Riviera customer service...

[Schuyler]

Re: Riviera customer service...

There were at least two bona fide bee keepers attending defcon...

These are the things that will forever endear me to this conference.

[Abby_Normal]

Re: Riviera customer service...

I do have to say, the woman who checked me out was delightful.

I came up to the desk all pissed off about the room keys and the pool ready to bitch, but she was so nice and helpful I couldn't take it out on her. We had a really nice chat about the beaches in San Diego, I wish I'd gotten her name.

Much better than the front desk when I check in, who were a pain in the ass until I was at the point of taking my money to another hotel.

[shrdlu]

Re: Riviera customer service...

I think we all recognize that the Riviera is a dive. It isn't as bad as some of the places that earlier defcons were held in, but it still would not be my choice of places to stay. I spent most of this defcon just trying to avoid people, and to not have confrontations, which means I didn't have much interaction with most of the staff.

The front desk could be entirely replaced with drunken stumble bums from off of skid row in either LA or NYC, and we'd have had better service. The imposition of actually having to answer a question (oh, the horror!) was almost all the frumpy blond I dealt with could take. I've had better service from the TSA when I'd been selected for special screening.

Other than that, people who work at the riv were pretty nice to me. The maid stayed out of the room (as I'd requested), and I left a nice tip for the courtesy. The parking attendants at valet parking have become old friends. They remembered me from last year...who says money can't buy happiness? Times are really REALLY hard right now in Vegas, and I felt sorry for most of them. Except for the front desk, things were good.

On the other hand, the killer bee thing just made me want to laugh. There were at least two bona fide bee keepers attending defcon, and any one with a lick of common sense wouldn't have been stung. Still, I suppose killing them was the only way out. Too bad it couldn't have been done in a more timely manner, so that the goons could have had their dip.

Riv management, if you're reading this, perhaps replacing or re-educating the front desk staff might be nice, and really, from what I see here on the forums, you're throwing away a bunch of money in tough times by pushing all the parties off site. Mind you, I go to zero parties myself, but I understand that it's part of the defcon experience for a lot of folk, most of whom are VERY good tippers.

[idolon]

Re: Riviera customer service...

It was Sunday night and I decided to wander out to the pool for a smoke and to see if anything was going on. I had previously heard that the pool area was going to reopen that night, and I was a little drunk so I decided that I wouldn't go through the trouble of putting on my boots just to go down the elevator and go to the pool. Besides, I was wearing a floor length skirt so I didn't figure anyone would notice.

The pool area, of course, was still closed so I went through the casino to the convention area and went outside and had some wonderful conversations. On my way back in I was headed to the elevator when I was stopped by casino security. "You can't walk through here barefoot. There's broken glass on the floor."

I told him that I was going to the pool, but it was closed because of the bees. I was going back to the elevator to go to my room, which is where my shoes are. He repeated that I couldn't walk through there because there's broken glass that I would step on (leaving me to wonder why they don't just clean up the glass.) We went back and forth for a bit, all the time I was drunkenly complaining about the bees closing the pool or I wouldn't be walking barefoot in the casino when he finally escorted me to the elevator (in case I went looking for the broken glass so I can sue, I can only assume) and told me to go straight to my room and that I should not walk barefoot in public places.

So yes, I was doing something dumbassed (gotta beat y'all to it) and I find the interaction more humorous than anything. That was my worst run in with hotel staff, so I can't complain too much. Noting that I didn't deal with the front desk during my stay, overall I found everyone on staff that I talked to pleasant to deal with.

I did miss having Defcon TV like at AP.

[TheCotMan]

Re: Riviera customer service...

See, this is why flaming is so bad. It takes us away from the topic at hand, and causes in-fighting instead of looking for a solution, or the creation of a list that provides examples of problems that we perceive so that the people that make decisions can take this list to the management.

So, where can the Riviera improve service for Defcon attendees?

The Registration desk was filled with failure:
* I arrived at 10am on Tuesday and asked for a room. They didn't have my reservation. Only when I pulled out the paper with my reservation on it, did they "magically find it." (Lame.)
* When I tried to check-in, they said that earliest check-in is noon, and to come back then. (Lame.)
* When I came back at noon, they said Check-in does not start until 4pm. Come back then. (Lame.)
* When I came back at 4pm, they said they didn't have any clean rooms, but I could put my stuff in a room they will pre-block or leave my bags with the bellman. After so many trips to the car and back, and being a cheap-skate, I chose to leave my bags in an uncleaned room, instead of the bell service. They said, it should be clean by 6pm.
* I comeback at 6pm to my room. It is still dirty. I go to the front desk and ask, "when will my room be clean? They says that most of the maid service has gone home, and they need to see if anyone is still around.
* It is near 7:30pm, nearly 12 hours after my plane landed in Las Vegas, and my attempt to arrive early on Tuesday to get my room, setup by "base of operations" and then go do geeky tourist stuff has been thwarted by the Riviera registration desk.

This was so lame.

Beyond it all, the maid that was ordered to clean my room instead of going home as scheduled, because the front desk failed to have the maids clean it when they were there, the maid got a nice tip. It was not this maid's fault that she or others were never told to clean my room. She busted her ass, working late because of front desk failure. She was rewarded with a nice tip. The maid service was great. They didn't bug me too early. (10:30am was the earliest they knocked.) They didn't steal anything. They cleaned my room as is their job, and they didn't move my stuff around, and they didn't pee on my toothbrush -- as far as I know; that might be a service you have to pay extra for, but I am not into watersports.

[Abby_Normal]

Re: Riviera customer service...

What I'm sayin' is quitcherbitchin and do the same if you don't like the Riv.

Sorry, didn't realize I needed to connect the dots for the slower board members...

I suggest you lurk more, There is history with the riv that you know nothing about. If anyone has the right to bitch about the Riv it's IceTre. You haven't been here long enough to know anything.

Besides, this thread is about the Rivs customer service, which by your own admission you didn't experience. No one cares what you think because of that fact.

[TheCotMan]

Re: Riviera customer service...

What I'm sayin' is quitcherbitchin and do the same if you don't like the Riv.

Sorry, didn't realize I needed to connect the dots for the slower board members...

I didn't think that quoting the rules was necessary, perhaps it is only required for the slower board members:

6. Don't be a jerk:

Drop the attitude. Play nice with others. ... Start a fight with other users, and you risk being banned.

No need to get upset and lash out. The comment to you was constructive criticism on how your post was on-topic.

We do have a forum called "[forum=121]/dev/random[/forum]" (user subscribe-able) where you two can go off and flame each other all you want. Flaming is one of many things that is totally permitted in /dev/random.

[noid]

Re: Riviera customer service...

What I'm sayin' is quitcherbitchin and do the same if you don't like the Riv.

Sorry, didn't realize I needed to connect the dots for the slower board members...

If Icetre quit his bitching then he'd have nothing to do..

[3d0g]

Re: Riviera customer service...

What exactly do you have to say about the riv customer service if you didn't stay at the hotel.

Yipiee you stayed off site...

What I'm sayin' is quitcherbitchin and do the same if you don't like the Riv.

Sorry, didn't realize I needed to connect the dots for the slower board members...

[eris]

Re: Riviera customer service...

Here is a tip for the Riv. Work with the con security staff, not the Metro. You have a problem in the hallways with something going on, call con security before Metro. We don't respect conventional authority. We respect the hell out of con security. You call con security, they tell us to jump, we ask how high. You call Metro, we fade away into the the darkness and plan ways to push back. Use the authority we respect to your advantage. Don't make what to you is a bad situation even worse by calling authority we pretty much universally disrepect.

Keep it inside the family. Work smarter, not harder.

[icetre]

Re: Riviera customer service...

What exactly do you have to say about the riv customer service if you didn't stay at the hotel.

Yipiee you stayed off site...

This was my 1st DC and I never for a second considered a Riv stay. There were killer deals all over the strip. I stayed at the Trump for $20 more a night and had a full 1 bedroom suite. I heard the Wynn had some room deals as well.

[3d0g]

Re: Riviera customer service...

This was my 1st DC and I never for a second considered a Riv stay. There were killer deals all over the strip. I stayed at the Trump for $20 more a night and had a full 1 bedroom suite. I heard the Wynn had some room deals as well.

[[Syntax]]

Re: Riviera customer service...

I originally booked 4 nights @ the convention rate, and then found out I was gonna be in town a day early.. I called the desk and asked about adding a night, I told them I would be paying out of pocket, not being reimbursed so I wanted to book it outside of the convention rate. The receptionist was rude and had an attitude. I ended up hanging up and logging onto Expedia where I found the room for $34.

In fact I could have got 2 nights at the $34 rate, and then the 3 con nights at the con rate of $89 or whatever it was. Expedia had the con nights Thurs-Sun listed at $240 a night.

At 3am when I arrived the desk clerk linked my 2 reservations (con & expedia) but refused to give me a room in the back building for my 1 Expedia night which was already half over. They offered to let me stay in the old rooms at the front the entire stay, or stay in the older room the 1st night (for 6 hours) and then move to the back building, which I did.

Why they must make everything overly complicated I don't know.. anyhow a bellhop later unpacking, repacking and unpacking again, (I had all the contest stuff with me) we ended up in the back rooms which were newly renovated and were actually somewhat decent.

Other than the rude reservations clerk, and the night desk clerk that wouldnt make our check-in easier I didnt really have any other problems with the staff.

[hexjunkie]

Re: Riviera customer service...

I only had one major gripe about the people at the hotel, but I guess it is a policy issue:

3 people from work went out together with one of them staying in a company sponsored room. We were there on wednesday and they wouldn't have their room until Thursday.. So we were like "why don't you just stay on a cot in our room for a night and get your room the rest of the time"

Hotel Front Desk: Sure we can do that you want a cot for 4 nights.
Me: No I would like a cot for one night to return tomorrow
Hotel Front Desk: No, we don't do that, if you want a cot it is $20 a night for your entire reservation
Me: So I need to spend 80 dollars to use a cot for one night?
Hotel Front Desk: well no you have to spend $20 per night for each night of your reservation
Me: So a room for one night is $89, a cot for 4 nights (only using 1 of those night) is $80. Can you explain to me again why we can't have it for just one night and return it tomorrow
Hotel Front Desk: Sir, that is just our policy. Would you like the cot or not.
Me: sure, no options i guess

Next time, trip to walmart, and I'll sleep in a sleeping bag that is $20 for a night.

[netstat]

Re: Riviera customer service...

Wow, there are some horror stories of what went down there ... I was looking at some of the events I missed, B&W ball etc, since I went back to the Bellagio every night and thinking "I'm staying at the Riv next year so I don't miss out"

But these stories are quickly changing my mind.