Las Vegas Servers Feel the Heat
Las Vegas servers say they feel the heat as high prices and falling tourism hammer their pitches over the strip. In Sin City, according to the servers, tips have decreased by up to 50%, with some blaming the economy and politics, while others point to high prices, a setback, and poor service.
The Decline of Tips
A cocktail waiter wrote on the R/Vegaslocals forum from Reddit: "I used to have an average of 80 cents a drink. Now I have an average of about 10 cents." Another person in the forum added: "We work three times what we used to live and make a quarter of what we did." The 22-year-old Jacob Soto, a supervisor at Pinkbox Donuts in downtown Las Vegas, informed that he used to earn $200 in credit cards, but now only earns between $100 and $150.
The Impact of Tourism Decline
The city recorded a decline of 11.3% in June compared to the same time in the previous year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). International trips to Vegas decreased by about 10% compared to the previous year. Ted Pappageorge, Secretary of the Culinary Workers Union, who represents 60,000 workers in Vegas, said that immigration and economic policy keep international travelers away.
The Cause of the Problem
Some industry observers claim that the problem is more local. "Many not only attribute this to a general break-in of international travel issues to the USA, but also to aggressive price shift through hospitality," said Rob Dellibovi, consultant and founder of the Miami-based RDB Hospitality Group. Many people in the R/Vegaslocals thread agree, citing high prices for drinks and food, and poor service as reasons for the decline in tipping.
The Effect on Local Businesses
A Vega’s waiter, who applied for anonymity for fear of losing her job, said that the quality of the service had decreased. "It should be flawless for the price," she said. She added that aggressive upselling tactics, repeating restaurant concepts, and a lack of real hospitality turn out tourists and locals alike. As a result, she said that she also saw that sales revenue decreased by half compared to last summer.
The Future of Las Vegas Tourism
Despite the downturn, Vegas has not yet lost its hustle and bustle, said Dellibovi. "Sales teams in Las Vegas already strategy how the market revives and the business can increase again for autumn," he said. Even if reports indicate that Las Vegas tourism has dropped as a whole, the CEO of Circa Resort & Casino, Derek Stevens, recently said that the assessment may be "premature". He added: "If you really ignite a few layers of the onion in Las Vegas, you will find companies that have very specific areas that are a little less subject to the economy and that are in order."
