Our lesson today is on maximizing a less-than-ideal situation. It could be a car rental, hotel reservation, food service, or other part of your Vegas trip.

COVID exacerbated employee shortages and though my example was before then, it’s still relevant.

I check in at Paris on the Strip and hike to my room. Entering, it seems okay, so I unpack and am ready to get something to eat. But I find that there’s a problem the door. The battery on the electronic pad has died and I can neither lock the door nor fully close it. This means, of course, that I can’t leave. Nothing in the room will be safe.

First, I consider moving to another room, but I’ve already unpacked everything for a multi-day stay, including clothes, work stuff, toiletries, and a CPAP machine. Also, that would most likely involve going back down to the front desk, which is now more crowded than before. And I’ll have to leave the door ajar.

(Later, I’ll stay in higher quality casinos, like the Wynn, etc., or boutique hotels like Downtown Grand, where customer service is much higher and/or everything is much closer, so a call gets answered faster).

Calling the front desk, they apologize and assure me Engineering will “be right up.”

I wait. And wait. And wait.

I call back after 20 minutes. I call back again at 45 minutes and I’m starting to get pissed.

Wonder why, besides bad video poker, I don’t like giant Strip resorts?

I’m Type 2 diabetic and really need to eat something to raise my blood sugar, so this isn’t not just an inconvenience. It’s becoming a minor medical issue. I consider asking for a room-service meal comp right then. (I now always carry at least two power bars.)

At close to the 75-minute mark, Engineering shows up and fixes the door.

After eating, I call the front desk and ask for a customer-service manager. I explain what happened, emphasizing the lost time and medical component, and voila! A $50 food-and-beverage credit on my account! This is when $50 covered two meals, including the excellent Paris buffet.

Now, I can assure you there are times when this doesn’t happen. In those cases, I leave with a less than satisfactory response. And never return.

Important points.

One, ask politely for someone who can provide a resolution, i.e., a manager, not the front desk clerk. (Jean Scott used this recently when asking for extra comped rooms and she’s insisted for many years that “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”)

Second, express your problem succinctly and ask for a specific response. Screaming, rather than making the other person more receptive, often works in the opposite. Be clear about what happened and if you know what you want, ask for it. In a negotiation, it’s always good to let the other person offer first.

And have a good trip!