To Count or Not To Count?

[Luv2play]

On 9/15/2026 at 6:02 PM, 56harrisond said:

I prefer to pay in cash the first time I meet a provider. I like to make sure he sees me put the money on the table then excuse myself to the bathroom. This allows him to count it or not while I'm out of the room. Once a provider miscounted/undercounted the amount and asked about it when I returned to the room. I said it was correct and I asked him to recount, awkward.

That could have turned out differently if he had been dishonest. After you left the room to go to the bathroom, he could have pocketed a few twenties and then presented you with the remainder and said you had made a mistake. It would have been extremely awkward for you. 
 

I always hand over the cash in an envelope and had very few open it and count it. But it wouldn’t offend me with a new provider. Also use large bills to make the counting easier. Usually hundreds. I don’t seal the envelopes so a peak is easy for them as they leave, if they wish to do that. It’s all business after all. 

[Decatur Guy]

I ask them to please count it while I'm still with them, especially the first time.

I once accidentally short-changed a guy $20 and he made a huge deal about it. He way overreacted and was still a jerk even after I drove back and gave him $40. I will grant he had no way to know it was an honest error because we had never met before. Of course, I never hired him again because he was such a jackass, especially after I made up the difference and then some. I had already given him a favorable review, too, so I couldn't take it back. I've also learned to wait a day before doing reviews. 

Asking someone to count while I am there avoids anything like that. And if I make a mistake, I can fix it immediately. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Decatur Guy