Here’s the story of a terrible encounter in customer service at the M Casino with multiple breakdowns. At least three people behind the counter were completely oblivious. Worse — no one noticed, nor even cared.
I often let things slide. Especially in the service industry.
It’s perfectly understandable that some people have a bad day. Or, an employee has a personal issue and can’t fully concentrate on his job. Occasionally, things just go wrong — and it’s best to simply let it go.
No more. Not this time.
Once again, the M Casino Race and Sportsbook (Cantor Gaming) in Las Vegas provided yet more evidence that they’re the most unprofessional staff in the entire city. I’ve visited lots of Las Vegas sportsbooks over the years, so that’s really saying something.
I won’t bother recounting my previous experiences the first two times they pissed me off. Small things that added up to a big thing. Let’s just say that today was “strike three.” Now, it’s my turn to get up to bat and take a swing. Watch out, heads are going to roll.
Earlier this afternoon, I went into the M Casino. For those who are unfamiliar, this is the upscale resort that’s the furthest south you can go within the city of Las Vegas. The M Casino is gorgeous and the restaurants are good, so I spend a fair amount of time there.
I stepped into the Race and Sportsbook. I approached the counter intending to make two wagers. I observed about six employees “working.” All were seated behind the counter. Two were positioned on the “race” side. Two more were located on the “sports” side. Then, two “supervisors sat in the middle. The action seemed pretty slow for a Friday, especially with a big football and baseball weekend coming up.
There was a short line. One teller summoned me over. But when I announced that I wanted to bet on two football games, he told me he could only take horse racing bets. No big deal. So, I got back in the short line which about three deep.
A couple of minutes later, another teller summoned me. I announced the team numbers and wagers — Risking $550 to win $500 on UNLV +17 and also risking $805 to win $700 on the Indianapolis Colts -3. Two simple transactions. Cash was on the counter as I announced the team numbers and amounts.
“You know the Colts are minus 115, right?”
“Yes. I know.”
While I was doing my business, the “supervisors,” were perhaps ten feet away. They seemed to be joking around about something. My teller seemed far more interested in what was being said and what was happening with the crew, instead of taking care of a customer.
“That’s $1,355.”
I handed the teller $1,400.
The banter between the employees got a bit more lively. I had no idea what the joke was about, but it must have been pretty amusing since everyone was in on the gag. Thing was, the banter was very poorly timed, especially with a paying customer just a few steps away and making wagers. Another minor annoyance, but no big deal I thought. Let it go.
The teller reached over the counter and handed two tickets over to me, then said nothing more. Not, “good luck.” Not “thank you.”
I double-checked the wagers and continued to stand there for another few seconds.
“Don’t I have some change coming?”
The teller looked momentarily confused. Then, some kind of mental light bulb went off and he realized I’d been shorted.
He reached into the drawer and handed the proper change I was entitled to, which was then followed by total silence. Again, no apology. No, “I’m sorry.” No, “excuse me.”
That’s fucking it, I thought to myself. Gasket about to blow.
More baffling was the reaction of the two “supervisors.” Or, I should say lack of a reaction — as in, there wasn’t one. Neither of them said a word. Perhaps it’s no big deal when a teller makes a mistake and shorts a customer from his proper change. Perhaps it’s too much to ask for a simple apology when that happens, or a humble “excuse me.”
No one gave a shit.
In my book, that’s a terrible encounter with customer service with multiple breakdowns. At least three people behind that counter were completely oblivious. No one noticed, nor even cared.
I’ve written before — little things matter. That the difference between good and bad is in the details. That we should tolerate occasional imperfections, but we should also call things out when people display indifference to a reasonable expectation of service.
The M Casino (specifically, Cantor Gaming) has had serious issues in the past. They were widely reported in the media, and frankly quite embarrassing. This is the one casino/sportsbook in town that I would expect to display a satisfactory level of courtesy and professionalism.
Once again, they dropped the ball. So, here’s a swing at it from a former customer.
Whack.
Note: The M Casino Race and Sportsbook is owned and managed by Cantor Gaming.