, Apr 8, 2014.

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  1. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    That seem like an ambiguous reply. Translation: "We don't deny cutting the booze when we feel like it, If your a big time player, we won't piss you off by cutting your glenlivet 12, after all we want a chunk of that 10K you deposited at the Cage. But all you mid tier and low tier players can go F yourself. If you want more than two cocktails an hour spend the $15, or give up the seat to one of the douchy folks who came in for the weekend. Make it a great day. Jim M."
     
  2. VegasDave

    VegasDave Addicted

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    Could always just go to bar, wager money, if they stop serving you, stop playing and go to another VP bar. There are so many per hotel you should be ok if you rotate on them. Pain, but you still have all the games at the next one. Or just avoid the casino and vote with your dollar.
     
  3. KingBBInLV

    KingBBInLV High-Roller

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    Aria can eat a bag of dicks. Last year my gf, her dad and mom and I were sitting at the bar by the sportsbook drinking and playing VP. I play VP like a court stenographer types and blew through $200 playing 25 cent VP in about 30 mins, I couldn't hit a thing. I got one drink cause the bartender was more interested in talking to people on the other side of the bar instead of making drinks like he's supposed to. We also tip $10 a round. Anyway, I blow through $200 and he finally comes over and then tells me he can't comp me another drink cause I'm not playing and he "has cameras watching him". I said that's great, let those cameras back up and they'll see that I just blew through $200 while waiting for a drink while you were sitting there bullshitting for 20 fucking minutes. I also handed him my noir card and told him to flash it to those cameras that were watching him. He wouldn't budge and tried to be a hardass. I finally had him call the beverage mgr down and when the bev mgr showed up he told the bartender to make whatever drink I wanted.
    I know I could have just put more money in the machine but why let them dictate how I play.

    So yeah the Aria can take their stupid policies and GF THEMSELVES.
     
  4. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    If you're noir, charge it to the room. Charge everything to the room. Buy the people next to you drinks that you don't know. It's not like noir players have to pay for anything.
     
  5. bjpcyclone

    bjpcyclone High-Roller

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    The cocktail waitress could care less if you are trying to "beat the system" as long as you are tipping. Especially if you are tipping well. Last trip, we had about 10 people around 2 ghostbusters machines (2 people playing) at NYNY. CW brought 10 drinks every round (probably 6-7 rounds total) because she was getting between $10-$25 every round. She clearly didn't care that 80% of the people weren't playing.
     
  6. Dweller

    Dweller Low-Roller

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    I am Noir and the card does not give you free drinks. It is still based on play and comps are still limited. Also you can't charge it to your room if you are not staying at one of their hotels, you would need to spend express comps. Getting free drinks by using comps is not the same thing as the usual method of getting free drinks while gambling.
     
  7. Big Tip

    Big Tip VIP Whale

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    "Bartender! Is it time yet?"
    "Bartender! Is it time yet?"
    "Bartender! Is it time yet?"
    "Bartender! Is it time yet?"
    "Bartender! Is it time yet?"
    "Bartender! Is it time yet?"
    "Bartender! Is it time yet?"
    "Bartender! Is it time yet?"

    "Yes. Now."

    "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay"

    This would get WAY annoying.

    Since I play a lot when I am at a bar I would much prefer a point base thing to a timed thing. Not using up points to get a drink, just as a counting/tracking thing.
     
  8. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    Maybe it's me, but I just can't see a Noir player throwing a fit over $7 drink. And, most noir players that I know can't spend their express comps as it is. I can't even imagine a noir player being upset that $10 was taken from their express comps to pay for a drink they should get comped.

    That doesn't mean they wouldn't rather have it comped, that just means waiting for a bar manager or arguing about about a free drink seems like a waste of time in the context of things. If you want a drink... you just get one.
     
  9. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    its not the money its principal
     
  10. NativeSoCal

    NativeSoCal Low-Roller

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    Principle.

    Principal is the head of a school.... :poke:
     
  11. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    see what happens when you skip school :thumbsup:
     
  12. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    I don't even see it as a principle thing. Its a bone headed move, that's shortsighted by the gaming side of the property.

    I am sure F&B are charging back the gaming house a wholesale rate for the drinks they give away for accounting purposes. So I see it as a way of the gaming side of the house to reduce comp expenditures. That might work if you have a casino packed with people who are free spending non gamblers, but when the casino side of the house is struggling to hit 40% of property revenues, this is a bad move. Unless the resort is solely focused on shifting to a F&B increase for the sake of investors.

    Gamblers like me are ingrained with the value prop of free alcohol as a "vegas perk". When you start limiting it to an extreme measure you de-value your business proposition against competitors, both in vegas and secondary markets. I can stay home and pay for alcohol for my lower price point and visit a local casino with better pay tables then vegas.

    Mgm has some delusion that Aria is a premium tier property like Wynn. This just gives me one more reason not to solicit MGM properties. Cosmo is not increasing gaming space at their bars because they are making crap loads of money everywhere else in resort operations. Not sure why MGM thinks they can.
     
  13. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    If it were the principle and time is money, spending your time arguing about a free drink should be considered a net loss. Unless you feel your 15-30 mins of Vegas time is worth $10.
     
  14. BayouBengal

    BayouBengal VIP Whale

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    Cosmo has added VP to Chandelier Bar though.
     
  15. coolpacific

    coolpacific Low-Roller

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    Aria is implementing this, while Cosmo expands their bartop VP and is very generous with the drinks to players. In the end, who is right?

    My guess is that Cosmo has seen non-gaming revenue flatten. They also know that their club clientele are a fickle bunch and that there are 2 new hotels opening that will directly compete for that demographic.

    I am not sure what Aria's strategy is since I doubt this would have that much effect on F&B revenue. I don't know too many VP players that would sit and play "and" pay for drinks.
     
  16. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Well said.

    I wouldn't be shocked if you dealt with the same dude I dealt with.

    If they truly enforce the limit, you may get faster service from cw's. And now that I know I can play a game 2% better than the best quarter bar game on the floor (Thanks again BeeeJay), why would I want to sit at the bar anyway. Hell I can play a nickel game better than the best bar game too. And as long as I give her $1-2, the cw doesn't care. Hell we get served at cosmo if we share a machine.
     
  17. boogaloobboy

    boogaloobboy Tourist

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    They have already instituted the scenario listed earlier (points for drinks) at my local NA Casino here in Wetumpka Alabama. You must play a certain amount of money through the slot (no table games class 2 slots) before you can order a drink. 1 slot point, or 5 bucks coin in is required and if you play with your players club card inserted they limit you to a drink every 20 minutes. You order it directly through the slot screen and it is picked up and delivered by a waitress.

    I find this to be acceptable because......

    1.) I don't have to spend my time looking for a CW and don't get pissed if I miss one when its crowded

    2.) 3 Drinks an hour, while not great when you want to get a good buzz going early is a pretty decent amount of drinks

    3.) the coin in requirement is hella low

    My brother figured out last week you can just pop a 5er in a machine without a card and get drinks as fast as the CW can bring them, maybe get an extra drink an hour. My wife was furiously pissed at this change but I explained to her some people are such cheap asses they will actually sit at a slot and NOT PLAY AT ALL just have credits in order to drink. I fully endorse steps being taken to prevent that behavior. This 20$ in max bet shit is ridiculous though, as is the 30 minute time limit. The management of these casino's are apparently inbred dimwits who don't understand that people want to FEEL as though those drinks are free, and most players certainly coin-in more than enough to warrant drinks whenever they damn well choose. We are there to party and enjoy vacation, not clock watch and be treated like shit.

    All of this is a result in the massive change in demographics and spending patterns that have hit Vegas in the last 10 years and its moving in the wrong way and picking up speed while doing it. Gamblers are second class citizens now, all the clubs want to cater to the day/night club crowd bottle-buyers. When the EDM scene inevitably crashes (see disco, see the houe scene in florida in the 90's, etc) its not gonna be pretty for some of these properties.
     
  18. mdm4sfest

    mdm4sfest VIP Whale

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    You already lop on a $25 resort fee per night. A beer that cost you 50 cents is too much to ask for in return? And then on top of it, I am paying your bartenders so you don't have to.
     
  19. mdm4sfest

    mdm4sfest VIP Whale

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    ^^^^^^ I enjoy this opinion^^^^^^^^:beer:
     
  20. bacclover

    bacclover Tourist

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    one day blackjack would pay 1:1, and normal wins would only pay 95% (1:1 but take 5% commission like PGP/PGT)
     
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