No one likes sucker punch. Yet every time we turn around there seems to be another new Las Vegas fee that you won’t see coming. Sure, most people who travel to Sin City these days are aware of the bait and switch tactics of Resort Fees, but this new one is more difficult to spot… and many believe is a slap in the face to many loyal customers.
When you book your hotel room, many people use a travel site or go directly to the resort website. However, there are still a few folks out there who prefer speaking directly to an agent on the phone. Usually it’s the older folks, but not always. Well now, MGM Resorts is punishing their customers for that luxury.
This new Las Vegas fee is called the Contact Center Fee, and while that may sound harmless it can add up rather quickly. Believe it or not, the good folks at MGM will charge unsuspecting customers an extra $15 per day for the rooms they book through their call center. That’s over $100 more per week just for using the phone.
Some customers were understandably upset to hear about this new Las Vegas fee. It’s not even the fact that MGM is pocketing so much extra cash for what most people think is basic customer service, it’s simply that consumers are tired of being nickle and dimed at every turn around while visiting Nevada. Others wondered if this lead to phasing out call center employees altogether.
The only way that the customer will know they’ve been taken for an extra $15 a day is when they get their final bill at checkout. And at that point (if they even notice), they have your credit card information and the charges are already posted. Pretty slick, MGM. And pretty sick.