In the past year I have been playing a lot of poker at the Aria and Bellagio Both Casinos are part of MGM Resorts where I happened to play a lot here in Las Vegas off and on for almost 30 years.
Naturally, most Poker Dealers and Poker Room staff are very familiar with me and even many Cocktail Waitresses often know me by sight and some even remember what I usually drink. Coffee in a paper cup and water.
And that’s what I usually order when I get to a poker room. Black coffee in a paper cup and a bottle of FIJI water. Sometimes when I first get to the poker room and feel dehydrated, I order a black coffee and two bottles of water. Usually without a problem. Then once I’m all coffeed out, I just order one or two bottles of water for the rest of the night.
About two weeks ago, I had a problem with a cocktail waitress at the Aria Poker Room when I ordered two bottles of water. Although she wasn’t very busy, she only brought me one bottle of water and when I asked her for the second bottle of water she gave me a lecture on how she was not allowed to give me two bottles of water and that she didn’t make the rules and other crap, when she finally handed me the second bottle. I didn’t think I needed to be lectured by the cocktail waitress especially since what she told me wasn’t even true. She really acted as if I was trying to get away with something. So, I gave her back the second bottle and asked for my tip back as I always tip when the waitress brings me something. She promptly returned my two dollars and steamed off.
I just figured this was a new waitress and just helping out in the poker room. I got really upset a little later when I learned and realized that this waitress has been serving me for years and always brought me two waters when I asked for them. Naturally, I have been tipping her well all these years.
Regular customer or not, I shouldn’t have to beg the cocktail waitress for water in Las Vegas.
Upon my complaint with the poker floor personal it was suggested that I need to complain with the supervisor of the beverage services as the floor personnel has nothing to say when it comes to matters of cocktail waitresses. I refrained from an official complaint with the beverage supervisor then, because I just didn’t want to go through the hassles and upset myself further.
Then last night I had yet another problem with a cocktail waitress at the Aria. I sat down at the poker table around midnight and it took only around 15 minutes before the cocktail waitress came by. I was really thirsty and felt dehydrated and so I ordered my usual black coffee in a paper cup and asked for two bottles of water. The waitress replied that she could only give me two drinks at a time and so she handed me one bottle of water and said she would bring me another bottle when she brings my coffee. That was fine with me.
When she finally returned it was almost twenty minutes later. I guess she must have been busy. It was Friday night. She handed me my coffee and I was about to hand her my three-dollar tip, but she didn’t hand me my bottle of water. So, I asked her for the bottle of water to which she replied that she already gave me a bottle. I reminded her that I had asked for two bottles of water and that she told me she would bring me another bottle when she brought my coffee. That apparently unsettled her, and she now very stand offish told me that she never said that. To which I questioned if she was calling me a liar?
That now was too much for her and she steamed off to the floor man to complain about me.
A little later when she returned to the table to bring some drinks, I asked her again for a bottle of water, to which she very shrewdly replied that I was cut off. That clearly was something that hasn’t happened to me before. Cut off from drinking water? Here in Las Vegas? You have got to be kidding!
Now it was me who complained to the floor man about not being able to get a bottle of water. He told me that this was out of his hands as poker room personnel has no say over cocktail waitresses, but the cocktail waitress already complained to her supervisor and he was on his way to the poker room.
When Assistant Beverage Manager Eric Lutte arrived at the poker room the floor man briefly introduced us. Eric Lutte was very polite and listened carefully to my grievance. He apologized almost immediately. He agreed with most I had told him. Although I am not so sure if he really agreed with everything I had said, his conflict resolution and de-escalation training and skills were excellent. Commendable.
However, he explained that his cocktail waitress has the right not to serve me. Since I still didn’t have my bottle of water, yet he offered to bring me a bottle himself and did so rather promptly.
As the bottle of water that Eric Lutte brought me didn’t last very long, I returned to the floor man to inquire about how to get another bottle of water. Eric Lutte was still there talking to a couple of floor men about the incident and so it was Eric Lutte who brought me yet another bottle of water.
Ok, so let me get this straight. The beverage manager has to serve me water because his cocktail waitress refuses to serve a presumably valuable customer. And there is nothing the beverage manager, poker supervisor or MGM Resorts can do about it because the cocktail waitress is protected by the Culinary Union!
You have got to be kidding!
If the waitress doesn’t want to serve the customers of the MGM Resort Inc. maybe she just shouldn’t work there. Neither locals, nor visitors should have to put up with that and MGM Resorts should not be forced by overblown unions to employ people who do not want to serve their customers! If cocktail waitresses get away with treating regular customers like this, imagine what they are getting away with treating visitors.
Let me say this again. No customer in Las Vegas should have to beg a cocktail waitress for water!
