Interesting back-end comp scenario at CET

My GF and I just returned from a 7* trip to LV. The flight and room was comped, along with a $500 folio that could be used to charge food, etc. We charged the Pitbull tix, along with several meals, which totaled $789, so there was $289 in excess room charges. I was given the option of paying that using my reward credits or my credit card. I voted for neither and asked to speak to a host on duty.

I politely asked the host if she could give me a discretionary comp. She hemmed and hawed and said that they do not offer discretionary comps if the customer has a reward credit balance; they can only take it out of the RC first, and if there's none left, then they can consider a discretionary comp. This was something that I already knew but figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, and was almost resigned to give in and say "ok, whatever".

But the host then asked if my GF had her own Total Rewards account. I said yes, but explained that she's only a Gold tier, with about 3,120 in tier credits and about $12 worth of reward credits. The host said "Perfect", that's exactly what she was looking for. I was puzzled until the host explained that she could apply $199 of the $289 excess to my GF's TR account, use up the 1200 in RC and deduct the rest ($187) as a discretionary comp since my GF has no more reward credits. This way, I would only have to use about 9000 of my own reward credits for the remaining balance (289-199=90).

This was not something that I had thought of and wanted to pass this along those who travel together and have their own individual TR accounts and one account has significantly less RC than the other.

 

Sounds like a nice host...but then again, you are a 7* player (so you should receive a higher level of customer service than most)

 

Sounds like the host took good care of you. Seems weird as it means she gave a discretionary comp to your GF based on your play.

 

I asked if the discretionary comp was based on my play or my GF and the host said that it was for her play ... she played penny slots all weekend with a $100 BR .... go figure

 

Hmm, weird. Had she already used a bunch of RC's elsewhere?

I mean, $12 in reward credits is 120, which is what, $600 in coin in? Maybe 1200 if it is a slot that rewards fewer. Seems the comp would be more than her theo.

But is she had spent RCs elsewhere (or RCs were late posting to her account) it makes more sense I guess. Did she earn all the tier credits on that trip?

 

The RC were brand spanking new having been earned in the last month of random slot play. She never had a TR card before and never used her RC before. The comps were definitely more than her theo, I think the host was looking out for me. She had to call it in and explain to the person on the other end of the line what she was trying to do, but the other person seemed to understand perfectly because it was like a 60 second conversation between the two of them, as if this was something standard that was done all the time.

 

How'd she earn 3000+ TCs on her first use of the card?

Happy you got taken care of but what the heck, I feel like everyone gets different experiences with TR lol. I've never gotten comped on the back end even with a mix of table, VP, and slots smh.

 

Good call, I didn't catch that earlier...3000+ TC means she's played quite a bit, hell almost to platinum...

 

You'd be surprised what they're willing to do for a 7* player...

 

My bad, her TC was 312

 

I still don't get why folks want to carry a RC balance, though. It seems to me most hosts are saying, "if you have a balance I have to use it first" but meaning "don't come to us with a balance so I can take care of you". Yet it seems important for people to carry that balance with a bankrupt company. What am I missing? They aren't going to give you better offers because of your balance. Why aren't you guys trying to burn some of those points off?

 

Personally, I'm trying to save my balance for a nice dinner...but I see your point

 

THIS. During the course of my trip i just turn in my Reward Credits into Free Slot Play. I convert as much as possible the night before check out. It's not 1 to 1 but for Seven Stars it's 1.25 to 1, which isn't bad.

 

Thanks very much to the OP, I have never heard of this loophole and it definitely could be useful on certain trips.

I do agree, though, that RCs should always be spent on merchandise or converted to free play if you are a player who expects back end/discretionary comps

 

Last trip my friend, K, went from new total reward member to Diamond with the tier booster. So earning 3000 in one go isnt unheard of.

My host always has comp'd the extra off without taking RCs...I use them sporadically to buy beverages in the gift shops, last time used a frw to pick up an extra suitcase that promptly fell apart!

 

I "won" 275,000 RC at a drawing last summer and I'm down to the last 93,000.

The reason I keep an RC balance is because my play fluctuates and I don't want to (over)pay for a meal if there's any chance I won't get it comped. Especially when I'm "paying" a high rate for a room comp.

Actually, I was also waiting to make 7* so I could get the most preferable conversion rate for FP.

 

I'm surprised they would not just take it off for you. Was your host not available?

 

if this was in response to the OP, LV is not my local casino so i don't have a host out there per se, only one that was assigned to me for the purposes of booking my 7* trip. I checked out using the 7*/Dia checkout room and there were two hosts-on-duty that took care of these things.

 

For me, I like to hold on to RC to use when I travel to other CET properties where I don't get food or beverage comp when I'm outside of my local casino (AC). For example, I stayed and played at Tunica earlier this year and while my room was comped, the food and bev were not so I used my RC to take care of that. Of course, I probably could have asked for a discretionary comp if my RC were empty but I'd rather take care of it on my own. When I'm staying and playing at AC, my local host takes care of everything for me and I never touch my RC.

 

Beautifully done, and proves the point, if you don't ask, you won't get it! Kudos to your host too, she was a class-act, and savvy. This was a great tip I don't think many have thought of, thank you for sharing!