Bad arguments, good results

Sometimes an employee can do the right thing but still leave a bad taste in a customers mouth by what he or she says.

One example of this occurred a number of months ago at Fiesta Henderson. The Station properties held drawings that month that you didn't have to be present at to win, but you had to claim your prize within 24 hours or the drawing. I had forgot to include on my itinerary for a particular day to check the drawing results and remembered in time to get there about 10 minutes before the 24-hour clock expired, at 8:15 p.m. When I arrived, I couldn't find any results posted at either the players club or the cage. An employee told me the names had been taken down at 8 sharp, because that has been the deadline the previous night for getting tickets into the virtual drawing drum.

I went to the players club and checked the rules, which made it clear that winners had 24 hours from the time they were chosen to claim their prize. There was no mention of the closing of the virtual drum as starting the running of the 24 hours. My argument was that it was impossible to know if you were a winner until the drawing had taken place (beginning at 8:15), that is the earliest the 24 hours could have started to run.

The employee said she would pay me because it was only $100 and the money was still available. She made it sound as if she were doing me a favor, not paying me because I had a right to be paid. I asked her to raise the question with her superiors and get the procedure straightened out for the future.

The next day I came in and spoke with someone who acknowledged that I had been right and that for the duration of that promotion, the 24-hour clock would begin to run when the drawing was held, not when the drum closed.

I can understand the first employee's reluctance to admit I was right because that mean saying that whoever had made the decision not pay claims after 8 p.m. had been wrong. But what irritated me was that she wouldn't acknowledge, even in the fact of the written rules, that I seemed to be right.

Another example occurred recently at the D in downtown Las Vegas. My monthly mailer contained a coupon for a $50 credit at the steakhouse. Nothing on the coupon indicated any limitation on when it could be used. I made plans to meet my wife at 8 p.m. on a Sunday for dinner.

The coupon had to be exchanged at the players club for a comp slip. The employee who helped me there, whose name tag indicated he was a supervisor, pointed out that there was a time restriction on when the credit could be used. As he (incorrectly) described the limitation, it didn't seem to apply. But when he handed me the slip and pointed out the restriction, it was clear that it did apply and, by its terms, we would have had to wait a couple of hours to eat.

I politely argued that although I have no problem with restrictions on when a coupon can be used, they should be printed on the coupon itself to people can plan to use the coupon when it's valid. They shouldn't have to come to the casino has find out only then that they either can't use the coupon or have to drastically change their plans. He argued that he was pointing out the restrictions then to make sure the terms of the offer were completely understood. This seemed to completely ignore my point. He also had the nerve to point out that the casino was covered the the ubiquitous "management reserves all rights" tag. I didn't argue the point then, but this is obviously not something that should be used to yank away offers from innocent customers. (It's legitimate purpose is to allow management to resolve situation arising from unforeseeable circumstances.)

The employee did offer to call the restaurant to ask that credit be honored. He told me it would be. When I got there, I double-checked with the manager and explained the situation. He promised me he would take it up with the casino management. My wife and I had an excellent meal and my comp account at the D saved $50.

Having worked in retail, I know that the customer is not always right. But when the customer clearly is, as I was at Fiesta Henderson, employees should at least acknowledge that possibility and try to validate the customer's thought process. The situation at the D was less a clear matter of right or wrong, but a lot of good will could have been gained if the employee had simply said, "you've got a good point and I'll bring it up with marketing" rather than try to justify disappointing or angering a customer because of management's lack of foresight in wording it offer.

Bottom line: If I'm asking for a favor, or a bending of rules, I'll acknowledge that and understand I don't have a right to what I'm asking for. But thc casino sets the rules, and it has an obligation to follow them strictly and to make sure customers know what they are before acting on them.