Some Perspective From A Retired Pro -
Poppy,
If a provider needed to jump in the shower to get prepared for my session and count it from my time, I'd clarify up front when the time begins and if she gives me attitude and says I'm paying for her shower, I'd walk without paying a dime.
I hope you have posted a review of that Donice-like hustler so others can avoid her.
Introuble, I agree with your statement about "acting like a business." But, I have a different perspective on answereing every call every time. There are plenty of sole proprietor businesses where it simply isn't practical to have an individual specifically dedicated to answering the phone. In those cases, with a solid commitment to keeping up with voice mails, and returning messages promptly there is minimal inconvenience and minimal loss of business.
Originally Posted by Tony Patella
I mean it is a practical point you make, however are those small businesses making $300 per hour and complaining they are not getting business? Is THEIR business dependent on making THAT sale TODAY? I think not.
I don't know...I think it's nice to have so many choices!! I hope you ladies who are struggling can hang in there through a tough economy.
I haven't found anyone yet who I'd want to see consistently...I'm pretty new and haven't had a chance to sample much of the menu. If you are in North Dallas/Far North Dallas, pm me. I'll try to schedule you in as soon as possible.
With communication taking so many forms these days, and each one less personal than the one before, I have become frustrated, baffled, and confused by some of my attempts to book a session. I've always thought girls who say NO TEXT MESSAGES or don't call unless you have sent me a PM or e-mail, were cutting their own throats, but I'm seriously considering a rule to make a phone conversation mandatory for confirmation.
If you decide to have an assistant help you as some have suggested, don't let them pretend to be you. If I see you and mention something from that conversation, you won't make a good impression with the expression of a dog that has just been shown a card trick, or by pretending you are following the conversation.
Read what I write to you, as I have read your ads, your reviews, your web page, and probably some of your forum posts before I wrote you. If I ask you a question when booking, answer it. If you don't have an answer, or don't want to answer, say that.
Here's one extreme example of what I run into regularly when trying to communicate with a provider. This is from a provider with almost a dozen reviews, all very good.
About a month ago, I sent a text message to her, asking for a session the next day, and asking what part of town she was located. I also sent a P-411 request and mentioned it in my text, to cover any screening issues. I got a text back the next morning asking if I had P-411. I again mentioned the P-411 request I had sent, and asked again what part of town her incall was. No reply for 45 minutes. Then I get a TX back asking when I would like to see her. Since that info was in the P-411 request and my first message, I was puzzled, but sent a text back saying that any time soon was good, but could not say what time until she told me what area I would be driving to. No reply for an hour, and I had given up on a reply at all, when I get another text asking when I wanted to hook up. I said it depended on where she was. Finally, after asking 4 times, a text back mentioned an area only 10 minutes from me, so I sent one back saying how about a half hour from now? 20 minutes later I get a reply saying something had come up, and she would not be available for about an hour - to an hour and a half, but she would let me know when she got back to her in-call. Two hours later I sent her a message asking if she was available yet. No reply... until an hour after that. The message said how sorry she was and wondering if I was still interested. I sent one back asking if she needed a half hour to prepare, since I was very close, and got no reply. Sent another, and got no reply. Called her. Her voicemail was full. The next day I got a text saying she fell asleep, and apologizing again. I checked my P-411 account, and learned that she had never checked my profile.
It turns out, the texts were from her assistant, trying to book her an appointment, but apparently unable to contact her to confirm. She strung me along pretending to be the provider, wasted my time, and made the provider look like a bimbo that couldn't keep a thought in her head.
Even if someone else writes your ads, know what is in them, and be sure you reflect the ad, and the ad is a reflection of you.
Last month I sent PMs to 4 providers who advertise PSE and asked them what they considered PSE to be. None of them had an answer, even though 2 of them charged extra for PSE. One asked what my definition was, and the other three ignored the question and asked what I would like, so they could tell me if it was OK.
Twice in the last three months I have had providers tell me "sorry, I don't do that". When I pointed out that their advertising said they did, I was told both times that they didn't write the ad. One admitted she had never even read the ad.
I think of providers like artists or musicians, Generally speaking, the personality type that makes them good at their profession keeps them from any talent with business. Not all. Just generally. This is why musicians get screwed by the record companies, and why pimps are successful.
I don't know how to get musicians to read their contracts, or get providers to read their ads and e-mails. I wish I did, since In both cases I'm a happier man, with a richer life, from their talent.
PODarkness - AMEN.....and somehow in all of this we are suppose to feel sorry for them. The sad part is this provider is probably making all she needs to for food, gas, and rent THAT day.
POD's story demonstrates a lot of these women don't need "assistants", they need air traffic controllers.
Not to be anyone's White Knight, but take a look around. There are many savvy ladies in the Hobby who do a good job, and rarely complain. Further, ass clowns, idiots and knuckle heads abound in real business as well.
In the same fashion as I vote with my dollars with real world businesses, I do the same here. While I don't like to see anyone suffer, there's also no need to lump all of our fine ladies into one "Business is bad, I cant make ends meet and I don't understand why..." category.
Everyone has a different work ethic, varied financial needs, a unique perspective on service and success, and not all are suited to running their own business. It's called survival of the fittest, and it applies to business too.
As a side note, I'm sure if the ladies could be open and honest about some of the horse shit the gents put them through, a bunch of guys here would be squirming...
1st of all, thank you to the OP for the work you do and for bringing this out in the open.
I'm hesitant to mention names or comment on someone's business practices like this (and please don't turn this into a discussion of them).
But I had an observation I thought was worth throwing out there... I don't really look at ads but reviews instead. There are two ladies that seem to have way more reviews than anyone else. It's rare for there to be a day when there's not a review of Cameron or Tara Evans on the 1st page. This has been the case for awhile now.
What do they have in common? (Other than being very attractive.)
Price. They're not value/bargain priced but their hourly rate is a nice round number that's 25 to 50 less than most established ladies AND flavor of the month type hot new ladies that show up and cause a splash in the welcome wagon.
I'm not saying that there's a direct correlation but I think it might be a contibuting factor in their success.
Frankly I'm a low volume hobbyist and the price difference is not enough by itself to sway me, but I don't think it's a coincidence.
To me their are providers then there are whores. Ladies that want to build a list of clients that will see them on a regular basis provide a class act experience for the hobbyist. Whores will do as little as possible to seperate the hobbyist from their money. Hobbyist lust after different women for whatever reason. Many times a hobbyist enjoyes the thrill of seeing someone new in hopes of finding the right woman for their needs. And every hobbyist has different needs. If a woman is just a whore working with a pimp, or does not give a dam about how she earns money, she will be found out soon enough from the members of the ECCIE board. I think its important to remember every hobbyist wants to make a provider his and mold her into what he desires and that does not always work out. Also even though it seems we have a lot of both hobbyist and providers, the DFW area is huge, almost 5 million people. So the local members on ECCIE are a very small segment of the population. I suppose we all think we are the elite group of people in the hobby. To me I am just one very small fish in a huge pond just trying to have some fun in life.
Come on guys(and some gals), try to get back on track. This started off about what is needed to make you a regular customer. Lots of good responses, especialy at first. Things that can make the hobby better for all of us by improving the experience for both sides. Lets keep that in focus and take the other stuff into other threads.
All that's required to get my repeat business.... make me feel like you actually want to see me and I'm not just an ATM.
If I feel you enjoy our time together as much as I do, I'm more likely to visit you as often as I can.
Also, GREAT KISSING and lots of it!
Come on guys(and some gals), try to get back on track. This started off about what is needed to make you a regular customer. Lots of good responses, especialy at first. Things that can make the hobby better for all of us by improving the experience for both sides. Lets keep that in focus and take the other stuff into other threads.
Originally Posted by Bubba3452
I agree. On the other hand, I took a look at this thread in Austin, and we're doing pretty good by comparison.
To go back to the original poster's question.
Answer your email/phone/text etc. I have tried in the past couple of weeks to schedule with a few different ladies. Several told me they would get back to me after initial contact and nothing. Those that did try to make contact (and maybe it just did not work) are high up my list for when I do have time again.
Sorry ladies but I am too busy to chase you down. Funny how one of them posts that business is slow. I am in sales and my business would be slow(er) if I didn't follow up with my customer requests either.
Come on guys(and some gals), try to get back on track. This started off about what is needed to make you a regular customer. Lots of good responses, especialy at first. Things that can make the hobby better for all of us by improving the experience for both sides. Lets keep that in focus and take the other stuff into other threads.
Originally Posted by Bubba3452
I think this thread has done exactly that. We have attempted to list and discuss many aspects of why many providers do NOT get us as regular customers. I believe this thread to be 100% in answer to the OP's question.
Get Your Shit Together
Answer Your Phone
Act Like You Want Us There
Be Professional
Price Yourself WITHIN the market, not out of the market
Work and be available more than 3 hours a day 3 days a week
Be who You Say You Are in Ads
.........and the list goes on
I think it is a great thread on How To Be Successful 101