Veryshyone

About 10 years ago, I scheduled a massage with a traveling masseur. Good looking, well built, advertisement and reviews were positive. Upon greeting me at his hotel I sensed by his look at me and demeanor, he was not pleased. I went through with the massage. While massaging me, I touched his leg (he advertised MT), he snarled! He completed the massage which was mediocre and I left. That situation left  me with a sour note and not pursuing another massage until recently. It could be my mind set has changed and now know I would simply leave if I encountered the same. He did not get a tip!!. 

I've had many disappointing experiences, but few that were so disappointing that I still remember them years later.  Surely one of the worst:  I hired a guy whose rate was high for a simple erotic massage, and his ad was so sexually suggestive that I (stupidly) assumed I would be getting more than an erotic massage.  Instead I got a poor therapeutic massage from a guy who kept his tank top and shorts on who talked incessantly during the massage.  There was nothing erotic about it.  I don't know if this was all part of his con artist act, but as I was dressing he spoke to me as if I could have possibly been satisfied and would want to book him again.  This occurred when I was inexperienced/naive enough to not speak up at all about the discrepancy between what his ad stated and what I experienced, so I just paid his fee and left.

I only hire masseurs who host. A guy with training, good looks and nice mentions here neglected to inform me that the apt where he lived and did his work was brand new.  
To him. 
He had just finished moving in. Fresh paint smell! 🥴Almost nothing aside from the kitchen was unpacked. He spent an inordinate amount of my time looking for everything but the table. Oil, sheets, towels, soap for the shower - none of it at hand. The massage was meh and I did not tip. He offered a freebie repeat, but, yeah...no.

Mine took place in NYC. I had first come across his RM profile when he lived overseas. I put him on my “One Day Wish List.” He moved to NY and I met him when I was there for a weekend. It was incredibly underwhelming. 
 
First, it was in a communal space where guys rent rooms for massages. He was running behind schedule with his previous appointment, so he ran out in bikini briefs and had me sit in a massage room. While sitting there, others guys kept coming in, looking at me waiting and then walking out. Not discreet and very uncomfortable. 
 
When I finally got on the table, the massage was so underwhelming I should have stopped and left. I guess I was waiting for it to get better. He kept using one hand to massage while texting with his other. By the time we got to the end, I just wanted it to be over. 
 
He messaged me after asking if I wanted to book another session. I never responded. He’s someone who gets good reviews on here, but alas mine was the opposite of most others experiences. 

I've had a few....and I all will say is...I have learned that if my instincts are telling me something....now I listen and respond accordingly.  I no longer "give them the benefit of the doubt" when my gut tells me otherwise

About 10 years ago, I scheduled a massage with a traveling masseur. Good looking, well built, advertisement and reviews were positive. Upon greeting me at his hotel I sensed by his look at me and demeanor, he was not pleased. I went through with the massage. While massaging me, I touched his leg (he advertised MT), he snarled! He completed the massage which was mediocre and I left. That situation left  me with a sour note and not pursuing another massage until recently. It could be my mind set has changed and now know I would simply leave if I encountered the same. He did not get a tip!!. 

I recently scheduled a 90 minute massage with ScottyThot. He was responsive and communicated well. The session was great and it turned out to be more than a massage. The massage itself was okay, the extras were exceptional. Those eyes, voice , smile, and oral skills sent me over the edge!

I started the year off right with a great masseur, can't wait for the next session. I have booked someone from RM mid-month. Hoping to get the masseur later this month. Happy New Year!!!

This thoughtful response is fantastic.  I think this escort may have just won me over as a future client. 

This was actually a pretty complicated question for me when I was setting up my profile, and it took a bit of trial and error to land where I ended up identifying: versatile/bottom.  
The truth of the matter is that I'm genuinely a case-by-case versatile guy.   I love both.  I do both as much as I can.   Left to my own devices, sexual position is determined by situation and chemistry, which means I usually end up topping.  But losing either from my life would be a genuine loss. 
The real complicating factor for me is that this isn't my full time job.  A very full week for me is four bookings.  So for me, I feel like it makes sense to be a bit more intentional in connecting with guys whose needs best align with my skill sets, more so perhaps than guys who are seeing clients daily.  And one of my favorite things - I might even say a skill of mine - is the versatile flip session.  Come to find out, there's a real population who thrives on that.  Similarly there's a population who leans one way or the other and wants to explore the other side too.  I still love a strict top and and a strict bottom always!  But it would be a big personal loss - not to mention a waste of some skills - for me to miss out on those vers flip guys.
Well, come to find out, the hiring population is so heavily slanted towards bottoms... (is this shocking news?) ... that listing as versatile is still the functional equivalent of listing as a top.  Meanwhile guys who are actually versatile or tops don't seem to find you without the word "bottom" in your profile.
Long story short,  I've settled into a somewhat inaccurate identifier as a way to navigate the reality of the landscape as it is.  And even with that, I'm still definitely topping more than I'm bottoming.  
Suffice to say, consider when you're looking at providers that their chosen position identifier might involve more nuance than you think.  Anything with the word "versatile" in it requires a conversation.  The broad demographic assumptions above are mostly true, but be careful applying those assumptions to individual providers!

Communication of my desires was easy for me as I’m only a top.
If pressed to say more, I’d add that I’m affectionate but I have a dominant streak and enjoy taking charge.
I’d always express my needs by stating what I enjoy (kissing with tongue, sensual foreplay, mutual oral and topping with condom) as non-negotiable.
Again if pressed, I’d add that I want a muscleboy to dress in sexy briefs or jockstrap and although it’s optional, I find it insanely hot when a guy worships my cock lovingly and swallows my load. 

I’d always be direct and state this before a first date. Being polite, I’d simply ask if we will be mutually compatible.

In my experiences, some would 'top'/'bottom' only for certain client or, in a 3s or more setting, for other provider. Best ask.

There are as many answers to that question as there are men in the world. 
I ignore guys who advertise as “top". I also tend to avoid “verse/tops”. 
I’m well aware that I’m missing out on a few “bottom” diamonds in the rough, but that’s the price I’m willing to pay.
“Verse/ bottoms” and pure “bottoms” tend to be my favorites.
But I make room for the occasional pure ”verse”, especially when I think they’re just camouflaged bottoms.
I make sure every guy I hire knows, “I’m a top who likes to fuck”.
What they call themselves is really none of my business.
And just like I tell everybody in my life, if you get in my bed, you’re going to get fucked.
If you don’t wanna get fucked, don’t get into my bed.
At the end of the day, it’s pretty simple. 

If you’re looking for anal, it’s always best to be explicit and then reconfirm your expectations beforehand. This is especially true if you might want to flip. 

And vers/top never bottom

My experience has been quite different, so I’m not sure that really holds.

God I don't hear that nearly enough.   LOL

Ok. Let's be precise then
Vers/top never bottom, unless client is hot as hell

So I decided to have fun with ChatGPT about this. My prompt: "Write a post for a forum thread for gay men. The subject is about the definition of versatile/top and versatile/bottom."
What it returned (it made the assumption that I'm the one starting the thread):
Here’s a clear, respectful forum-style post you could use:
---
**Thread: What Do “Versatile/Top” and “Versatile/Bottom” Actually Mean?**
I’ve noticed that a lot of guys use the labels *versatile/top* and *versatile/bottom*, and sometimes people interpret them differently. I thought it might be helpful to break down what they generally mean in practice.
**Versatile (vers)** means someone is comfortable with both roles during anal sex—both topping and bottoming.
When someone adds **/top** or **/bottom** after versatile, it usually indicates a **preference**, not a strict rule.
* **Versatile/Top (vers/top):**
  This usually means the person can bottom but **prefers to top most of the time**. If the chemistry or situation is right, they’re open to bottoming, but topping is their default or favorite role.
* **Versatile/Bottom (vers/bottom):**
  This means the person can top but **generally prefers to bottom**. They might top occasionally, but bottoming is what they enjoy more often.
So a simple way to think about it is:
* **Top:** only or almost always tops
* **Bottom:** only or almost always bottoms
* **Vers:** happy doing both about equally
* **Vers/Top:** mostly tops, sometimes bottoms
* **Vers/Bottom:** mostly bottoms, sometimes tops
Of course, these labels are just **shortcuts for communication**. Everyone’s preferences can vary depending on the partner, mood, chemistry, or situation. Some people also use the terms differently, so it’s always best to talk about expectations with a partner rather than relying entirely on labels.
And it made the following suggestion: If you want, I can also write a slightly more casual version, a shorter version, or one tailored for apps like Grindr/Scruff discussions.
===
ChatGPT sounds a little contrived to me.
My personal thoughts about those definitions are that they don't mean much to me in reality for the following reasons:
1. Historically, in this life I've flipped more "tops" than I care to admit.
2. Sometimes the providers use those labels as part of their marketing, asking for more money for "making an exception" and do the opposite of what they advertise.
3. As you can see from the replies, it means different things to different people, as their experiences vary.
4. Those labels don't accommodate for the wealth of sexual practices involved in sexual expression. Furthermore, they seem to address only this one part of a sex session that involves penetration, leaving the rest of a sexual encounter out of the discussion, which is while profiles provide additional information about what people are into.
In the end, what helps me clarify expectations is asking the provider. However, also in my experience, some have been sensitive to the subject, particularly those who I call "I'm a top, I'm a TOP, I'M A TOP!!!!" guys. They carry their being a top more zealously than some people carry their political or religious beliefs.
So I ask, but I also ask tactfully.

Like I said, my experience has been different. At least in my area, most providers advertise as Top or Vers/Top. While I consider myself Vers, when I hire it’s usually because I want to Top, so I often end up topping guys who advertise themselves as Vers/Top. Contrary to what some members here (looking at you pubic_assistance LOL!) seem to assume, not everyone who hires fits the stereotype of a fat, sweaty, bald old man. That said, I’m not “hot as hell” either.
There’s a guy I used to see occasionally who was originally a total Bottom and advertised himself that way. Over time, he changed his profile to Vers and eventually to Vers/Top. When I asked him about it, his explanation was simple: most of the clients in the area are Bottoms, and if he wanted to work consistently, he had to Top.

You have to talk to them.......I agree.  Many guys on RM will include verse in their profile b/c it catches more clients (shows up in searches).  I've chatted with many "verse/top" who will not bottom.

I'm truly versatile, in that I enjoy both topping and bottoming equally. I really love flip-fucking. So for years, I'd listed Versatile in my RM profile, and made a point of mentioning that I'm truly vers and love both.
However, the vast majority of clients want me to top (no complaints there!), so a year or so ago I switched to Vers/Top on my profile. This has more to do with client expectations and desires than what my real preference is, and from what I'm reading here it sounds like other guys have done similar. Comes down to finding a niche and giving the customer what they want.

I have been surprised by a provider who I assumed was a strict top. His ass is amazing and well, let’s just say I was able to monetarily encourage him to go clean up so I could, as the kids say today, “clap those cheeks”.
 
I never assume providers stated positional preferences are 100% true.

His pics could be updated but still looks great. I'd say he's more muscular now with grayer hair.

Update on Chicagotopper. An exceptional experience!  I was  looking for passion, sensuality, and a good f***! Dave exceeded my expectations. The man has unreal stamina combined with stunning looks and a genuine sweet disposition. Dave knows how to accommodate and provide a memorable time.  Definitely a repeat for me.