Where's my drink, I ordered a drink!

[ian]

Harrah's Entertainment are moving their cocktail waiters and waitresses into the "Entertainment" department at the Rio in Las Vegas.

Rio Transforms Cocktail Service Into Entertainment
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030605/lath004_1.html

No doubt some redundancies and hiring has occured during the process.

But while the "BevErtainers" are singing, dancing and telling jokes there may be a table of Craps player's looking over their shoulders and screaming at the Boxman.

"So where's our frigging drinks." "We ordered a round of beers and the SOB is singing."

Don't casino gamblers want their drinks and sandwiches etc... QUICK.

Or am I just not with it these days

Ian

[ian]

The Las Vegas Sun has a photo of a chap going through the motions. Appears to be on top of a bank of IGT Deuces Wild slant tops.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/from.ed/2...P000059856.jpg

Surely it can't last. Can it?

Ian

[Bobby Russ]

No Ian you are still in touch with reality.

I worked for Harrah's for eleven years in five differant properties and can tell you that they are the leaders in the industry in alot of areas, most prevelent is there training department. They do however seem to go off the deap end from time to time. In 1992 they decided that the casino floor did not need the layer of supervision called the Pit Boss anymore. Seems they felt that the Floor Supervisor was fully capable of covering the Pit Bosses responsabilities as well as there own. They decided that dispite the loss of game protection they would make up for any added shrinkidge by eliminating the cost of having Pit Bosses. The funny thing is that nobody realy knows just how much money is being lost through internal and external theft and honest mistakes by the staff becouse nobody has time to watch the games anymore. This is what happens when you have Accountants and Lawyers with no practical gaming experience running casino's. I'm not slandering accountants and Lawyers, we all know how important they are to the industry. I however would not hire an accomplished Chef to run my Car Dealership.

If you want to make the guest experience a positive one then get them there drink in a timley manner. If you also want to add to the experience with some form of entertainment then hire some additional tallent. I wonder if any of those accountants figured how much revenue they will lose by having there players watching the performers instead of playing the machines.

[Newview2]

At least they are trying something different if it does not work they will soon stop it, the two women in the picture seem to be enjoying the view so who cares its just a bit of fun.

[ian]

Hello Newview2,

This is a link to another photo that gives a description.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/st...c00037717.html

The BevErtainer is Everett Taylor and the spectators in matching flowery shirts are Mr & Mrs Sanchez from San Diego.

And as Bobby say's they do not appear to be playing - probably waiting for a drink!

Ian

PS. My tip - less than 12 months!
Anyone want to go over for a Beer.

Added 17th June.
Bet taken with Bobby Russ. A Beer at a time and place to be arranged.
BevErtainer service in operation at the Rio after 1st June 2004 - I Pay.

[Bobby Russ]

I think I know Harrah's well enough to know that they will not admit to failure so easely. Your on.

[Newview2]

Still I feel Bobby Russ may be right in his observation that they (Harrah’s) will not admit to failure.
Why oh why do such large corporations suffer from such egotistical management, its just organisational hubris.

[Brian]

It comes back down to two mistaken ideas:

That gamblers want non-gaming entertainment, and

That entertainment that doesn't involve getting a spin/hand/roll/coup makes money and doesn't, in fact, lose gaming revenue.

Gamblers will gamble straight through unless something basic is lacking. If temporary colostomy bags could be provided, hold would rise.

People in a casino need:

Something to punt on

Something to drink.

Something to catch what wasn't alcohol.

Something to flick ash on.

Someone to notice when winning.

Someone to bitch to when losing.

Someone to give them something when confused.

I guarantee that anyone who ever visited a casino and uttered the words, "Don't you just LLL-OVE those clowns!", was never missed by the casino manager at report time.

[Bobby Russ]

Have you been to vegas Lately? The best thing they could do to salvage the Eye Candy image of the Las Vegas Cocktail Waitress is to get rid of the Union. Some of the waitresses I've seen are old enough to be my grandmother. Trust me you don't want to see my grandmother in a cocktail waitress uniform.

[Moike]

I don't remember who wrote it but I read it in Casino Executive.


...if a player is given alcohol intraveniously instantaneously, it still wouldn't be quick enough....

Well I liked it!

[EDIT0R]

p.s. If your grandmother looks like this, can you get me her number?

[Bobby Russ]

No my grandmother doesn't look like her and as I said about unions, THE RIO IS NON UNION!!!

[Brian]

What is the union's involvement? Does it make the casinos hire older waitresses or just never fire the originals?

[Bobby Russ]

It takes an act of Congress to get rid of a union employee. Your excuse better be more than an increase in weight or the fact that someones boobs hang lower than there waistline.

[Brian]

Does that act apply to unionized showgirls?

[Redragon]

As Bobby Russ has said when Accountants who have little experience within a gaming environment get into our industries Management Structure and start to make decisions that directly effect the Gaming operation then disaster ensues.
Our business is one that is learnt over a long period of time. We are required to understand Accounting methods and Accountancy is always part of any business. Accountants must be part of the business but they should be in positions of advice and not making decisions that directly affect the gaming business. The Gaming industry is one of people and psychology. We provide a service that is one of promising the customer the chance of winning in a pleasant environment and nothing else. We guarantee nothing and accountant tends to want guarantees. We understand that we do not win every time but we always win in the long run, the Accountant wants us to win every time. The Accountant will want the Bars and Restaurants to make a profit, we do not, we know that it is a facility to oil the wheels of Profit, the Casino’s Profit.
As a service to my customers I provide the best that it is possible to provide. Very good accommodation, food, drink and all other facilities he wants (within reason). If anyone tries to get my customers away from the tables I will stop that persons activities with the Casino. If I can have my customers at the tables 24 hours a day then I would but through some fault in the human make-up they need to sleep. I most certainly do not want some twit distracting my customers from the tables by singing, dancing or for that matter stripping. My business is gambling and providing the service my customer’s want, which is the ability to place bets on tables.
Yes I will provide shows, food and drink only so long as it does not interfere with the house percentage kicking in.
In the situation that Bobby Russ described about removing the PM’s from the floor, my question would be “How much did the PC drop when they introduced this Wise move”.

[Bobby Russ]

We still held an average if 16% of the known drop. But as we all know there are lots of ways to get down without effecting the hold.

[ian]

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has revisited the story.

Don't mean a thing if it ain't got that sing - Casino execs say bettors like service with a song
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho.../22044097.html

At the Rio 90 cocktail waitresses made way for the Bevertainers and the Dealertainers are now performing at the Imperial Palace 7 days a week. Paraded on the floor at shift start at 6pm.

An interesting comment by University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor Bill Thompson...

"the real test of success for the program will be measured in terms of slot play"

Perhaps the scheme at the IP has not attracted any sizeable table play benefits at all. I also wonder if the additional costs of the Bevertainer service at the Rio have actually made any difference at all to either table or slot play?

Dealer Mae West at the IP appears as though she could have problems seeing the float tray!
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho...s/business.jpg

Ian

[Tesla2870]

It's a dumb idea that will be long forgotten by this time next year.
Phil

[remo bandini]

Talking of where ones drink is, the company I waork for has developed a module whereby a player can order his drink directly off the player tracking unit that also provides him with a list of drinks and a menu....... he can actually track the progress of his order from the slot machine

[ian]

Hello Remo,

Welcome to the Forum. So does the machine expect a tip as well .

I suppose the big selling point of the system is that the player can keep on playing and not have to constantly look over their shoulder for a waitress. The Waitresses also will be able to serve more drinks and themselves make better tips.

Sounds a much better idea than some dude mincing off to a stage every few minutes when all you want is a beer.

Casino management system website links are always welcome. Feel free to post it the Products, Promotions section and we can check it out.


Ian

[bigdog]

I was at the Rio in Vegas a month ago and saw this in action. Neither I nor any other table players had any problem getting a drink -- its not like your waitress takes an order then jumps up on stage to sing or dance. It looked like they had over-hired the number of cocktail people and most of em simply rotate their entertainment routines while plenty of others are all over the floor delivvering drinks. Don't think for a second they are dumb enough to potentially slow down the delivery of lubrication to the players

[ian]

Having now returned from G2E I must report that I failed to check out the Bevertainer service at the Rio.

Big mistake - so I cannot comment further on the subject apart to say that a friend who was staying at the Rio said she was not impressed.

But then again I did check out the Dealertainer's at the Imperial Palace and have added a few comments...

http://www.gamingfloor.biz/forum/sho...p?threadid=503

Ian

[Wilphe]

So it's more than 12 months on...

Who is buying who a beer?

[Brazen]

There are still bevtainers, there are still dealertainers. Perhaps Stinky doesn't like this, and thinks that they are bad ideas, but Nevada's gaming win in November, supposed to be a slow month, was $862.1 million. If you ask me, there should be more bevtainers and dealertainers.

I didn't particulary care for the fruity waiter who winked at me after he brought my drink when I last played at the Rio, but then again, why should only the ditzy blonde with an overabundance of silicone be able to make over $80,000 a year?