Frustrating! Why do these guys advertise?

[mark]

OK-- this is just a rant from a frustrated client. I had a quick trip to a large city...just one overnite. Just to give an idea of "availability", M4RN lists over 100 active ads, and Rentboy lists in excess of 25 -- both sites cost $$ for ads. I had time to have two sessions of an hour each.

 

Just to be fair, though, I'll say that my trip was mid-week, business travel. So I started emailing ahead of time. And I understand it's still summer, when guys are vacationing. Here's the results:

 

Fourteen (14)calls to guys whose ads attracted me:

 

One (my first choice)--no response to email or phone.

 

One (second choice)-- appointment set by phone; but no answer when I called after checking in; left voicemail; no responses to 2nd and 3rd call.

 

Two(2)-- emails sent; no responses.

 

One (1) - left voicemail; he called back; couldn't make it.

 

One(1) - answered; but couldn't make it (booked already).

 

One (1) -- agency; email and phone....no response

 

One (1) -- agency; answered phone...produced an escort!

 

One (1) - called; didn't even have voicemail.

 

Four (4) - called; left voicemail; no callbacks.

 

One (1) - answered phone; came to hotel...great!

 

SO...out of 14 calls, I wound up completing 2 escort sessions with guys who weren't on the top of the list...the agency provider was a 5.5 on a 10-scale. The independent was an 8 on a 10-scale.

 

My rant/rave (and question, I guess) is Why Do These Guys Advertise if they're not going to answer/respond to emails and/or phone calls and messages? I suppose this is an age-old frustration that many clients face, but it had never been this difficult for me before.

 

OKAY...it's off my chest now...

[Guest RandyRon]

Talk about "standing in a whorehouse with a fist-full of hundred-dollar bills and not being able to get laid."

 

I think I would have given up much sooner and just went ahead and "Polished the Bishop" myself.

 

:-) :-)

[EXPAT]

Must have been Los Angeles. Was it?

[JT Brooklyn]

Expat..Exactly.. what City was it?

 

It does sound like one of the Major Markets..LA-CHI-NYC-MIAMI ?

 

[JT Brooklyn]

OOPS SORRY! Just read Rentboy Lists 25 Guys...That narrows down the field CONSIDERABLY! LOL

[whipped guy]

WOW! I've heard about having a plan "B" and even a plan "C"... but hats off to to Mark for having a plan "N" and a plan "O"... sure poof that it pays to do some advance planning.

 

So I guess the moral of the story is to do your homework in advance, always travel with your laptop, and have all the necessary phone numbers stored in your cell phone... three things that I failed to do on a recent trip to NYC... when I was canceled out the last minute... so I know the frustrations of standing there with those hundred dollar bills in your hand (even though there are 325 guys listed on Rentboy in Manhattan) and you can't locate anybody willing to take them!!! :-(

[buckguy]

I've had a couple experiences like this in LA. Plan C worked better the second time than the first.

[uwsman2]

Yeah, this is a perennial problem when traveling. I've experienced it when on the road. I come prepared with a list based on research on this site and Rentboy.com, and discover that I'm lucky to land anybody on my list, much less anywhere near the top. On the other hand, sometimes I've had super luck and was able to spend a fulfilling time with somebody I'd long wanted to meet based on reading about them on this site.

 

I think we have to bear in mind that the guys who are advertising have a life, right? The ad may say "available 24/7" but after all they get busy, they get lucky and have a trip with a client, they get heavily booked at just the time you happen to be in town, they get sick and have to turn off the "escort" phone for a while.... So you go to plan B or whatever and keep trying. After all, think about it, you're looking for a hot guy who is going to give you access to his body for an hour or whatever, without knowing anything about you really, and the chances that everything will click in terms of compatibility are not necessarily all that great, and so you're lucky that you ended up having two sessions out of which one was an 8 on a scale of 10 (hey, I'd settle for that while on a business trip...).

 

And we'll all keep being frustrated!

[+ ArVaGuy]

It's frustrations like these that have caused me to hire less than in the past. Thus having fewer reviews to submit as a result. Currently, I have pretty much confined my hiring to guys that I have already been seeing for a long time.

 

It's a lot more fulfilling for me to build a relationship with a smaller number of high quality well reviewed escorts than trying to sort through the plethora of amateurs out there. I still have a short list of certain guys on my hire list but it's been trimmed by a considerable amount.

 

Why bother dealing with such hassles is the way I see it these days. I'm not enamored of the idea of having to track down a guy and beg him to take my money. Consequently the escorts who've failed to reply to inquiries have saved me money and headaches. So the guys I see on a frequent basis have benefited from the longer appointments that I schedule with them as a result.

[whipped guy]

It's a lot more fulfilling for me to build a relationship with a smaller number of high quality well reviewed escorts... [/font color=blue]

 

It is indeed more fulfilling to build on a relationship.

 

Consequently the escorts who've failed to reply to inquiries have saved me money and headaches. [/font color=blue]

 

When things don't go as planned I always say that, "things usually happen for the best..." Plus as you pop those Ben Franlklin's back into your wallet it's like found money to save and use for a rainy day... and hopefully a really fuflilling experinece!

[+ bigjoey]

i'm with arvaguy. it is much easier to find a few good escorts and as long as i enjoy the company and sex then i'll stay with them.

 

first, the guys i picked were the best all around: intelligent, sexually fullfilling, great companions, reliable, handsome, etc. these were the guys that matched me with traits like no somking or drugs. if i looked for a new guy, it would be a clone of one of these men.

 

second, having a relationship makes communication easier. there is always a prompt reply to an email or phone call. meeting dates are often scheduled out months in advance (none live near me so they either come here for weekends or we travel). it makes meetings a lot easier.

 

third, the personal relationships that have developed make the meetings less business like and more like old friends getting together. all of the "getting-to-know-you" stuff is not there. the developed put on when we meet others is long gone. sexually, we all know the personal spots that drive the other person crazy.

 

yes, from time-to-time i'll try someone else when the opportunity presents itself; last year i was in a city when steven draker was there so i enjoyed an overnight with him (easy to contact and set up a time with plus he is a good service provider). there is some excitement with someone new buti think i like being in the rut i am with my selected few.

 

one final benefit from seeing a regular and developing a relationship is that when they retire, they will often stay in your life. two of the men i see regularly have long retired but because of our close personal relationship they have kept me on as a client. i have read of other escorts keeping one or two select clients after retirement. twice, i've met escorts and had one session and would have made them a regular but they retired before i could become a regular and establish a personal relationship. the first was the long retired shamus in new york (he got a boy friend and left the field; he was one of the best experiences i ever had) and the second was benton astor in new york who graduated and left the field but there was a posting he did keep a few select clients (i only had one meeting with him but wow!).

 

the bottom line is that as i rarely see new men, my reviews have dropped to almost none.

[+ ArVaGuy]

You have further outlined many of the reasons for building a relationship versus continually seeking out new guys. However, I do recognize that some find variety more exiting. Another benefit that I have experienced from these long term relationships involves pricing structures.

 

It's common practice for escorts to raise their rates due to time and market conditions. It's also smart business not to be on the lower end of the scale when competetors are getting higher rates in their home markets. But in several instances escorts have grandfathered the rate I pay to the rate that they were charging when we first met.

 

In each case it was the escort who made this offer and informed me of the benefit. End result has been a strengthened relationship and more $$$$ spent by me on our sessions. This is a very smart practice that can build loyalty and some guys would be smart to adopt it.

 

A further benefit to long term relationships with escorts comes into play regarding hiring of new guys. I have had situations where my long term guy is out of town on travel and he's made a suggestion on who to hire in his place. He already knows my likes and dislikes and so can offer suggestions on alternatives.

 

Also, in a couple of instances I have asked my regulars if they know certain escorts in various cities I am visiting. Several times my choice has been confirmed with a recommendation to go for it. Others have suggested considering an alternative. These recommendations have always been spot on and beneficial for everyone involved.

 

No doubt about it in my mind, longer term relationships are the way to go even if they do result in fewer reviews being submitted to the chagrin of some people. ;-)

 

(Now, how do I change the font in this post? Any suggestions?)

[+ Lucky]

Jesus himself tells us that many are called, but few are chosen. Nothing has changed!

[+ ArVaGuy]

>When things don't go as planned I always say that, "things

>usually happen for the best..." Plus as you pop those Ben

>Franlklin's back into your wallet it's like found money to

>save and use for a rainy day... and hopefully a really

>fuflilling experinece!

>

>

 

It ceraintly can be "all about the Benjamins" in this business. }(

 

And sometimes that "found money" can go to something more fullfilling like a new pair of shoes, or Ipod, or plasma screen in some instances. LOL. ;-)

[Guest Merlin]

Rentboy is better than M4RN, because they are current. Many on M4R do not give phone numbers and you just don't hear from them. Better luck with guys actually making a living rather than guys who want to make extra money once in awhile--which is the answer to your question.

[buckguy]

Back to the original question: Some guys are selective (they won't do an hour if they have other things to do or a better offer) and an overlapping group does this part-time. In either case, they may not want to invest the energy in answering emails, etc. even though this could build relationships (e.g., guys who might contact them "next time"). Credible guys here have told me that they receive a large volume of email (general questions, questions about pics), so it's understandable though infuriating that the part-timers simply signal their lack of interest by not responding.

 

There are some markets where there are lots of guys who have intermitent day work (e.g., actors, artists, and the like in NYC and LA) which may be part of the equation. In some places, there will be a lot of students, who also may have varying availability (Philly, DC, Boston, Chicago, NYC, and others). Of course, there's never enough info for us to judge these things ahead of time.

 

Availability and quality seem to run in cycles, some of which are difficult to predict or figure out. A couple years ago, I had a period of several months, across several cities big and not so big, where I was able to schedule who I wanted, when I was available, for the amounts of time I wanted and had good service everytime. Over the past year and a half, it's been more inconsistent and has skewed toward problems with availability and/or lackluster service. I did "strike gold" with Marcus Iron in SF, based on comments I got here, but otherwise, I haven't been such a happy camper.

 

I probably need to cultivate more regular contacts. When I traveled more for work, I had several regular destinations and was able to keep one regular, in particular, for quite awhile. Now that I travel less, I've been trying to see who regularly comes through DC (as the local talent isn't that great).

[+ deej]

>(Now, how do I change the font in this post? Any suggestions?)

 

Uncheck the box labeled "Message Format" (it's above "Subject") when you reply.

[SteveStacks]

Great comments all around!

I think the two best pieces of advice so far have been to cultivate regular status and to book ahead as much as possible.

 

The suggestions as to cultivating regular status is particularly sound.

Not only does regular status increase your odds of getting booking, but as other posters have astutely pointed out, it improves the quality of the encounter.

From a purely dispassionate perspective, in this, as in most industries, repeat customers are a big part of the profit returns...and more importantly, it’s just more relaxed and fun when you know just what makes the guy you’re with happy.

And as they say "Membership has it's privileges!" *chortle*

 

As far as the other suggestion of booking ahead.

It is just like any other industry in terms of supply and demand, and in fact, even more so. If it’s a great restaurant, you generally expect to have to make reservations. And unlike restaurants, escorts don’t have the option of adding another few tables (although I guess there are those escorts who may try and use that approach. *sigh*) To put it euphemistically, too high a volume of clientele means that somebody is going to be getting shortchanged. I understand it being frustrating not being able to see the guy you want if he’s booked up, but it’s probably a good sign that he isn’t just trying to “fit you in” somewhere (and a testament to your good taste in your selection *grin*)

Book ahead as much as you can, and don’t give up if your schedule doesn’t click the first time. Most of my clientele is regulars, so work doesn’t fluctuate up and down a great deal for me, but when it’s “quieter” I can often see people on as little as 24 hour notice and when it’s busy I’ve found myself booked solid for up to three weeks in advance.

 

On the other hand, I do NOT understand guys who don't respond to emails or inquires at all. That seems to me both rude, and not strategic. If a guy contacts me who's not a match and/or who i'm not comfortable seeing for whatever reason, it just makes sense to politely let him know that and save him the time and effort of multiple emails over the course of several months and me the time and effort of reading and/or responding to those multiple emails. I can understand it sometimes taking a while to get back to people. Life is complicated and especially when it's busy it's tough, if not impossible to get back to people right away. I often feel totally inundated with email (i spend at least an hour a day, sometimes several hours, responding to emails) but it seems like that's part of the job and i try (and generally manage i think) to get back to people within 24 hours. If an escort doesn’t respond at all to a first and second attempt, I’d take him off your wish list.

 

 

I say second attempt rather than just first because there are a few things to consider in terms of escort communications...We as escorts may sometimes get "spam blocked." My email is through the same company that hosts my web site and as a host of 'adult content" sites, some ISPs block emails from that source. Also, if you leave a message with a hotel number to return the call to, don’t forget that many hotels won’t connect the call without the real last name the room is registered under. And sometimes it’s just technology. I’ve had guys leave me v.m. a few times and there was so much static either in the recording, or on the line when they left the message that I couldn’t understand the number in order to return the call.

 

I’m bummed to hear that you didn’t have better luck in your searches, but glad to hear that it wasn’t a total wash. Better luck next time...Cheers!

[+ Tom Isern]

Marcus Iron is GOLD. Pure gold. Love that boy/man bottom. Seriously, this guy pushes all my buttons, so I'm biased. Smooth skin. Dark hair and eyes. Penetrating gaze. Blue (or hazel?) eyes. Very masculine but totally submissive (at least he was with me). Yummmmm... I wasn't paying, but I might... And his scene in the Hothouse movie "Descent" with Aidan Shaw has got to be one of the hottest porn couplings of all time. Now there is something I'd definitely pay for: To be in and in-between Aidan Shaw and Marcus Iron. Tom heaven.

[Okliehomo]

Have to agree with you, Tom.

 

Marcus Iron and Aiden Shaw's scene in "Descent" ranks as one of the best scenes ever in porn. EVER. I was obsessed with it for awhile....so much so that I was hell bent on meeting Aiden Shaw..such passion and that amazing ass when he was just pounding Marcus Iron...

 

Well, be careful what you wish for. I did meet Aiden Shaw and if Marcus Iron is pure GOLD, then Aiden Shaw is pure FOOL'S GOLD and that fool was me.

 

The absolute WORST hire ever.

 

Okie

[JT Brooklyn]

Oklie. A.Shaw even in his Mature Year's always took a Hunky Pix. That being said...

Also from the few times his name has popped up around here, he also is very "Self Absorbed". Movies-Books Yada Yada ....

 

So I'm guessing with your vast experience and good taste, My XXX Fantasy "Clint Cooper" was alot more Fun to hangout with way back when. LOL ;-)

[+ Tygerscent]

RE: LOL!!!!

 

Interesting points of View! You should see what it looks like from the Escort's side. I don't know about you guys but I'd prefer "standing there with a fist full of dollars and a hard on" then standing there with no place to stay at the last minute and a fist full of empty wallet. I hope someone else can see the irony in this~

Tyger!

http://www.tygerscent.biz/Galleries.html

http://www.tygerscent.biz

503.317.8055

http://www.daddysreviews.com/area.php?loc=63150&who=tyger_portland

men4rentnow.com tygerscent in Portland, Oregon

[Guest pj4florida]

RE: LOL!!!!

 

I had the same situation in LA this past weekend and even had them all located and availability cleared and none of them showed to cancelled at last minute or had to reschedule as too tired. It was ridiculous. Well thank goodness I see the same guy over and over and love every minute I am with him as he never is a clock watcher and while it is suppose to be a three hour evening session we usually go out dinner, drinking and then go mess around and then go back out again.

 

He is Brian255 on Rentboy and men4rentnow and English or Sweedish guy Blonde and always on time and cool. I am waiting for Daddy to get up his review as the verification keeps getting messed up.

 

I have now seen him over 15 times and everytime is better and better.

 

I attemped to see Blond Jason in LA, Cody in LA, Eric in LA, Marcos David in LA and David in LA all were planned but couldn't make any of them happen.

 

Justin Masters in LA is also awesome it was just he was working and couldn't make a time work unless too late at night but I knew that before I arrived

 

PJ