vpFREE2 Forums

(att: Tom Sims) Re: The most amazing thing at El Cortez

No, you really don't understand because you didn't bother to read what
pesach kremen was referring to in his comment. Now read very carefully
the bottom of my post. I mention I left a normal tip for a $5
charge($1.50) Does that mean my complaint was about being overcharged .30
cents? And, the "story" of which you refer is the true account of the
conversation. Also, I'm going to forward your post to the owner of this
list as a flame. Flaming is not allowed here. In case you don't get that
either, flaming is hiding behind your keyboard and using excessive
punctuation to insult somebody ie: "$.30???" is the same as saying "Hey
boy! What the F___ is the matter with you?" Do you understand anything
I'm saying yet? If the list owner refuses to put you on permanent
moderate status then I will have to trade my self from the vpFree Rebels
to the Skip Hughes Knickerbockers, I don't know. By the way something
else, to show you I'm not a cheapskate quibbling over .30, let me inform
you when I let my good friend play my machine with my money in it
(because she was very low in the bankroll area) when she held four to a
royal and the fifth royal card popped in ($1000) I gave her a hundred
dollar bill as a tip. It was not expected, I just did it. Do I still
fit your stereotyped profile?
JT

Now, my phone conversation with the food and beverage manager, Dave
Williams, at the El Cortez.

Operator: OK, go ahead.
JT: Dave?
Dave: Yes
JT: This is Jim _____ I had a problem in your cafe this morning at 12:30
am.
Dave: Jim Trellor? (he mispronounces my name) Do I know you?
JT: No. This isn't the famous stand up comedian named Jim ______
Dave: What can I do for you?
JT: I was charged $.30 extra for sour dough toast. Nobody has ever done
that anywhere ever. I've never heard of such a thing
Dave: We have to charge more because it costs us more to buy it. And
anyway, it's on the menu as an extra charge.
JT: Dave. I wouldn't be calling you if it was on the menu. It's not. Rye
toast .30 extra is all it says.
Dave: Oh, I'll fix that. Do I know you?
JT: No, and I wouldn't be calling you if I was not treated rudely by both
your waitress Kathleen and her supervisor. When my food was served I was
the most upset I've been since my problem at the Rio about seven years
ago
Dave: The Rio? (he said, with a condescending voice) What happened there?
JT: It was the only other time in my fourteen year residence I was too
upset to eat my food because of the poor attitude and training of the
staff. I was seated by a host at a large booth at the Rio buffet.
Another host walked by as I was beginning to eat my two plates of food
and told me I was at too large a booth and had to be moved. I picked up
my plates, followed the host and was told to sit at a two seater table
that was full of dirty dishes. I was livid with anger. I was not that
angry as last night however. The buffet manager knew how to handle the
situation. She quickly explained that for my trouble she would write me
a comp for two free buffets.
Dave: Stop by and I'll refund your .30.
JT: Dave I'm going to complain to Jackie Gaughan about what you just
said. I'm highly insulted by that. It's not the .30 it's how I was
treated and the fact that the charge is not on your menu.
Dave: Jim Teeelor? Do I know you?
JT: No. Where would you know me from?
Dave: From here as a customer.
JT: Dave? It's not the money it's the principle of this. I get all the
free food I can stand at Ellis Island.
Dave: Ellis Island? (also in a condescending voice:
JT: Dave? What's this about five extra cameras?
Dave: We have to have them in place to keep the wait people from serving
items not paid for. Do I know you?
JT: Ok, Dave, thank you for your time;
Dave: Your welcome.

I can't complain higher up about Dave because even though my typing won't
convey it, his phone manner was like that of a pastoral minister. I
imagined the guy as being head of a large church in North Las Vegas. He
was just a really mellow nice guy.
JT

Do I understand that someone has taken the time to post a "story"
that concerns being overcharged by $.30??? Talk about much ado
about NOTHING!— In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "pesach kremen"
<royalflush2222@h…> wrote:

Next time you eat there, pay with a credit card. I fthey charge

you dispute

the part not mentione das extra in th emenu. The casino will be

forced to

respond to the credit card company and will probably wmbarrass

themselves in

the process

>From: jtpage552@j...
>Reply-To: vpFREE@yahoogroups.com
>To: vpFREE@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [vpFREE] The most amazing thing at El Cortez
>Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2003 03:13:24 -0700
>
>I went downtown Friday night to do the 3x points thing at the

Plaza.

>Most of the 8 FPDW were taken. One fellow was playing two machines

while

>standing up. I hit the Deuces and ran the count up to almost 600

coins,

>cashed out at 500 so a very good night indeed for a couple hrs

play. My

>worst losing streak was at the Plaza, $700 in three hours.
>
>Now, I have a craving for the Rib Eye steak breakfast at the El

Cortez.

>Go there, sit down order;
>
> Kathleen0053: Ok, that's medium rare, over easy, with sour

dough

>toast.
> JT: Yes.
> Kathleen0053: There's a thirty cent extra charge for sour

dough toast

>sir.
> JT: Wow! I've been coming here for years and you've never

charged me

>extra for sour dough toast before.
> Kathleen0053: SIR! (clearly with an attitude) I've worked

here seven

>years and we've always charged extra for rye or sour dough toast.
> JT: (raising his voice) I've lived here 14 yrs and eat all

over town.

> Nobody charges extra for sour dough toast. I know where it's

baked,

>that bakery on Charleston near I15. It's just bread, nothing

special.

> Kathleen0053: SIR! I'd like to help you out but they've

installed

>five extra cameras in here.
> JT: It's not a big deal, thirty cents. Go ahead and charge

me. I've

>just never ever heard of such a thing.
> Kathleen0053: I'm just following orders. I don't set the

policy.

> JT: I ate recently at the Plaza coffee shop and remarked to the
>waitress how much I liked the sour dough toast so she brought me an
>extra order of it with my breakfast.
>
>A long interlude. Kathleen0053 passes by and glares at me. I open

the

>menu to see where it states the extra charge. I see "30 cents

extra for

>Rye toast" Nothing about sour dough. Kathleen0053 returns with my

order.

>
> JT: You're in more trouble now than the five extra cameras

could ever

>allow for.
> Kathleen0053: What do you mean?
> JT: There is no mention on the menu of thirty cents extra for

sour

>dough toast only rye toast is mentioned.
> Kathleen0053: SIR! I can let you talk to my supervisor if you

would

>like.
> JT: Yes, get the supervisor this is ridiculous.
> Supervisor: Sir. We've always charged extra for sour dough

toast.

> JT: How can you do that when it's not on the menu as extra.
>
>And so on and so forth. I got the name of the food and beverage

manager,

>Dave Williams, and will call him in the morning. Guess what. I

left

>Kathleen0035 a normal tip, knowing it would catch her off guard.
>JT
>
>
>
>________________________________________________________________
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···

On Sun, 29 Jun 2003 13:01:46 -0000 "toddr54" <toddgone@aol.com> writes:

jt - You know, at heart I get EXACTLY where you're coming from. Now
let me preface the rest of my comments by saying that they may very
well not even be worth your time reading them. They're the opinions
of one relatively humble guy. But if they serve to give just a little
pause for thought, well, good.

Like you, my expectations run pretty high. And if you follow some of
the other boards you'll see that I do my share of kvetching when
things don't measure up to those expectations (see some of my recent
snipes at Harrah's over on acvpp - although I've toned those down as
of late as things have improved for me there).

But I'm driven to suggest you chill out a bit, for your own sake, and
make an effort to keep things in perspective. There's no doubt life
can be pretty aggravating at times, but other things in life are just
too sweet to let some of the lesser irritations get in the way.

···

-----

The waitress hassles you unduly rather than adopting the attitude that
the customer is always right. You later point out the $.30 charge
isn't on the menu, she doesn't give. Look, you've presumably been a
long satisfied customer there. Cut her a break.

Maybe she's been busting her buns extra hard that day or has got some
serious issues going on in her life. If you're really unhappy with
her service as a consequence, let her know in a brief matter of fact
manner and cut her tip back as you think appropriate. But don't give
her such a rough time that it's likely to sour her day further.

Take the issue to management if you will. If they're immediately
receptive then you've achieved your objective. If not, then accept
that they're not going to get it and move on. Don't persist -
principal is one thing, but in most cases practicality is a greater
source of satisfaction in life. And indeed take satisfaction that you
made the effort (and just maybe they'll think about it later and pick
up on your point).

But above all, just keep in mind that if this is as bad as life gets
that day, it's a pretty damn fine day.

-----

As far as the "flame", well, you let the guy know you weren't thrilled
with his comments. Does he really need to be moderated or can you
just hope that the guy will take a clue that he may want to more
carefully consider his posts (especially if in reply to you :)?

Why threaten to desert to vp-mail. I presume that otherwise you've
been quite satisfied with what you've taken away from this group.
Surely this one post isn't enough to tip the balance. Take it in
stride, no need to essentially threaten Tom.

------

I've said my piece. But who the hell am I to comment. If you think
this is garbage, the Delete key is a stroke away.

- Harry

Do I understand that someone has taken the time to post a
"story" that concerns being overcharged by $.30??? Talk
about much ado about NOTHING!

On 29 Jun 2003, jtpage552@juno.com replied:

Also, I'm going to forward your post to the owner of this list as a
flame. Flaming is not allowed here. In case you don't get that either ...

I didn't take toddr54's post to be a flame. If I had, I would have
posted the vpFREE boiler plate warning that I introduced this
week.

To me, his post could/should have been gentler, but wasn't a personal
attack. I took it that he was only saying that, in his opinion, it
wasn't worth making an issue over 30c and/or posting an account of
the incident. I suspect that others agree with this point of view.

I don't agree. I enjoyed and identified with JT's story, and have
fought several similar battles myself. As JT said, it wasn't about
30c, it was about the principle of the matter.

vpFREE Administrator

···

On 29 Jun 2003 "toddr54" <toddgone@aol.com writes: