So I've had a CET host for about a year now and, for all this time, I thought they were pretty much worthless -- effectively they're booking me the rates I see online. Well, after reading the forums on how hosts are coded to players only if they book through them, I decided to play nice an book through the host. Import context: I actually barely have comps in Vegas from using my loyalty card on days where I wasn't staying at the property or gambling. Every other CET property is comped but Vegas is hardly comp'd. So I'm doing this one night stay to bring up my comps. Anyway, here's the note I sent to the host: -- Subject: Coding my Memorial Day Weekend Stay Hi XXXX, Hope all is well! I plan on booking a night in Vegas May 24th. It's only one night, but I figure it's a great way to get my comps back up in Vegas. With that, I'm not sure if you wanted to book it through your system so you're coded to the play. I don't mind paying for the room if you can't pull the comp, but I figure you'd appreciate being able to code the stay to you. Thanks, Me! -- Her reply: I can comp Harrah’s, Planet Hollywood, Bally’s, Rio, and Flamingo for you, rooms being Deluxe rooms. Mind you, this is better than what I see online (I only get Planet Hollywood comped because of a $3k loss and a 2,500 TC day over a year ago). So, we're already off to a good start! I then respond back asking for a Laurel Collection room... Her reply: Augustus Tower is sitting at $211 right now, and I will lower the rate to $171 for you. Wow! So not only was she able to pull comps, she was able to lower the rate by $40...not much but $171 for that room is a good price when my comps are all but dried up with CET in Vegas. From there, she gives me a friendly call to collect my credit card. A day later I get my reservation confirmation About a week later, I respond back asking for a limo and she responds within 4 hours indicating a price of $65 for the limo. I book on the dates and now we're all set. Net net, going through the host made scheduling the trip a breeze. No longer am I needing to log in every day and check rates, no longer do I need to search limo companies and secure a ride, and my room is guaranteed. This was much more painless than everyone makes it out to be. I think we expect the moon from these folks...
That’s a great story. Now lose five grand and see if you can get backend comps. That’s when the host fun starts!!
Yea, I've heard incidences of that...I think the back-end comping is all sorts of screwed up. If it's worth anything, I lost 6k at Wynncore and never received back-end comps. The challenge is that with slots, you can hit some crazy volatility and lose a lot FAST. But, your coin in is low -- hence no comps. Meanwhile, your coin-in can be VERY high but you lose nothing and everything will be comped. This is why I prefer being rated by way of table play...I just feel like the house edge doesn't bite you as hard.
I personally have had no problem with by CET hosts . . .ever. But then again, I am also part of Asian Marketing, a smaller community of players/hosts.
We have had great luck with CET hosts. From Hunter to Amy now a days and Liz back in our Caesars days. Our Windsor and Lake Tahoe hosts do a great job with everything we have asked for and really are great at setting up our 7* trips. Lucky I guess. Worst host we ever had was Monte Carlo, cig hanging from her mouth while she comped us a couple days. Thinking back on those days is funny.
My Windsor CET host is awesome! My Vegas host.. who I have repeatedly asked to be re-assigned but am still coded to is terrible. I don't expect more then what the website offters.. (Most extravagant thing I have asked a host for was a 6th day when the website would only book 5) but I do expect a response within 3 days. Missing this once or twice I can understand but when they miss it multiple times and when you ask about it they tell you "I would rather you call as I am terrible at remembering to reply to e-mails" I get annoyed.
I suppose experiences vary. The one host I had for a while (we can call her AA), really did nothing for me I couldn't already do. I'm not one to complain about them, but based on my experience I don't see how she provided any tangible benefit. To be fair, I'm not playing purple or yellow chips ($100 or so avg, BJ player, 4-8 hours a day so i do give decent action but nothing crazy). What I've found works best is after a trip, especially one where I give good action, I don't book another trip for at least 3-4 months. At that point, I think the new rounds of offers come through and when the system sees that I'm not already booked, the offers appears to be better to get me back. I've also experienced emails never getting returned and overall poor customer service. I've just booked things on my own and found that far less time consuming then going through the rigamorale of having someone do for me exactly what I can do. That being said, like anything, results vary I guess.
I really like my CET Hosts, I play mostly at CET so have no hosts at other properties. My upcoming 7* retreat trip in April I have 2 rooms (King and a Queen - hopefully connecting if available) comped for 6 nights in the Caesars Augustus Tower for me and 2 friends. She always takes me and who ever is on the trip with me to lunch at Harrah's Oyster Bar and we order whatever we want. I usually do this twice a year for several years. My regular play averages about $39,000 per day coin-in playing VP.
One thing about the host and casino is the customer winning. If every trip u win or lose and manage to play 3-5hr a day then they will comp you. but if u losing dont bother to ask for comp. Take your butt home and try again next trip. The bottom line is casino want you back if u are winning. My experience is I'm a crap and BJ player and when I can book a 3 nite but stay only 1 and lose all my bankroll on first nite afterward checkout went home, my comp for future stay is shitty. When i manage to stay alive for 3 nite average play is 3-5 hr a day and winning. The next comp is awesome from hotel to food.
A really good CET host in my opinion gives you your theorectical when you ask. Then if you play the same way next trip (i.e. tables, slots, video poker, ect), you can assume you will earn the same theo. This will allow you to gauge how to expend at least 30% of your theo on back end comps such as food, non-diamond shows, spas after "playing" for the room. Remember that CET Reward Credits is only part of the comps you can access.
As good as I thought my CET(PH)host is(was, I doubt I’ll play enough there to warrant anything), my Cosmo is better. My Harrahs SoCal host was absolute trash until I ended up with a different one on my list. She facilitated a weekend room comp and a generous food comp with just one email with little recent play. Lost Diamond, and now lost her also but as of now my PH host remains. She was nice, far exceeded my expectations early on and did everything that I asked within my gambling limits.
Yeah, more and more people are telling me to go over to the Cosmo! I'll check it out, I just don't like being locked to one property.
I'm never really quite sure what to do with my host either. I have one at my local in Joliet, but she says she also can cover all the CET properties in Vegas. I've asked for stuff in the past and gotten a no. And then I can also book pretty much any room I need online by myself. I've never asked for a limo or anything. I also don't usually ask for backend comps, because I always have RC left at the end of a trip, and I know those would get used first. I guess I just need to learn how to best use the services that she can offer.
I love our host in Atlantic City. He asked to be our host and the relationship is great. He asked to book all of our trips everywhere (NOLA, LV etc) which kind of surprised me as I typically would have thought outside of AC I would have to book and use host on duty. Win or lose he has had no problem taking good care of us and we play (winning or losing) 8 or more hours a day minimum. When I spoke with him over the super bowl (I was losing), he explained that they can use ADT or loss but not both (meaning if I lost 5k but also cycled it a lot and has a decent theo he couldn't combine them to form a better comp). It was basically a what happens if I go broke on day 1 and lose 3-4k and have nothing left for the trip type question. His response was fairly straight forward and simple. First you have to play off the up front comp. So if I lose 4k on day 1 on say 8k coin in (intentionally a low number) and play no more for the trip he could choose to do 10% of the loss for the trip so $400 in comps. 3 nights over a weekend in AC is probably close to that number for comp purposes (guessing 100, 150, 50 Fri, Sat, Sun) leaving maybe a little bit left for something small. Obviously ADT has the potential to be better if you can cycle and play and gives more available for back end. As to leaving early due to loss, I would guess that you would be on the hook for the whole comp regardless since that room was taken out of their rotation until the very last minute. Same as not cancelling a reservation on comp and having to pay. I will ask him about this the next time I see him. I think the biggest thing on a host is always about having the right expectations and knowledge. If you know what you're worth then you know what to expect. That being said I agree a timely reply to emails and a clear explanation on why your offer is what it is are both at the top of my expectation list.
I e-mailed my host three weeks ago and asked him to book a couple of stays for me, and I sent offer codes I received in canned e-mails. No response for a week, so I sent a follow up e-mail a week later. No response. I sent a text last week, still no response. I’ve seen him once in my last dozen or so stays, and that was a meet and greet he had to attend (which he wasn’t at, and his boss had to call him and tell him to come). So right now I’m a bit perturbed.
I love my host Amy at PH. When I ask for a room I get the confirmation within a half hour and she always emails just before the trip to see if we need anything else. We also meet up with her for drinks at least once a trip.
We just got our email for our upcoming trip from her today. She always makes a point to check up on us at least once a trip. Miss Hunter but Amy is a very good replacement.