Deposits should be required

[Daniel84]

I’ve been in the business for a very long time with over 150 5 star reviews. The amount of no-shows that I have had the pleasure of dealing with this past month is making me rethink the requirement of deposits. Clients I have seen before would not need to pay deposit. The deposit would be $25 just to know that the client is real and has skin in the game. 

I had three no-shows today alone. If you can’t make an appointment, grow a pair of balls and cancel or reschedule it. It’s such an easy concept. I hire massage therapist all the time and if I can’t make an appointment or I am running late I will let the provider know.

 

[HaremOfBoys]

 

[HaremOfBoys]

So many scammers asking for a deposit and no show - so naw, I don't do deposits. 

[Daniel84]

Just now, HaremOfBoys said:

So many scammers asking for a deposit and no show - so naw, I don't do deposits. 

I understand that, but I have a great reputation on this website and my reviews. i’ve been scammed as well and every time I’ve been scammed with pay a $50 deposit or $100 deposit they had zero reviews.

well, while I’m typing this my 6:30 PM is now 40 minutes late with no response.. he booked a two hour appointment took up the busiest time of the night.. 

[Luv2play]

10 minutes ago, Daniel84 said:

I’ve been in the business for a very long time with over 150 5 star reviews. The amount of no-shows that I have had the pleasure of dealing with this past month is making me rethink the requirement of deposits. Clients I have seen before would not need to pay deposit. The deposit would be $25 just to know that the client is real and has skin in the game. 

I had three no-shows today alone. If you can’t make an appointment, grow a pair of balls and cancel or reschedule it. It’s such an easy concept. I hire massage therapist all the time and if I can’t make an appointment or I am running late I will let the provider know.

 

I note you are in WashDC. Maybe all your clients were Congressmen or Senators doing important business on the Hill last night and were recovering today. 

[Cretus]

As I’ve mentioned many times, this website naturally privileges the perspectives (and the financial vulnerabilities) of the client. You will rarely get sympathy here.

You will hear a client retort to you:  “I can be scammed by a deposit! I will never do deposits!” And 10 people liking that post. With no one being aware of the constant bs-ing/timewasting/scamming you all as providers go through. 

Escorts tell me scam calls/texts, clients who just want to sex chat on the phone for free, and “shoppers” (people who contact multiple providers for a night just to meet one and cancel on the others) are something they constantly face.

There really ought to be an escort-centered site in order to air these grievances on a platform less biased against yourself. 
 

I’m very sorry to hear what you’ve been experiencing. If I were you, I would indeed go ahead with the policy of slight deposits if a client wishes to booking ahead of time or if they are quite a distance from you.

[BuffaloKyle]

I'm not a fan of deposits but as you've said you have a lengthy track record so potential clients should believe you are legit. You could maybe just require a deposit for peak session times and if someone doesn't want to do a deposit they have to book a more non peak time slot so you don't potentially lose business. You will lose along the way money of course for sessions that someone doesn't end up booking because they don't want to do a deposit but you'll save yourself indeed from a lot of game players.

[Cretus]

2 minutes ago, BuffaloKyle said:

I'm not a fan of deposits but as you've said you have a lengthy track record so potential clients should believe you are legit. You could maybe just require a deposit for peak session times and if someone doesn't want to do a deposit they have to book a more non peak time slot so you don't potentially lose business. You will lose along the way money of course for sessions that someone doesn't end up booking because they don't want to do a deposit but you'll save yourself indeed from a lot of game players.

Great response.

Indeed, hopefully your reputation on your advertising site helps people trust you enough to pay a small deposit.

Edited December 22, 2024 by Cretus

[Daniel84]

2 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

I note you are in WashDC. Maybe all your clients were Congressmen or Senators doing important business on the Hill last night and were recovering today. 

you mean, skipping town because they kept the government open... This month I traveled to San Francisco,  LA,  Palm Springs and now Washington DC. I have had 15 no shows. 

but to be honest, it’s their loss. I’ll make sure escorts and massures  know not to book them and I wish they have a happy life.

[Trick]

1 minute ago, Daniel84 said:

you mean, skipping town because they kept the government open... This month I traveled to San Francisco,  LA,  Palm Springs and now Washington DC. I have had 15 no shows. 

but to be honest, it’s their loss. I’ll make sure escorts and massures  know not to book them and I wish they have a happy life.

Aren’t you getting repeat business from past clients?

[Luv2play]

8 minutes ago, Daniel84 said:

you mean, skipping town because they kept the government open... This month I traveled to San Francisco,  LA,  Palm Springs and now Washington DC. I have had 15 no shows. 

but to be honest, it’s their loss. I’ll make sure escorts and massures  know not to book them and I wish they have a happy life.

Did you encounter no shows in each of those places? If so that must say something about Americans in general. We Canadians are much nicer people. Trust me. 😂 

[gopochi]

I agree with Daniel. I will pay a small deposit if there are otherwise no red flags. That said, I consider it an "ask". And equilibrium returns if we reach agreement on one of my asks. 

[The Dude]

Sorry, I will never pay a deposit. It's a deal-breaker for me.

[Daniel84]

24 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Sorry, I will never pay a deposit. It's a deal-breaker for me.

The anger we feel when providers request a deposit should be directed towards irresponsible clients who book appointments without any intention of showing up. Before the advent of burner phone apps, clients were more concerned about their reputation.

[Daniel84]

54 minutes ago, Trick said:

Aren’t you getting repeat business from past clients?

Most of my regular customers are either out of town or are conserving their money because they’re uncertain about what the future holds under the new administration.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

This thread will end well.

[nate_sf]

December is a weird month, and this December seems especially weird. People are wrapped up with holiday stuff, and thereby flakey. I wouldn't base a change in business operations on this month alone.

Maybe try with deposits for the rest of this month for new clients. Call it a deposit to hold the reservation during this "busy time." See how it goes and decide whether to keep at it or let it go once we're past the holidays.

[Vin Marco]

[Vin Marco]

I'm sympathetic and empathetic to people who experience no shows, an alarming number of cancellations, deal with people who don't value their time but it's nothing short of insanity and lunacy to believe that deposits are going to rectify the problem or increase productivity... folks, it seems to me from all I've read here, is that the general consensus  has spoken.... the vast majority of people just will not pay deposits ( and probably for good reason ) The sentiment here is a small sample that probably speaks to and  represents a much larger demographic that feels the exact same way about paying deposits.  How many different people need to post about the same subject over and over before it sinks in???? ... don't take  my word for it... look up the word "deposits" here on just this website and read what most have to say about deposits..  I've never insisted on deposits for a reason. When I travel I usually do not have a single day to myself and that's exactly my objective... I can almost assure you that if I started asking people for deposits all of a sudden I would start to have days to myself and would begin to hear crickets 🦗 for the first time in my involvement in this endeavor that's actually been exceedingly good to me. 

[Cretus]

26 minutes ago, Vin Marco said:

I'm sympathetic and empathetic to people who experience no shows, an alarming number of cancellations, deal with people who don't value their time but it's nothing short of insanity and lunacy to believe that deposits are going to rectify the problem or increase productivity... folks, it seems to me from all I've read here, is that the general consensus  has spoken.... the vast majority of people just will not pay deposits ( and probably for good reason ) The sentiment here is a small sample that probably speaks to and  represents a much larger demographic that feels the exact same way about paying deposits.  How many different people need to post about the same subject over and over before it sinks in???? ... don't take  my word for it... look up the word "deposits" here on just this website and read what most have to say about deposits..  I've never insisted on deposits for a reason. When I travel I usually do not have a single day to myself and that's exactly my objective... I can almost assure you that if I started asking people for deposits all of a sudden I would start to have days to myself and would begin to hear crickets 🦗 for the first time in my involvement in this endeavor that's actually been exceedingly good to me. 

I would actually think that the people on this site are somewhat *more* compliant,  punctual, and financially well-to-do than the full pool of all clients on RM (which includes scammers, time wasters, and those looking for a free good time). So I agree- most clients will DEFINITELY say no to a deposit when it is asked of them.

Indeed, if one asks a deposit of every single client they encounter, they may find that they don’t see a lot of people, leading to a general profit loss.

 

I don’t think it is insanity or lunacy to institute a policy of having deposits in some situations.

There are some very understandable situations involving distance, travel costs, prep time, bottoming/fisting prep which for some can mean diet changes, and etc……. in which it would be wise on the part of the provider to ask for a deposit.

I guess this thread and others function as normative battlegrounds on whether deposits should be more of a norm than they currently are. I don’t see these conversations as useless at all. I’m also glad to see more provider voices on here. Increasing frequency of providers raising this seemingly perennial issue may be a positive thing. 
 

At the end of the day, the (local) market of the provider will speak for itself, and hopefully the provider reacts accordingly.
 

Happy to hear you never ask for deposits during your travels. 

Edited December 22, 2024 by Cretus

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

7 minutes ago, Vin Marco said:

I'm sympathetic and empathetic to people who experience no shows, an alarming number of cancellations, deal with people who don't value their time but it's nothing short of insanity and lunacy to believe that deposits are going to rectify the problem or increase productivity... folks, it seems to me from all I've read here, is that the general consensus  has spoken.... the vast majority of people just will not pay deposits ( and probably for good reason ) The sentiment here is a small sample that probably speaks to and  represents a much larger demographic that feels the exact same way about paying deposits.  How many different people need to post about the same subject over and over before it sinks in???? ... don't take  my word for it... look up the word "deposits" here on just this website and read what most have to say about deposits..  I've never insisted on deposits for a reason. When I travel I usually do not have a single day to myself and that's exactly my objective... I can almost assure you that if I started asking people for deposits all of a sudden I would start to have days to myself and would begin to hear crickets 🦗 for the first time in my involvement in this endeavor that's actually been exceedingly good to me. 

 

Talk about hitting the nail on the head....... 

2 hours ago, Daniel84 said:

I understand that, but I have a great reputation on this website and my reviews....

Reputation/Schmeputation!

When Bozo is looking to hire a masseur, and he narrows the choices down to two or three, and one of them requires a deposit, take a guess which one WON'T be hired? Duh! It's really not that complicated.
It's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth.

BTC

[Ali Gator]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I'm sorry this happens to providers, but 'it goes with the territory' when you are in business for yourself, and that business is focused on 'serving customers' in any way. I know from 25 years experience of owning a retail store (and some of the merchandise I sold was  appointment-based), and I have friends who have been doing appointment-based business even longer (mechanics, dress designers, hairdressers, tutors, specialty cake bakers, etc.).

'No shows' in an appointment-based service industry are par for the course. It's frustrating, it's annoying, it's disrespectful, it's time-consuming, it's costly ....the list is endless. But it's the nature of the beast of being in this kind of business.

My advice: Don't take it personal, don't make impulsive moves (like requiring deposits) - just rethink your strategy going forward. If you got 'burned' too many times in one city on one weekend, then cross that city off your list for future visits for a while (a year or so). Pick another location and start fresh - you'll be glad you did. 

 

[liubit]

[Daniel84]

Maybe for new clients, I might require an online booking. Probably use square or one of those sites. They would need to put credit card information to book a session and they can pay with cash when they arrive if they do not show up, they get charged cancellation fee.

 Just like every single barber that I’ve gone to. if barbers and hair salons required to be booked via online portal why can’t Massage? 

95% of the no-shows I’ve had this month have been Escort clients. 

[Daniel84]

1 hour ago, Vin Marco said:

I'm sympathetic and empathetic to people who experience no shows, an alarming number of cancellations, deal with people who don't value their time but it's nothing short of insanity and lunacy to believe that deposits are going to rectify the problem or increase productivity... folks, it seems to me from all I've read here, is that the general consensus  has spoken.... the vast majority of people just will not pay deposits ( and probably for good reason ) The sentiment here is a small sample that probably speaks to and  represents a much larger demographic that feels the exact same way about paying deposits.  How many different people need to post about the same subject over and over before it sinks in???? ... don't take  my word for it... look up the word "deposits" here on just this website and read what most have to say about deposits..  I've never insisted on deposits for a reason. When I travel I usually do not have a single day to myself and that's exactly my objective... I can almost assure you that if I started asking people for deposits all of a sudden I would start to have days to myself and would begin to hear crickets 🦗 for the first time in my involvement in this endeavor that's actually been exceedingly good to me. 

I would only require deposits for multiple hour clients. A great way to stop the time wasters and flakes when I have an outcall they have to call the Uber themselves.