Grand Sierra Resort and Casino - Updated COVID-19 Hours

I posted about a week and a half ago about the seemingly cursed parking garage at a casino I worked at a few years ago. There was some interest in getting some more stories from a casino environment so I said I would start posting a few periodically. I told a couple of you that I would have a few up this past weekend, but I came down with strep and just haven't had the energy to type up anything of substance. I'm feeling a little bit better tonight, so I figured I'd take the time to tell you guys about some of the smaller things that happened out there. These ones aren't going to be nearly as "what the fuck"-esque as the last few I posted. The first story is just a short one about a rather amusing situation that happened on an otherwise uneventful night. The second is for those of you that asked me about what it is like to work in a gaming environment. Keep in mind that this is based on my experience in a tribally owned casino and would not necessarily translate to other casinos. I'll get more in depth with that at some point if there is any interest left by the end of this post. I'm still slightly feverish, so hopefully this will make sense.
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A Strange Call From The Hotel Staff
On one relatively slow night, I had wandered down to hang out with this girl I knew in the Valet department. It was getting close to last call, so it was the point in the night where they normally needed an extra person to keep an eye out for any intoxicated guests that were trying to retrieve their vehicles for the drive home. I was in her small office in front of the casino and we were talking about grabbing a drink when we got off in a few hours. After a couple of minutes, a call came out from on of the hotel housekeepers asking for surveillance. Being that it was about 1:30am in the middle of the week, we knew whatever would be coming next was going to be interesting. The transmission went something like this.
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HK: Public Spaces to Post 1 and Surveillance
S: Go ahead for surveillance
HK: We just got a strange report from a guest that came walking by. They said the ice machine on the 8th floor seems to be leaking out all over the place. We were hoping you could roll back the footage from that hallway and just see if you see anything. Post 1 could you also send us a rover?
P1: We don't have a rover on right now. Post 8 could swing up, but why do you need security for this? Have you been up to take a look?
S: Surveillance also copies, but what exactly are we looking for?
HK: Well... I don't want to say over the radio... We... Uh... Well we sent somebody up to take a look... There definitely seems to be liquid around the ice machine, but I don't think it's leaking out. The odor.... Um... Surveillance could you just roll back about 15 minutes and see what comes up?
S: Surveillance copies. We will take a look.
P8: Post 8 to Post 1... Do you want me to head that way?
P1(Not Putting The Pieces Together Yet): Um... Hold on. Is Public Spaces still on this channel?
HK: This is Public Spaces.
P1: Can you give me a call at (extension for BOH Security Desk)?
***About 1 Minute Passes***
By this time a couple other Valet Attendants have wandered over to listen
P1: Post 1 to Post 8. Go ahead and start heading that way. We're not really sure what's going on, but it sounds like they'd really like some assistance.
P8: Copy I'm about 3 minutes out.
***Another 2-3 minutes pass***
S: Surveillance to Post 1.
P1: Go for Post 1.
S: So listen... We need to get a couple more people heading that way. We're going to need you to make contact with a guest in their room. Is their a Sierra 4 (one of the security managers) on this channel right now?
4: Go ahead for S4
S: Listen, we need to have a word with whoever did the cutoff in (bar name withheld) about 30 minutes ago. I believe it was Sierra 37
4: Copy. Do You need me to call you on my cell?
S: ....Negative... So what it looks like happened is he responded to the call for the cutoff. When he got their the guests had already started heading back toward the hotel of their own accord. 37 watched them go up the escalator, but didn't follow them to make sure they made it to their room. They... Okay so it's kind of hard to tell from the angle of the camera so maybe Post 8 can confirm.... So it looks like they stepped off of the elevator and started heading toward their room. When they came to the ice machine, one male in the group approached the ice machine, opened the door, and proceeded to urinate in and around the ice machine. How Copy?
***At this point those of us listening to the transmission were obviously laughing our asses off***
4: I'm going to hope that was a bad copy Surveillance.
S: Repeating - Male subject urinated in, on, and around the ice machine on the 8th floor of the hotel.
P8: Post 8 can confirm.... definitely urine all over the floor.
4: ... Solid Copy..... S4 to S13...
ME: Negative 4. This one is all you, buddy. 13 to 37, meet me by Post 1, we're going to meet with Surveillance.
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So... While I went with S37 to the surveillance office, the other manager headed up to meet with housekeeping and the other security ambassadors at the ice machine. They basically just awkwardly stood their while the surveillance team worked on tracking down exactly which guest it was. They then contacted them in their room and removed them from the property. When I talked to S4 afterward, he told me the guy was soaked. He and one other guy had to change clothes after removing him from the property. They may have disagreed, but I personally thought the whole ordeal was hilarious. If it had been a busy night I may have felt different, but that night it was much needed excitement.
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Hiring In A Casino: (frustration story - read the first paragraph and then skip to the 4th paragraph if you don't want to read all the background)
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Okay, before I start this story I want to point out that this is a subject that people tend to get extremely defensive about. Every time I mention it in a company that has never worked for a tribally owned entity, a lot of people swear up and down that it isn't true. They then call you everything but white and swear that you are just trying to make Indian tribe look bad. Before anybody here does that, let me ask you to take just 15 seconds out of your time to Google the phrase "tribal hiring preference". Basically what it means is that in tribally owned entities, the company may choose to hire applicants based solely on tribal enrollment (they are legally Indians) regardless of whether there are more qualified applicants. They do not even have to meet the requirements of the job for hiring/promoting/scheduling/seniority preferences to apply.
Okay, now that we have that out of the way... Our Director of Human Resources was an enrolled member of the tribe that owned the casino, and she had an absolute lady boner for throwing the tribal preference policy out when we chose to hire anybody that wasn't native. During one round of hiring, I had a solid 50/50 split on tribal and non-tribal applicants. Normally, that is a really good sign. As any of you that have done any hiring know, it's absolutely the worst part of management. It isn't at all uncommon for half of the people scheduled for interviews not to show up. With tribal applicants, you normally don't run into that problem. They usually know enough people within the company that no-showing an interview can hurt their reputation.
Unfortunately, this time around didn't follow the usual pattern. I had 10 interviews per day scheduled 4 days in a row. Those days I had to be fully decked out in a tailored suit with leather soled dress shoes (most days I could pass with nice slacks, a polo and vest, and my duty boots and on most big event days other than New Year's Eve I could just wear a suit with my duty boots), facial hair had to be 100% in regulations as, and I had to show up 3 hours earlier than I typically did. Overall, these days were just a huge pain in the ass. When people decided not to show up with all of the extra work it was absolutely infuriating. By the time the 4th day came around, I was pretty pissed. I had a grand total of 7 people (none of them tribal) show up for their interviews in the past 3 days, and my first three interviews the 4th day were no-shows.
My 4th interview that day was with a member of another tribe. Judging by her resume, I was guessing that she was a middle aged woman that could adapt to a security environment pretty well. She hadn't done this time of work directly, but she had a strong customer service back ground and had 5+ years of casino experience. Not ideal, but there seemed to be potential. When she showed up, I was surprised to find a small (probably 5'2) Indian woman in her mid 60s. She reminded me more of my grandmother than somebody that should be working security.
That said, I try not to judge people based on appearance, so I started asking her questions with an open mind. The first few questions were just the standard ice breakers; "Tell me a little about yourself", "Why do you want to work at random casino", "Tell me about your prior work experience". Her answers were pretty short, but I just chalked it up to interview nerves and decided to continue into the job specific parts of the interview. The rest of the interview went something like this.
Me: So this job will require working outside in all weather conditions. During the winter, we are routinely outside for the entirety of a shift in sub freezing temperatures. During the summer, we are often outside in temperatures above 100 degrees. Have you worked in an environment like this before and are you comfortable with it?
Her: *Silence*
Me: Ma'am?
Her: Yes?
Me: Are you comfortable with that aspect of this position?
Her: Not really. I would prefer to work inside at a desk.
Me: That is not an option for this position. Will you be able to fulfill that requirement of the position?
Her: Oh.... Well... I suppose I can do that.
Me: Alright, great. Another thing that I would like to mention is that while we try to handle all situations with unruly customers in a diplomatic manner. That said, this is a security job. At times, things escalate to a point that we have to handle them in a more physical manner. While we do avoid this whenever possible, it is a reality of security work. Do you have any concerns with that part of the job?
Her: *A long pause* I don't like that. Can't we just call the cops.
Me (at this point I know that this is not going to be a good fit, but I decide to do the complete interview and see if she may be better suited for another opening we had in the department at the time): Well, ma'am, this is a security job. That isn't always an option when things get out of hand. This is a very fast paced job.
Her: *Silence*
Me: *After a long pause* ...Okay... So our establishment in known for providing world class customer service. Our core purpose and core values all focus on that aspect of what we do. In your mind, what constitutes great customer service and what can you do as an individual to try to generate return business? (I'm trying to lead her a little bit and throw her a bone).
Her: *Silence*
Me: (Starting to get annoyed) Ma'am. In your words, what constitutes great customer service?
Her: I don't know. Can I pass on this question?
Me: You're not even going to try to answer the question? I'm not looking for anything specific. I just want to know your opinion on the subject.
Her: Pass.
Me: (A long pause to keep my composure rather than just telling her to get the fuck out of my office and deciding not to ask anymore questions) Okay... So why should I hire you? What can you bring to the table that other people may not be able to?
Her: I'm a member of (omitted) Indian Tribe.
Me: Yes, I'm well aware of that. What skills or abilities do you bring to the table that should be considered in my hiring decision?
Her: (responding smugly) I think that will be enough.
Me: Alright, well we are done here. Thanks for coming in. Yada yada. Professional BS
Her: So when will I start.
Me: Ma'am, I'm not going to be hiring you. You aren't the right fit for this position. I know that is disappointing, but you are more than welcome to apply for other positions here at the casino.
Her: Says nothing and storms out of the office.
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During the rest of the day, I actually I had a few really good interviews. I just had one position available on the team, so I went back to my main office to review my interview notes and make a decision. Once I had made my selection, I typed up a summary off all the interviews and sent off the paperwork and job req to the HR department with instructions to extend a job offer to young woman that I interviewed later in the day. I then got all of my stuff together and headed home.
When I woke up the next day around 10am, I noticed I had an email from the Human Resources Director, but decided that I wasn't going to read it until I got to work. When I pulled up in front of my office, one of my guys made a B-line to where I had parked. He asked me something along the lines of "Dude, what the fuck was with that email HR sent all of us?" I told him I wasn't aware of any department wide emails before I left but if something came in while I was riding in I hadn't seen it yet (I had about an hour commute and rode a motorcycle, so I didn't see anything until I got logged into my work computer). He basically said that I needed to get in there and read this ASAP. When I walked in, I saw that the only email I had outside of department reports was from the Human Resources Director so I opened it. I immediately noticed that she had CC'ed my entire department, the entire HR department, and the VP who my department fell under. I don't work there anymore so I don't have access to that email account, so I'm going to paraphrase what it said.
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" u/_deuceswild_
I recently was made aware of the hiring requisition you placed for the opening in your department. In reviewing your interview notes, I see that you interviewed one Mrs. TooGoodToAnswer. I am not sure what in your interview made you think that she "would not be a good fit" for your team, but I strongly consider you reconsider that position. I happen to know Mrs. TooGoodToAnswer personally. She is an enrolled member of NotOurTribe Tribe of Indians and I feel that she would be an excellent addition to your team. I have placed a hold on your hiring requisition and am awaiting a response from both you and (my direct boss' name).
Sincerely,
Delusional Director of Human Resources"
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Obviously, I was pretty pissed off when I read that email. I sat there for a minute before noticing that everybody in the office had stopped what they were doing and they all were staring at me. I calmly stood up, asked on of them to make a pot of coffee, and went outside to have a couple cigarettes and calm down. After calming down a bit, I called all of my crew out to have a pre-shift meeting and then sent them out to make their rounds. I stepped back inside and sent the following email. I of course hit the 'reply all' button.
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" Delusional Director of Human Resources
I must say, I am very surprised to learn that you have taken issue with my decision to hire Ms. FutureAwesomeEmployee over Mrs. TooGoodToAnswer. I thought my reasons for making this selection were quite clearly stated in my interview summary along with my attached interview notes, but if not allow me to clarify. My decision to hire Ms. FutureAwesomeEmployee did not come down to a choice between her and Mrs. TooGoodToAnswer. In fact, I had decided against hiring Mrs. TooGoodToAnswer before she even led the office. I reached my decision based on the facts that she did not find the conditions of this position to be acceptable for her and she did not feel the need to even attempt to answer the questions asked during the interview. I cannot in good conscience add her to my team knowing that we all must work together to ensure a safe and secure environment. I hope this clears up any confusion you may have.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I would appreciate if you would direct those questions to me personally, however, as opposed to including multiple individuals who have no bearing on my hiring decisions. It is my opinion that that would not only be the more professional course of action, but it will ensure that no confidential information regarding our applicants are sent to anybody that shouldn't be.
Thank you and have a great weekend.
u/_deuceswild_ "
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Almost immediately, I received an email from my direct manager (he was in his mid 60s at the time) said just simply read "LOL". About 10 minutes later an email came through (also a reply all) from our VP that said something along the lines of "That reasoning sounds good to me". I never got a response from the Director of Human Resources, but a couple hours later an email came through from the recruiting staff letting me know that the individual I told them to hire had accepted a job offer and was scheduled for orientation the following week while I was on vacation (pending a background check and issuance of a tribal gaming license) and she would be ready to train when I got back. For what it's worth, she turned out to be a phenomenal employee. We had some personal issues, but she is the person I am most proud of having developed.
I included this story because some of you guys asked me what it's like to work at a casino. While it is a really fun, unique environment, it also has a lot of political issues that aren't faced in other places. In fact, that politics are a big part of what led to me turning in my resignation a few years ago. I'm looking at going back to the casinos now, but it isn't without its challenges. If you are interested in going to work in that kind of environment I would encourage you to do your research before hand. It can be incredibly rewarding, but it isn't without its challenges.
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