The Value of Reviews -- Even From First Timers

[Scorpio]

Much to do has been made lately about the perceived dubiousness of the “first-time” reviewer, especially as it relates to a previously un-reviewed escort. While there are at times grounds for that suspicion, there are those times when it’s simply much ado about nothing. Unless the membership to this little review society is now closed, new members are going to join every day. So of course there will also be an abundance of first-time reviews. And by the same token unless the membership to the pool of available escorts is also closed, there are going to be new entrants into to that realm. The new escorts (and even well established but un-reviewed escorts) are eventually going to receive their first review, which it seems are invariably written by a first-time reviewer. While caution and a certain amount of skepticism may be warranted, these first-time reviews are not all bogus or plants by the escort

 

Had it not been for this site, I probably would not have hired my first escort, even though the first escort I hired had not been reviewed on this site at the time. What sold me on this particular escort, aside from the obvious physical attraction, was the extensive email communications that we had prior to our meeting; and the genuine effort he made to help me overcome my apprehension about (a) hiring an escort and (b) having my first real sexual encounter. I wrote what turned out to be his second review, because another of his clients had also written a review, which was in the queue ahead of mine. So within a very short period of time, this previously un-reviewed escort received two very favorable reviews from “first-time” reviewers. Why did this happen? Well, aside from the fact that the escort is very good at his profession, his web site at the time carried a link to this site requesting that clients write a review if they enjoyed their experience. I have been with another escort, who in a short period of time, has racked up an incredible number of reviews mostly by first-time posters. Why? Well, aside from the fact that he is very good at what he does, he usually hands out a business card at the end of a session that requests that a review be submitted and includes the link to this site. Neither of these requests was overbearing. I actually think it is a good marketing tool. And if the client is happy (as I was) then I think it only natural to show your appreciation with a review -- even if you're a first timer.

 

As has been discussed, the reviews themselves are nothing more than one person’s opinion as to the events that transpired. If it was a positive experience, then hopefully that bodes well for the next person hiring the same escort, but that is not necessarily the case. It may not even be true for that person writing the review were he to hire that same escort again. On a few occasions, I have hired the same escort more than once. And unfortunately there have been those times when the repeat performance did not live up to the opening night, and there have been times when it far surpassed the initial encounter. Does that make my own review of the initial encounter suspect? I don’t think so. It just goes to prove that there are too many variables involved in these rather unique encounters to always ensure consistency of performance – for either party. We certainly hope for it, but there are definitely no guarantees.

 

For instance, there is an escort who is a sometime poster to this message center. I have in the past been very attracted to the personality that seems to come through in his posts, which prompted me to read his reviews. Many of which are written by first-time reviewers. The reviews are glowing and seem to echo the personality that comes through here at the message center. So I finally decided to contact him. However, while his reviews tout his promptness and thoroughness to responding to email, I have found this not to be the case -- at least with me. It took me two tries over the course of a week before I finally received a very short reply to say that he was unavailable but to please try again later. So I did try again -- three more times and well in advance, but he was always unavailable. The last time I contacted him I asked if it was matter of not wanting to meet with me or was it truly just a matter of timing. He assured me that it was just a matter of timing. So I suggested that he provide me with some alternate dates that he might have available, but I never received a reply. Since I don’t seem to have encountered the same person/personality written about in the reviews, does that make me doubt the veracity of his reviews? Or does that indicate that I'm a bad client? No, on both counts. Based on some independent verification, I’m sure that his reviews are accurate; and I know that I’m a very good client. However, I do believe that for some reason the escort felt he and I weren't a suitable match, which is fine and I have no problem with that. However, he used the supposed scheduling conflicts as excuses instead of being honest and that I have a problem with. Maybe he thought he was sparing my feelings, but I always prefer honesty to subterfuge. As a result, my personal opinion of him is no longer as well regarded as it once was, but I don’t doubt that he is a good escort for certain clients.

 

Regardless of whether an escort’s reviews have been written by a first-time reviewer or a reviewer with an established track record, the ultimate success of any encounter boils down to some level of chemistry between the client and escort, whether it be “real” or imagined. However, I suspect that the best escorts are able to generate that chemistry when needed. Hopefully, the reviews steer us away from the flakes and the con artists but then again that is a matter of perception as well. Some people seem to like the bad boys.

 

When I first started doing this a little over a year ago, one of the first escorts that I hired was highly touted on this site. He had many glowing reviews from a wide variety of posters -- some with established track records. His reviews and our email communications impressed me, but my experience with him was totally lackluster. Maybe it was because I was with him near the end of his career and he was already beginning to do a meltdown -- the person I met was nothing like the person in the reviews in terms of his performance or attentiveness to clients. Or possibly it had something to do with the fact that while I was wowed by his reviews, he did not wow me in any other way and maybe he sensed that. Maybe we were both at fault. So in this instance had I followed by own judgment and not the reviews, I could have avoided a costly mistake. By the same token, I saw another escort soon after this, who at best has mixed reviews. Yet my experience with him was awesome. So in that instance had I relied specifically on the reviews and not exercised my own judgment, I would have missed the opportunity to meet this incredibly affectionate, attractive and sexy man.

 

The reviews are a useful tool, whether they are written by first-timers or old pros. However, we each still need to exercise common sense and rely on our own tastes and not those of someone else. And while a certain amount of skepticism may be called for in reading first-time reviews, it's important to note that they are not all plants by the escort. Each of us has written review had to start at one. Mine wasn't bogus was yours?

[Guest regulation]

Evaluations of some escort attributes are quite subjective. I have seen several escorts whom at least one reviewer described as extremely attractive but whom I consider quite ordinary, for example. For this reason, I pay more attention to what reviews say about things that are NOT subjective. Did the escort reply promptly to phone calls or emails? Did he arrive at the appointment on time? Did he do whatever had been agreed beforehand? Did he ask for money up front?

 

In the early days of this site I generally took first-time reviews of escorts at face value even when, as was often the case, there were no other reviews of that escort available for comparison. But after many occasions on which HB and the site members have pointed out first-time reviews that seem bogus for various reasons, I no longer do that. It simply doesn't seem prudent.

[Guest MattAdams]

I agree with Scorpio even if I would not have given the benefit of the doubt in one of his examples.

 

Over the last year things have gotten a lot more complicated in terms of making a buying decision.

 

I generally write about the "best in class escorts". With the Internet I am not even certain what that means anymore because different types of clients see it differently. So I will stick with the garden variety vanilla best in class...an escort that is personable, professional, and consistent.

 

This means the escort is not:

 

an imposter: writes his own reviews

manipulative: writes the review or has a client write the review

a spammer: multiple cases of the above

 

I have noticed that reviews suddenly appear at certain times for certain escorts:

 

1. when times are slow

2. when someone is "sponsoring" the new escort for their own benefit

3. just after a negative or slightly negative review appears

 

Clients are getting wiser to the whole marketing game and take the reviews as one part of the overall equation. Here are some of the other tips:

 

1. Where do you see the escort advertised?

2. Who are their friends?

3. Do they have a website?

4. Is it an AOL website, free website, or paid hosted website?

5. Does the escort act the way he is described in the review? Keep in mind those drug relapses can be sudden.

 

The review process is further muddled by some complications with clients:

 

1. The client offering to do a good review for a discount.

2. The client that worships the escort as a near god and is not sufficiently detached to write an objective review or to see things that other reviewers see.

 

I am certainly considered detached and aloof by many but I have my own weaknesses:

 

1. I support escorts even when they are going through rough times.

2. I have not always gone to the extremes others might have gone to when they have been "ripped off" by an escort (for those that need things spelled out in black and white, ripped off means having something physical and of value stolen by someone). In fact, there are several that have done just that to me and I have never said a word about it. Suffice it to say I have a long memory and great patience in settling things.

3. I have been known to support escorts that have done some things to clients in the past.

 

Part of this eclectic style allows me to observe behavior and compare observations.

 

Over the last couple months there has been a big increase in the number of escorts. This is to be expected. When things got bad in San Francisco in 1992, the number of advertised escorts skyrocketed. It is very interesting how this new crop of escorts are handling things. The business has gotten very competitive and it is very interesting how established escorts are protecting their turf. It has become no different than any other business in how competition is handled.

 

Matt Adams

http://www.whatshotnews.com

[email protected]

[Guest regulation]

Matt, thanks for some interesting comments. You confirm several things I had suspected but not discussed with others on this board.

[Guest DevonSFescort]

As a fairly new (but not brand spankin' new) escort whose reviews so far have all come from first timers, I have a more than casual interest in this topic, and my bias should be clear from the outset...

 

It is true that there are many aspects to one's marketing strategy. I have tried to highlight my own two main personal fetishes (nipple play and body worship) in my ads, chat room profiles, and now on my web site (full disclosure: it's one of those presumably suspect free sites -- but a plan is in the works for bigger and better things!). I do this because those are the two big things that I am always guaranteed to enjoy with just about anyone. It's not that I don't love doing other things, such as fucking and being fucked, but for me those activities are much more functions of personal chemistry, and I simply can't predict an outcome with a client I've never met.

 

How does this relate to reviews? Well, in the last couple of months I've lost my inhibitions about encouraging clients, particularly those who learned about me on this site, to send in a review (although I usually take a low-key approach like saying "Feel free to add your two cents"). But I do think selectively about which clients I ask. I might discover a certain type of chemistry with a client and end up fucking his brains out because that was a function of our personal rapport. To be honest I would almost hope that that client kept our special encounter to himself, not because it wasn't a great time for me too, but because I don't want to get fifty calls from power bottoms looking for someone who tops on command. I'm no Jake Walker and would be a fool to claim to be... The clients I tend to mention the review option to are guys whose experience stands the best chance of being "repeated" (notwithstanding the fact that every encounter is unique) with the widest possible variety of guys. (This is not to say that I would not be incredibly grateful to anybody who went to the trouble to write a sincere review.)

 

Does that mean I'm "manipulating" the market? I guess so, but it's for the purpose of attracting not just more clients but the types of clients I think I can serve best. In my case that means trying to attract people who share my fetishes, which in turn, I believe, attracts an even higher percentage of first time reviewers.

 

Folks have raised some valid reasons to be conscious when hiring escorts with lots of first time reviews, but I'd encourage them to get in touch anyway and at least feel the escort out. Initial communications like emails and phone calls tend to reveal a lot, not only about the escort's professionalism but about what kind of chemistry is there. If some of you (understandably) skeptical multi-reviewers take at least that much of a chance, I bet you'd get to like some of us "greener" escorts too... :-)

[Guest AdamLVescort]

Devon,

I too agree with you on asking to keep somethings discreet. In fact I tell just about all of my clients that if they are to write a review, review me on punctuallity not how well I can suck a mans penis. I guess I too would be considered as "Manipulating" but with good intentions. I too don't want someone to have expectations that I might not be able to fulfill. In fact I spend alot of time on emails talking to my clients so I can get to know them better. Fortunately I have had only 1 reviewer that was a newb to the site. The rest are all pros. :9 I think it is ok to suggest to our clients to review us since that is how we get our business. I get just about all of my clients off of this site. Of course I own my personal website but this is where they start at. Reviews give a client and idea of who we are and what we might be like. I try to make the comment that everyone is different and there are so many factors that could falter a date. Luckily I have yet to run into anything that has caused me to have a bad experience.. well I say that just one time. Anywho here is my 2cents :-)

 

Later,

Adam

XOXO

http://www.adamlvescort.com

[Guest]

Although everybody has to start with one review, most legitimate reviews are made by people who've put in reviews before. There are some legitimate first-time reviews, of course, but anyone who regularly reads the "Newest Reviews" section realizes that the number of people who write one and only one review is quite disproportionate to what one would expect. This seems to be especially true when an escort first appears on this site. This doesn't mean I wouldn't hire an escort with only a first-time reviewer. It just means I will cross my fingers (or rely on e-mail information), rather than rely on the 1st time reviewer's accuracy.

[Scorpio]

RE: The Value of Reviews -- Addendum

 

Although my initial post was somewhat verbose, the simple point I was trying to make is that not all first-time reviews are bogus. Based on my experience, some are some and some aren't. I even hired an escort at one time that I now strongly suspect wrote his first review or two, as well as subtly promoted himself on these boards disguised as a client. Fortunately, he lived up to the self-promotion - at least in my case. But I certainly don't approve of what he did, it's still deceptive advertising. The reviews are only beneficial if they have been objectively written by the client without some quid pro quo invlovled.

 

However, upon further reflection, I have come to the conclusion that hiring an escort is often times a big gamble. It doesn't matter how good the reviews are or how good your pre-appointment communications and planning have been (via email and/or telephone) sometimes you're going to roll snakes-eyes or go bust. Maybe it is the escort's fault or maybe it is the client's fault. Maybe both are to blame.

 

In my case, I think it often rest with me. Not because I'm a bad client, but because I'm a somewhat shy and quiet individual. So I feel uncomfortable having to ask an escort to do this or that once the session gets started. I think that SOME escorts(but by no means not all them) sense this about me and use it to their advantage. I guess they assume why should they give 100% to the encounter when they can sense I'm willing to let them get by with a lot less. So in these instances my nice, sweet, laid-back and non-aggressive nature works against me.

 

I'm also slowly coming to the conclusion that the best course of action (at least for me) is to find an escort (or two or three) that consistently follows through with what he promises and see him on a regular bais. And fortunately I have 3 or 4 very suitable choices among my previous reviewees.

[Guest WetDream]

RE: The Value of Reviews -- Addendum

 

I've been thinking about this thread for a bit and have wondered how best to respond. Of course there is nothing inherently wrong with first-time reviewers; anyone that has posted a review on this site was a first timer. And yes, some of them may be a bit bogus because they were written by the escort. It is the pattern that develops that should be watched and evaluated. By that I mean, does the escort in question have a string of reviews by first-time reviewers and do many of them sound like they were written by the same person (they could also been written by a friend or long-time client of the escort).

 

And even if they are written by the escort, it doesn't mean that you can't have a terrific time in the sack with this person. The only sure way to find out if he is fun to be with, sexually and as a person, is to hire him. Sexual experiences are completely subjective. Mr. Right for me might be Mr. Wrong for you. The reviews are simply guidelines. Knowing something about the reviewer from previous reviews or participation in the Message Center can give some indication whether or not your tastes are similar.

 

You pays your money and you takes your chances.

[Guest regulation]

RE: The Value of Reviews -- Addendum

 

>I even hired an escort at one time that I now

>strongly suspect wrote his first review or two, as well as

>subtly promoted himself on these boards disguised as a

>client. Fortunately, he lived up to the self-promotion - at

>least in my case. But I certainly don't approve of what he

>did, it's still deceptive advertising. The reviews are only

>beneficial if they have been objectively written by the

>client without some quid pro quo invlovled.

 

I don't expect a great deal of honesty from escorts. I recall a recent thread in which someone suggested that escorts reveal their HIV status. One of the other posters scoffed at this idea, pointing out that escorts often can't even be relied upon to be honest about their age or dick size. Nevertheless, I agree that creating fake reviews or inducing favorite clients to write reviews is taking the usual dishonesty a step further. It reminds me of a recent incident in which a major movie studio had some of its employees pretend to be ordinary moviegoers who praised one of the studio's films when asked about it by an interviewer outside the theater.

[Guest cmax]

RE: The Value of Reviews -- Addendum

 

"I don't expect a great deal of honesty from escorts".

 

I'm curious - what experiences have you had that led to this comment? While I do not expect escorts to reveal any personal infomration about themselves or their lives, I don't think they are any more or less honest than the clients. Have you had specific examples when you have been duped by an escort?

 

I take first time reviews with caution, but also find that some escorts with a string of glowing reviews can lapse in their professionalism.

[Guest Traveler]

RE: The Value of Reviews -- Addendum

 

>Although my initial post was somewhat verbose, the simple

>point I was trying to make is that not all first-time

>reviews are bogus. Based on my experience, some are some and

>some aren't. I even hired an escort at one time that I now

>strongly suspect wrote his first review or two, as well as

>subtly promoted himself on these boards disguised as a

>client. Fortunately, he lived up to the self-promotion - at

>least in my case. But I certainly don't approve of what he

>did, it's still deceptive advertising

 

You hit the hammer on the nail. When a new escort gets his first review, and it's by a new reviewer, you should consider it as an advertisement. A long string of first-time reviewers is also suspicious. Hopefully, it's how the escort plans to do business. Nevertheless, it's less than likely that a client who's new to this site wrote the review(s) (although it's entirely possible).

[Guest regulation]

RE: The Value of Reviews -- Addendum

 

>

>"I don't expect a great deal of honesty from escorts".

>

>I'm curious - what experiences have you had that led to this

>comment? While I do not expect escorts to reveal any

>personal infomration about themselves or their lives, I

>don't think they are any more or less honest than the

>clients. Have you had specific examples when you have been

>duped by an escort?

 

 

Perhaps "duped" is a bit strong. I certainly have had many experiences in which some of the characteristics escorts claimed in their ads and emails proved false. This includes age, height, dick size and other characteristics that are a matter of mathematics, not a matter of opinion. I'm not sure how clients can be dishonest, since the only thing a client normally represents is that he is willing and able to pay a certain amount of money.

 

I understand that ads are meant to emphasize the positive aspects of what is advertised, but there are limits. A car maker may advertise that a certain model will make you feel as though you are driving at Daytona, and that may or may not be true. But one does not expect the car maker to claim that the model has four doors when in fact it has only two.