Letting servers know ahead of time on BOGO's

I haven't used any MyVegas awards yet and I was wondering if you should let your servers know at restaurants if you are using a MyVegas reward before your bill or after you get the bill?

The only reason I ask is because I was wondering if it makes a difference in the quality/portion size of your food? :S

 

I'm not sure it makes any difference. I've used many bogo's at restaurants in numerous locations. I've never see any difference in quality or portion sizes. We generally inform the wait staff when we order so it can be taken into account before making out the bill. It would be terribly difficult for an establishment to try to adjust quality or portion for each table using the reward. Take for example any of the bogo buffet awards. How could they possibly adjust the portion or quality?

 

I haven't ever redeemed myvegas awards for food, but I imagine it works about the same as groupon or anything else like this: you're never going to get worse or less food unless they actually have a special menu, in which case they can do what they like with it. However, occasionally you do get worse service (either because management has decreed that people using vouchers suck, or more likely, because waiters are annoyed with voucher-users as they've probably had too much experience with such people being cheapskates and tipping crappily ). That's not common, but it does happen occasionally. For that reason, if I remember, I always like to tell them as they're clearing our last set of plates (as KazooTom points out, if you wait too long, they have to go back and redo the check, which is a small pain for both you and them.)

 

I was worried about the servers getting mad too! Well...not so much that they get mad, but that we get crappy service. I've never used a groupon or anything for food but I have always heard servers hate them. I hope we aren't treated like that! But I'll probably just take your advice and let them know as they are clearing our plates. Thanks!

 

I do not really know much about my Vegas but I have used services like groupon to promote my establishments. I would hope the restaurants would not use smaller portions or a worse quality product because of it since it will actually hurt them in the long run. When I used these types of services for my businesses, I always used the same portions/quality as I was using for a regular customer. A business would not want bad word of mouth advertising for doing something like that.

About tipping, I would tip based on what the meal would actually cost you paying full price. The server is still doing the same work even though you are getting a deal.

 

Thanks for the reply! We definitely plan on tipping what our meal would have been worth. I was just hoping that our server doesn't get annoyed with the fact that we are using a voucher and think we wouldn't tip appropriately.

 

Why not just say something to your waiter(ess) like "we have a coupon but it won't affect your tip"?

 

The only time I've used a MyVegas like this is at the Excalibur steakhouse. I forgot to mention that I had a credit until after the original bill was produced. When I mentioned the credit, the server mentioned that he would apply the credit, THEN bring me an adjusted bill.

My suggestion would be to mention the credit before the bill is finalized and brought to you. That's one less trip the waiter will have to make to the computer.

 

We inform our waitress discretely when she's taking our order. This way if we missed something from the coupons fine print excluding certain items, she can tell us before hand.

 

This happens in my home town, not in Las Vegas. When I use BOGO coupons at Arby's. The roast beef in one sandwich is only 50% of the portion I got when I paid full price. Basically, the coupon is Buy one bun get one bun free. The amount of meat is the same. Similar thing happened at McDonald's. They often have BOGO on chicken sandwich. But if you use coupon, the chicken is much smaller than the one you pay full price.