A Great Stay And Lots Of News For Plaza Las Vegas

[justmare]

I imagine that you'll be treated like royalty at the Plaza if you give them that much play.  I still think it's a cool place, you can still find a lot of that early '70s opulence if you look around.  I bet the suites are cool.  Looking forward to hearing about it.

I agree about Hugo's, I really like the place, everything is great except the food.  The ambience, the service, the retro menu.  I had a retro entree last time (roast duck flambeed with anisette), was pretty happy with it.  I really enjoyed Oscar's, too, although we had a problem with the manager (I assume that he's long gone by now).  I'm sure it's going to be a fun trip for you guys.

Take care, say hi to Lolly for me!

We enjoyed playing there when we went for the Scintas show, so I think we'll have a good time. I'm just a bit worried about the room, especially the bathroom. I'm 99.9% sure we won't get a suite.

I could go to Hugo's and skip the entree and just have the salad and Bananas Foster, but it would feel weird. I would think they would look down on us as trying to be cheap. lol

When I see her next, I will. You know how busy she is right now with family stuff.

[stungazed]

Sorry, just looking in again on the thread. The hatred of automation has no basis in fact, IMO.

Do you only hate automation when it occurs at a checkout register or hotel lobby? Next time you pass a construction site, you should stop to yell at the workers for using mechanical equipment. Clearly, they should be using teaspoons to excavate. Think of all the jobs it would create.

You're over analyzing the situation. I hate anytime a machine replaces an employee. Every time a person uses a self check out at the grocery store or a check in kiosk at a hotel that kiosk replaced a person that used to do that job. So each kiosk that they have mean one less human working the front desk.

Even worse is at the grocery store I don't even get a discount for scanning my own stuff AND I'm taking someones job away from them.

Your example of using power tools on a job isn't anywhere near the same because the worker still has to operate the power tool. Add to that you're just trying to stir the pot.

Maybe you don't care but as someone that's been replaced by automation, I know what it's like.

[StatFreak]

Sorry, just looking in again on the thread. The hatred of automation has no basis in fact, IMO.

Do you only hate automation when it occurs at a checkout register or hotel lobby? Next time you pass a construction site, you should stop to yell at the workers for using mechanical equipment. Clearly, they should be using teaspoons to excavate. Think of all the jobs it would create.

I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you there. Not about the excavation spoons but about automated check in/out services. Why? Because customer service.

Do you really want to walk into a retail establishment in the future [insert your favorite here, e.g.: Walwort, Large grocery chain, hotel] and have rows of automated self-checkouts with one plebe at a central station to help when something goes wrong? I don't. Customer service is already bad enough.

Grocery stores are becoming like Home Depots. There are hardly any employees milling about the isles and it's getting nearly impossible to go to the front to ask a cashier a question. Those places already have 27.3 checkout isles with only two checkers at five o'clock in the evening and 45 customers with squalling kids waiting impatiently in each line. The self check isle is jammed with customers looking to the aforementioned single plebe for help. The machines suck. Paying in cash sucks. (Go ahead, toss the 19th century grenades at me for not using plastic.)

"Hey POS machine, I've got five of these damned Deep Fried Twinkie boxes. Stop halting my #$@%^ transaction after each scan because you didn't detect the weight of the $#^ widget on the #$^ checkout counter scale." "Hey plebe, what's the code for loose non-organic poisoned GMO edamame?"

"Hey cash customer, don't forget to put the small change in FIRST when feeding me, otherwise I, the #$^ POS machine, will just ASSUME that you're done inserting money as soon as your larger bills exceed the amount of sale and spit out lots of change you didn't want. And no, I won't take all that loose change and those dirty ones to give you back a ten spot. Get lost!"   "Uh, plebe? ..."

[thermonuclear]

You're over analyzing the situation. I hate anytime a machine replaces an employee.

You're under analyzing the situation. Obsolete jobs are replaced by new (and usually higher-quality) jobs designing, manufacturing, implementing, monitoring and maintaining the machines. And machines improve productivity, which has important economic benefits such as lower prices for consumers.

[thermonuclear]

Do you really want to walk into a retail establishment in the future [insert your favorite here, e.g.: Walwort, Large grocery chain, hotel] and have rows of automated self-checkouts with one plebe at a central station to help when something goes wrong? I don't. Customer service is already bad enough.

I use self-checkouts whenever possible, and it's a much smoother process than the old-fashioned way. Of course technology can be disruptive if implemented irresponsibly, but if one particular store excessively reduces staff, a competitor will step in to satisfy the demand for additional customer service.

Playing in a casino is a much smoother process now, despite sharp reductions in slot attendant staffing.

[justmare]

Do you really want to walk into a retail establishment in the future [insert your favorite here, e.g.: Walwort, Large grocery chain, hotel] and have rows of automated self-checkouts with one plebe at a central station to help when something goes wrong? I don't. Customer service is already bad enough.

I use self-checkouts whenever possible, and it's a much smoother process than the old-fashioned way. Of course technology can be disruptive if implemented irresponsibly, but if one particular store excessively reduces staff, a competitor will step in to satisfy the demand for additional customer service.

Playing in a casino is a much smoother process now, despite sharp reductions in slot attendant staffing.

You're entitled to your opinion, but we're entitled to disagree. Count me in the disagree group.

[jstewa22]

You're over analyzing the situation. I hate anytime a machine replaces an employee.

You're under analyzing the situation. Obsolete jobs are replaced by new (and usually higher-quality) jobs designing, manufacturing, implementing, monitoring and maintaining the machines. And machines improve productivity, which has important economic benefits such as lower prices for consumers.

I have to agree, people have been replaced by machines for decades, probably centuries.  That's what the whole industrial revolution was about, ten people in a factory could make as many clocks as hundreds of artisans.  There are no more elevator operators anymore, probably a lot fewer telephone operators, certainly less people behind the scenes making airline and hotel reservations.  Probably one person with a computer replacing twenty with slide rules.  A lot fewer bank tellers in the past 30 years.  Fewer slot and change booth attendants since the advent of TITO.  Still, unemployment rates rise and fall with the economy, not with the rise of new technology.

[StatFreak]

I have to agree, people have been replaced by machines for decades, probably centuries.  That's what the whole industrial revolution was about, ten people in a factory could make as many clocks as hundreds of artisans.  There are no more elevator operators anymore, probably a lot fewer telephone operators, certainly less people behind the scenes making airline and hotel reservations.  Probably one person with a computer replacing twenty with slide rules.  A lot fewer bank tellers in the past 30 years.  Fewer slot and change booth attendants since the advent of TITO.  Still, unemployment rates rise and fall with the economy, not with the rise of new technology.

Certainly true, but I take issue in the retail customer service industry because it will always be about people. I can't be the only one who gets pissed off talking to a "smart" company phone directory that no longer is okay with my pressing 1 but now expects me to answer it. I'm not interested in having to have a conversation with a machine just to get to a human being.

Having actual people on hand to tend to customer needs is even more important in brick and mortar establishments. That's my issue with self service technology in these cases because it ultimately leads to a reduction in staff that leaves customers wandering 500 ft isles trying to find help. Home Despot is a great example. Imagine that place with even fewer "team members" in the store than they have now.