EW and CB had a major employee staff reduction last Thursday:
1. The Access Club (slot club) at each property is closed! (The physical club areas themselves, not the function of the clubs, are closed). Signs were placed in front of the clubs saying that the areas were closed and to go to the cage area for slot club services. Reportedly, all but three (total between both properties) of the club personnel were let go. It was a real disaster at the cages the first few days, but seems more organized now -- but there have been any major groups or events to put the pressure of a high volume situation on this new arrangement.
2. Other reductions included several slot supervisors and managers, pit supervisors, engineers, floor persons, etc.. Others were reduced from full time to part time and told they would be on different shifts.
3. The number of servers scheduled in the buffet was reduced and the remaining ones given about 40 - 50% more tables to cover. (At least this is the situation in EW, haven't been in CB buffet recently). Have heard people complaining about it taking too long to get initial drinks and later coffee refills -- but this might go away if the servers get more efficient.
4. Depending on who you talk to, 100+ people may have been involved. The number I heard from several employees was that over 60 were let go and another 40 - 60 had their hours drastically reduced. Several employees said they were told by their managers that more cuts would be likely.
Initially, there were rumors that this was done because the properties had been sold. But that rumor quickly died. If a sale of the properties isn't pending, my own speculation (and I emphasize this is my own speculation), the cuts (which will impact customer service and will likely have a negative long term implact) were made with a short-term goal to improve the bottom line to make a sale offering look better to future suitors -- again this is my own speculation.
I had expected some realignment of slot club personnel -- there were more people staffing the slot clubs this winter with far fewer guests going through club services than even last winter. I couldn't understand why there were so many employees being scheduled at slow times. But, I didn't expect a wholesale elimination of the slot club staffs. Many of these employees were the main contact that new customers had with the casino ... and now you have inexperienced, untrained people who simply how to issue new slot cards trying to handle the situation. This morning as I was at one window, I overheard one employee being asked by a new customer if the slot cards got them a discount in the buffet. The employee shrugged her shoulders and said she didn't know. (I simply pointed to the sign sitting there on the counter -- yes, they would get a discount with their card). Too bad the employee hadn't been given simple training as to some of the basic things to tell new guests ... OK, I'll get off my soap box for now!
Tom from Indy