Tell me if this sounds familiar: You’re playing a slot machine, enjoying your time but hoping that someone may come by soon to offer a drink. Then, you hear it: “Cocktails, Drinks, Coffee.”
You look around for the voice and by the time you spot it, their back is to you, walking directly away from you. Or, you see they’re zig-zagging, but definitely in a direction that will keep them from ever getting close to you.
You yell out as loud as you can to get their attention. But they’re gone.
It’s one of the more consistently frustrating experiences, even more so if you’re at a casino that has signs up that confirms their service may be spotty. If the casino doesn’t offer self-service options, your only choice is to dig into your pocket and buy a… how much is that?! No thanks!
On my most recent trip to Las Vegas, I took my first ever side trip to South Lake Tahoe, staying at a Caesars property, and then spent some time in Reno before flying back to Vegas to finish the trip.
The first time a cocktail server came through in Lake Tahoe (at a Caesars property), she didn’t just race by, she stepped up next to me, stopped, and asked if I wanted a drink. I was a little taken aback, but ordered a drink. From that first encounter I wasn’t necessarily sure how I felt, but the drink was a welcome arrival.
Then, a little while later, in another portion of the casino, it happened again. At that moment I was particularly parched, and was appreciative of the direct ask.
Throughout the visit, I noticed this was the norm, not an exception – the cocktail servers were consistently taking the time out to specifically ask if I wanted anything.
On the way back to the Reno airport, we stopped at The Row, three casinos also owned by Caesars. (Prior to the merger of Eldorado and Caesars, these were Eldorado properties, whereas the Tahoe properties were part of the old Caesars).
Once again, the cocktail server stopped at the machine, asking if I wanted something to drink.
By that point I was enthusiastic about this alternative approach. It feels like for 20 years the vast majority of my experiences were of the fast walking server racing through their pattern in and out of the machines, probably getting half the people who might have actually wanted drinks because of how quickly they were moving and how difficult it sometimes could be to flag them down.
Is the stop and ask scenario a bit more inefficient? Sure. Is it more likely to drive satisfaction? I’d say so. Aside from the actual caring enough to ensure each patron was checked in on, there’s certainly a more personal touch to the proceedings.
For instance, I didn’t see as many of the servers struggling to find me when they didn’t remember which machine I had ordered at – that little extra beat likely helped them remember where they were and where to bring the orders to.
Those servers who saw me a few times more quickly got to know me and my drinks than I normally expect. (Last time I remembered something like that happening was at Harrah’s Las Vegas. Caesars again. Hmm.)
I got back to Vegas, and once again largely saw the racing of servers in their laps through their sections walking about as fast as Usain Bolt ran. It’s quite remarkable how far away they can get in the time it takes you to spot where they are so you can try to get their attention.
In all the conversations about things like pricing and whether Vegas is down because it’s too fee-oriented (more on that from me soon), one thing that’s certainly been eroding over time is the people-oriented field of things.
Articles over the years have talked about how cocktail servers are not using robots to make drinks over bartenders, how staff is getting cut in areas like valet and bell desks, how table dealers are being laid off, and in some cases table pits are getting removed in favor of electronic games (a number of casinos have done this recently).
The cocktail server approach is just one example about how good service by good team members can make a big difference because the player leaves with a positive impression of the casino.
While the cocktail servers wasn’t my only data point for my visit to Lake Tahoe, it was one of the more memorable aspects that left me with a positive experience and leave me looking forward to going back in the future.
Horseshoe in Las Vegas had great cocktail servers on our last trip. Paris was not good with way to few servers for the number of players.
Staffing is a key component to making any of these options work, so we’re sorry to hear it was inconsistent!
I would think the more personal approach is a benefit to the servers also, related to higher tips!
We totally agree Marcia – better service and more people actually served would both help them with tips!
I play every so often at Miami Valley Gaming near Cincinnati, and they have a system that allows you to order from the machine. The key to that is to have your player card in when you order, because if you decide to change machines, it will update the order system so the server can find you.
The ability to order on a kiosk is such a wonderful thing, but for some reason most casinos still don’t have it! We’ve seen it in action in Atlantic City most prominently, and it’s a wonderful option when made avaialble.