Incentives to book ?

[SouthOfTheBorder]

lots of businesses use loyalty programs to keep their best customers and encourage more spending.  similarly, many target their most desirable potential customer base & offer special discounts as incentives to try a new business 

given this forum is a target-rich pool for providers - I’m wondering if any providers offer specials to forum members ?  

seems like it would be worthwhile because both parties are known entities to some degree and takes a lot of risk out of the equation 

just a thought - never hurts to try something new 

 

[cany10011]

I think the benefit you get from being "loyal" to providers is perhaps first options for desired appointment slots?  But, I like your idea  I don't think though, many providers would be giving it away for free and perhaps provide more intangible benefits like spending extra time off the clock... or favorable pricing for extended vacations etc.

[SouthOfTheBorder]

51 minutes ago, cany10011 said:

But, I like your idea  I don't think though, many providers would be giving it away for free and perhaps provide more intangible benefits like spending extra time off the clock

I've often thought how I would run my business if I was a provider - it seems there is alot invested in the one hour standard meeting.  

As an example - I'd offer 3hours for 2 hours paid.  Same time required for getting ready & to travel to/from.  And the money has been doubled without much effort on providers end.  Assuming this is offered to known select clients, it probably means cocktails & socializing anyway.  
Lots of ways to incentivize the best clients to book more frequently & perhaps increase per session spend.

it's all about being creative 

 

[Thelatin]

I think they should have a little card like subway used to offer, you put the stamps on it per purchase.  Fill up the card and get a free 12 incher.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

People here have suggested this before, but honestly, it's not something most successful escorts would jump at.

To me, the idea of this sort of rebate system makes the whole situation feel hyper-commoditized.

However, this might work well for guys who are hurting for business, a stable of regulars or simply work hourlies as their standard.

[Rudynate]

5 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

People here have suggested this before, but honestly, it's not something most successful escorts would jump at.

To me, the idea of this sort of rebate system makes the whole situation feel hyper-commoditized.

However, this might work well for guys who are hurting for business, a stable of regulars or simply work hourlies as their standard.

This.  I think the best providers are good at downplaying the transactional side of the relationship. 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

12 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

However, this might work well for guys who are hurting for business, a stable of regulars or simply work hourlies as their standard.

the thought came to me today against a backdrop of increasing provider rates of $400-$500 per hour as new norm in major cities.  And, at the same time I’m getting pinged by some providers asking me to book.  So, there appears to be a new rate threshold in place for providers but a drop in actual business to those providers (I never got the pings before very recent).

Getting to $400-$500 per hour takes many clients out of the market.  Incentives to make it more palatable might keep more of them in. 

I’m curious - what is the standard booking if not an hour ?  Successful providers with regulars would get more longer sessions, yet almost all advertise RM by the hour 

[KennF]

6 hours ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

lots of businesses use loyalty programs to keep their best customers and encourage more spending.  similarly, many target their most desirable potential customer base & offer special discounts as incentives to try a new business 

given this forum is a target-rich pool for providers - I’m wondering if any providers offer specials to forum members ?  

seems like it would be worthwhile because both parties are known entities to some degree and takes a lot of risk out of the equation 

just a thought - never hurts to try something new 

 

Do you think providers are that good at managing their client appointment and marketing data?  I get a sense that they manage their calendars well enough, but most don't care to do the administration and pipeline side of the business.

[Jamie21]

In my experience as soon as you start discounting (whether that’s offering reduced rates for regulars or students or whatever) the discounted rate becomes the new ‘floor’ for your standard hour rate. It bleeds to other clients and then becomes the expectation. So I have a simple rule: no discounts ever.  The rate is the rate, that’s it and it’s not a matter for discussion. The sooner the conversation moves from ‘how much’ to ‘this is what I like / want’ the better. I like to minimise the transactional nature of the meeting because it doesn’t help with creating the right atmosphere. 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

7 minutes ago, KennF said:

Do you think providers are that good at managing their client appointment and marketing data?

I think most aren’t good at the business/marketing end of the business.  just like artists who struggle with the business side when they are essentially creative people 
there are exceptions and those guys are easily identified by their longevity & good reputations.  

my sense is lots of people come & go - and some may go in only as a short term thing  

[KennF]

14 minutes ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

I think most aren’t good at the business/marketing end of the business.  just like artists who struggle with the business side when they are essentially creative people 
there are exceptions and those guys are easily identified by their longevity & good reputations.

Then that would answer the question about loyalty rewards.  It's a shame, in some respects, because some very talented people get tripped up with the fact that this work, is work.

[sider]

I think loyalty rewards are great…for big business that can build the discounts into their overhead. I think small business should set their cost and hold to it. I know that I wouldn’t want to do my job for less and I wouldn’t expect a provider to take less. It somehow would feel that I’m taking advantage and still expecting 100% from them. I’m happy to pay what they are worth. The more expensive, overpriced providers, I decide where my spending limit is and engage with guys within that limit

[+ keroscenefire]

I've had regulars give me a bit of a deal on longer sessions. I had one for a while where we'd still do 300 per hour but we'd do like $500 for an extended session. These often ended up being like 3-6 hours in length mostly because we enjoyed each other's company and often would watch a play since we were both into theater.

So really like 2-3 hours of bedroom time and another 2-3 hours of watching a play or having dinner or something else. It was a great deal for both of us I think since I enjoyed his company so much and I think at $500 it was worth it for him to just not stress about hustling for another client and just have a fun night doing something he enjoyed anyway. I always ended up giving him $50 as a tip too since I always had a great time with him. 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

1 hour ago, sider said:

I think loyalty rewards are great…for big business that can build the discounts into their overhead. I think small business should set their cost and hold to it.

Loyalty or incentive programs done right align with the goals of the business or individual making the offer - and it also deliver something of value to the client.  If the business or individual loses something in the offer, then it’s either not conceived or executed properly.

let’s say I’m a provider in NYC that has a goal of 2 appointments per day (with 2 days off per week) & does outcalls at $400 per hour.  And in a typical day, I have one appointment at 1p downtown and another at 7p uptown, making $800 total for the day.  
And now let’s say instead of 2 appointments that break up my day requiring me to get ready twice (shower, douche, trimix or whatever) and travel - I can do one appointment of 2hours at $675, or pay for 2 get 3 at $800 - and I don’t need to break up the day or get ready twice.  
Which makes more sense ?  I’ve offered a small discount or incentive to get back a good portion of a day or evening.  And I’ve only dealt with one “better” client that I’ve selected for the offer.

while the provider business model does not directly translate from other businesses - one core idea holds true which is to cultivate the very best clients and incentivize them to keep coming back & spending more.  The transactional nature of the business is something the provider would like to understandably obscure - I can assure you from the client pov that there is no mystery: If the financial transaction doesn’t happen - the provider doesn’t show up. 

may be a very different calculation if the provider is doing incalls only & the travel component is not in the mix

Edited June 13, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[+ bashful]

I kind of like the variety of pricing levels out there.  Sometimes it's not about what's charged.  Some will tell you they're not a clock watcher, and the session goes beyond the hour.    

One I met was (at the time) 300 for one, 500 for two, and 600 for three hours, with varying rates for longer times.

And, I've been quoted 2 times hourly rate for 2 hours, or a 90 minute rate at same $5 per minute price as the hourly rate (300 for hour / 60  X 90 = 450 for ninety minutes)

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by bashful

[jeezifonly]

If there was ever a legitimate use for a Tramp Stamp, this is it. 

[+ KensingtonHomo]

I haven't seen escorts provide loyalty programs, though guys we've seen regularly have offered discounts for 2 or 3-hour sessions. 

I have seen masseurs offer discounts for like three sessions. 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

42 minutes ago, KensingtonHomo said:

I haven't seen escorts provide loyalty programs, though guys we've seen regularly have offered discounts for 2 or 3-hour sessions

Yeah - I shouldn’t have muddied it up w references to loyalty programs when it’s really more about discounts for multiple hour sessions.  I was thinking that would be offered to only best clients, thus the confusion.

Yes, there’s a few guys that do offer multi-hour discounts in a clear way, but vast majority don’t.  

I’m always curious about marketing & efficiencies when looking at different business types - and how to do it better.

A single hour is definitely not my preference - but at $400-$500 per hour it gets very expensive fast.  Forces me to think about it more & go with my established regulars where I know exactly what will happen.  Too much risk to try someone new at those prices.  

And then there’s the tip.  I was always told tips are for people that work for a business and don’t realize the full payment for services, like someone working in a hair salon that is not the owner - that person would be tipped.  The owner of the business would not be tipped because they don’t split the fee for service with anyone else.  
Somehow we’ve entered an era in the US where everyone everywhere is tipped. And I’m a good tipper with wait staff usually getting 25-30%+ because I have a sense of their hourly wage - same with any other service people at low wages. I do tip providers, but 20% on top of $400-$500 is really getting out there.  

i definitely do not hire US domestically as often as in previous years. When I travel it’s another story - anywhere in Europe is way more reasonable & that just doesn’t seem to make any sense. 

Edited June 14, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[Rudynate]

14 hours ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

- I can assure you from the client pov that there is no mystery: If the financial transaction doesn’t happen - the provider doesn’t show up. 

 

Well sure.  But there's a big difference between discretely leaving some cash on a table and presenting your bounce-back coupon to be punched. 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

4 minutes ago, Rudynate said:

But there's a big difference between discretely leaving some cash on a table and presenting your bounce-back coupon to be punched.

Lol - you’re making it sound like some sort of discrete geisha experience.  For the regulars I know that’s kind of how it works to a point

If the provider doesn’t know you - it’s frequently a demand for deposit or payment upfront.  There’s dozens of threads here about exactly this.  Among the other assorted scam artists, thieves & drug addicts that taint the entire industry 

It’s funny how so many people on both ends of these transactions want to pretend it’s anything but that.  On the “other site” there’s the delusionals opining about their Brazilian/Thai boyfriends and wondering if they’re in it for the money.  Seriously ?  WTF   The boyfriend experience has that name for a reason. 

Even with the regulars I’ve known for 15+ years - we both know it’s about 💰 

[Rudynate]

1 hour ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

Lol - you’re making it sound like some sort of discrete geisha experience.

I don't know why, but that's always my experience.  If a guy asked me for payment upfront, I would be happy to pay him.  But nobody ever asks - so it is sort of like a geisha experience.

[KennF]

On 6/14/2023 at 10:24 AM, SouthOfTheBorder said:

Even with the regulars I’ve known for 15+ years - we both know it’s about 💰 

That's an odd comment coming from a sales person.  Isn't part of the selling to not focus in on the money.  If it is all about the money, then where can you differentiate?  Every sales person  have ever known (not selling me something) tells me that it is important to not focus on the dollar, unless you want to be the low-price-point seller.

 

It may be about money for the provider, or it may be about ego, or reputation, or about good service, or staging to for a repeat client.

If may be about money for the client, or it may be about connection, authenticity, feeling pampered and serviced, or about finding an opportunity to open up and trust.

 

Just my tuppence, but the less it is about the money, the better job the provider has done in creating a space for a memorable experience.

[SouthOfTheBorder]

39 minutes ago, KennF said:

Isn't part of the selling to not focus in on the money

try calling a provider & not paying - then see what happens 

it’s always about money no matter how much folks may want to obscure it with all kinds of sideways happy talk 

sure - it can be lovely experience and it can seem romantic, natural & bfe.  you can discretely pay in an envelope or Zelle if that makes you feel better, but you’re paying for a service any way you slice it 

there’s no shame around any part of this - I think it’s way healthier to normalize the provider/client financial transaction without any need to make it something else or obscure it. The need to justify it in some other way means there is shame or other stigma attached by one of the participants.

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[Simon Suraci]

Coming at this from a masseur perspective. I offer discounts or run temporary specials for massage and spa services. Things like:

Day of the week discount

Referral discounts

Active duty military, student/youth, airline workers, first responders, etc 

%off for couples massages for a limited time, etc

Book 4 spa services, get one of them free, or similar

….among many others

Masseur Finder encourages these kinds of specials and discounts and rewards listing rank when you list them, so I keep it as consistent as possible across platforms, or when people ask for deals.

Rarely do clients take advantage of my standing referral discount. That’s my best one for them and the most costly to me. It’s 50% off the referring client’s next massage, and 50% off the referral client’s first massage. That’s essentially giving away a whole massage. BUT it’s valuable to me in the long term because the referrals often become regular clients, and they tend to be better clients in general. In the short term, both the referral and referring clients both tend to tip generously anyways because they’re so happy to get such a deep discount, so it offsets the initial loss quite a bit. Win-win-win!

Added benefit: buzz. The referral client and referring client speak positively about my work with one another, which reinforces both of their loyalty, and encourages them to refer others or speak positively about me to others. They feel invested in my success and also in the benefit of other people enjoying my work. They feel they have given something valuable to their friends, acquaintances, and loved ones, and feel good about it. I love referrals. Too bad so few take advantage, but when they do, it pays off.

For traditional provider services (not massage or spa), I don’t discount. Not at all. Clients ask and pressure me. Or worse, they want the world for a massage price. Not happening. I say no and move on. I don’t want those clients. You can’t commodify this type of work. For it to be worth my time and effort, I set my fees accordingly. Also, most of my business is massage anyway. I don’t rely exclusively on the other work for my livelihood, it’s just another service I do for clients that want to hire me under equitable rates for it.

Currently I’m at $300/hr and $500/ two hours. $1000 for up to five hours (not overnight). Don’t quote me two years later. That’s what it is now. Longer periods are negotiable, but I rarely do them. The $1k rate is more of a traditional escort service that usually includes event attendance, meals, drinks, or entertainment, etc. in addition to whatever happens privately.

[KennF]

1 minute ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

try calling a provider & not paying - then see what happens 

it’s always about money no matter how much folks may want to obscure it with all kinds of sideways happy talk 

sure - it can be lovely experience and it can seem romantic, natural & bfe.  you can discretely pay in an envelope or Zelle if that makes you feel better, but you’re paying for a service any way you slice it 

there’s no shame around any part of this 

you can make a choice between a Ritz Carlton and a Holiday Inn. The Ritz should make you feel fabulous & that’s why you pay top dollar. and they’re not going to act like like you’re staying for free

I don't want a misunderstanding, so maybe my choice of wording could be better.  I was trying to express that part of being a provider is to be a salesperson.  The more successful sales people I know regularly comment that you should not 'focus in' on the money.  They never want to talk about the money without talking about the service, quality, and value.

No one is forgetting about the money.  And I would NEVER suggest not paying for a service. (Hell, I've paid for cancelling on someone with less than a full day notice.  Since, I felt it was only proper for me to compensate for my needing to cancel.  It's made for a better and more regular arrangement.)  And I make no judgement about shame.  I am not even sure how that creeped into the dialog.

To create that value, you have to move passed the money, and, IMO, it get into the service.  Always meet your customer where they are.

At the end of the day, good providers distance the money from the service.  The less about money it seems, the more value clients put on the service.  And, that's where discounts, loyalty rewards, and the like come from... creating value in order to increase the money.

I guess not everyone sees it that way.    No offense intended.