Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
OK, so I don't know how many people here have worked down south, but I currently work in Huntsville, AL. I have worked in several clubs in TN including Nashville and also several places in AL. It seems to be lately that most of the clubs in this area have the same problem... customers getting WAY to much for WAY to little $. Since I have a newborn, I am not able to travel, so I do have to stick close to home. Please help me with this situation.
Huntsville has about 15 strip clubs... yes 15! Because of the HUGE competition girls have collectively began over the last few years to do ALOT of extras. All Huntsville clubs are pastie clubs. Girls now a days will gladly show private areas for $1... no big deal. I have had to fight with customers constantly on stage and off to keep their hands to themselves. I was reading through some hustling tips here today, and the majority of them would make my situation worse.
Here, the bouncers could care less what the customers do... there are really very few 'rules' that will get a customer thrown out of the club. So, here's my problem. When asking for dances, I see a lot of you suggest flirting and such. For example, "Let's go play in VIP"... stuff like that. Well if I said that to one of these customers down here, that is an open invitation to get felt up, fingered, and everything else.
So, how should I hustle a collective group of guys who thinks it is perfectly ok to violate you... especially when the other girls allow it.... and bouncers don't seem to care? How am I supposed to talk to these guys and make money?
Thanks for the help ladies!
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
You can't. If you can't move and you're not willing to be a ho, then you'll have to get another job. Trust me, I'm dealing with the same thing in Los Angeles right now. You can occasionally hustle a few dances but it's really not worth the hassle and the risk of being assaulted.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Yeah... i'm trying to get into fetish modeling and possibly feature work... really I'm just doing this for a few months to get my body and 'swagger' back after the pregnancy. And of course to help with a few bills... I just have no interest right now in getting a 'real' job since I only plan to do it for a short while, and kind of need to be in that 'club' atmosphere to get my connections back. Anyways... keep the opinions coming!
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
I keep trying to deal with guys like this but I keep getting "rapist hands" (where they grab you and you try to move their hand but it won't budge). If the club will back you up, get the money up front, then say your rules if they coincide with local law, and then start the dance and give a couple warnings first. But, it sounds like your situation is trickier. I'm so sorry. :(
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
How does the VIP area work in your club? Does it go by the half hour or hour? Or is it a private lapdance area?
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Private lapdances only... $25 per song. No VIP at this point although they are building an area for it in the future.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Do most customers at your club live in town, or do you get any business travelers? Out-of-town guys who aren't familiar with the rules may not be expecting as much for as little.
Alternatively, maybe you can cultivate regulars who like you and won't expect to violate your boundaries for $1 a throw? It sounds like these guys may be hard to find at your club, but keep looking.
Guys who are really determined to poke some girl in the kitty are not going to be talked out of it by anything you say or do. As soon as it becomes obvious that this is what the guy you're talking to is after, JUST WALK AWAY. You aren't going to give them what they want, the dealing with them is just going to stress you out. Leave them on their asses and keep moving.
When you are looking for a gold nugget in a shit hill, you're going to have to shovel a lot of shit. But if that one good customer is out there, YOU want to be the one to find him. Don't waste your time with the assholes.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
xoxoGracexoxo
When you are looking for a gold nugget in a shit hill, you're going to have to shovel a lot of shit. But if that one good customer is out there, YOU want to be the one to find him. Don't waste your time with the assholes.
^^^nicely said! I agree. I do my share of shit-shoveling when it comes to finding the right kind of guys for VIP's.
That's great that you'll be getting a real VIP area soon. You'll get good at weeding out the extras-seeking custies after a while. They all tend to ask the same questions.
Before the timed-session VIP's are built though, for private dances, I'd just give the guy a warning the first time and tell him "One more time, and the dance stops!" Although it may be difficult to sell multiple dances if you get your money up front, I am suggesting that you do. That way you can terminate the dance if the douche can't abide by the rules. That way you can avoid situations where the guy seriously violates you, and when you get pissed and refuse to continue and he won't pay you.
If you are allowed, sell a package of 3 for 60 or something, prepaid. Or, tell the guys you never do just one song. See how it goes over. This might weed out some of the cheap-o douches who are looking for fingering and flashing. I really hope some other girls with private dance area experience chime in to help you. I'm used to timed VIP's, but I'm trying to help anyway!
One more thing... Don't be afraid to walk away from money if you're not willing to be their kind of girl. It's okay to walk away with less money and your dignity intact.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
paintgoddess
^^^
If you are allowed, sell a package of 3 for 60 or something, prepaid. Or, tell the guys you never do just one song. See how it goes over. This might weed out some of the cheap-o douches who are looking for fingering and flashing.
I totally agree with that advice!
I have worked at more than one club where certain dancers would always let the custies think they were going to get everything they wanted and more, get the money in advance, then proceed to give a totally clean dance. No, this is not the way to get regulars, but these ladies always did well.
On slow nights, I too have allowed customers to believe that they were going to get what they wanted (without my actually saying it, because even hinting at illegal things can get you arrested by an undercover) then insisted on being paid upfront. Then I flirtatiously (kinda in a babydoll voice) inform them that I am not going to do anything illegal, I am good girl, yadda yadda yadda.
This is not the way I prefer to get dances, but it often does work.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
^^^Um... you don't need to tell guys they're going to get something they're not in order to make money. You're just setting yourself up for problems, and you look like a whore to everyone in earshot whether or not you do what you say you will.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Sorry.... I didn't mean to say that you will do more. I've never done that.
But there have been times when they ask "How good are your dances?" and I know that means am I going to grab them thru their pants or whatever... and I just tell them my dances are really great even though I know what they are going to assume.
My opinion is that they shouldn't be looking for that in a SC anyways, so if they infer from my flirting that they are going to get illegal "extras" then that is their own folly.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
^^I've done this on occasion, too. Not that I say, or even directly imply, that I'll be doing sucky-sucky, but the guys will hint about all the "fun" we're going to have, and I'll agree that yes indeedy we're going to have lots and lots of fun. But when it comes right down to it, my version of "fun" is prolly a bit tamer than what they had in mind.
Yeah, you're setting yourself up to get pressured for extras when you do this, so you have to be prepared for that. I don't do it a lot, or with just every customer. I have to have the vibe that he won't get ugly with me when he figures out he's not getting sticky fingers.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
velour1141
Yeah... i'm trying to get into fetish modeling and possibly feature work... really I'm just doing this for a few months to get my body and 'swagger' back after the pregnancy. And of course to help with a few bills... I just have no interest right now in getting a 'real' job since I only plan to do it for a short while, and kind of need to be in that 'club' atmosphere to get my connections back. Anyways... keep the opinions coming!
That's good news. Because when you're in a club like this, you have no way out except to be a clean dancer making less money than the extra dancers.
It's tough enough. But when management does not give a rats ass what is going on the club is headed for a raid or rape or god knows. I would finish doing the work if you make enough to get by being a clean dancer and get out.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandomDancer
I totally agree with that advice!
I have worked at more than one club where certain dancers would always let the custies think they were going to get everything they wanted and more, get the money in advance, then proceed to give a totally clean dance. No, this is not the way to get regulars, but these ladies always did well.
On slow nights, I too have allowed customers to believe that they were going to get what they wanted (without my actually saying it, because even hinting at illegal things can get you arrested by an undercover) then insisted on being paid upfront. Then I flirtatiously (kinda in a babydoll voice) inform them that I am not going to do anything illegal, I am good girl, yadda yadda yadda.
This is not the way I prefer to get dances, but it often does work.
IMHO this works very well in large city clubs, and fails miserably in smaller and/or more remotely located clubs. City clubs (especially the bigger, more well known ones) tend to get more foot traffic, business travelers, out-of-town custies, and more generally random visitors. More rural/suburban "Cheers"-type places tend to depend a lot more on regular customers and repeat business.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
paintgoddess
One more thing... Don't be afraid to walk away from money if you're not willing to be their kind of girl. It's okay to walk away with less money and your dignity intact.
I guess this is exactly why I am leaving LA. I am having the same problem as the OP, to a very extreme point. I have heard of some girls promising more and then ripping customers off, but then you get pegged as a ROB on zbone.com and eventually guys won't spend money on you. For a while I was able to charge customers more to touch but now I don't feel so comfortable with that, especially since I've been leaving work with very little after the high tipouts. You go home feeling really dirty for nothing.
I think you're either gonna have to roll with the ho-business, rip guys off or find another job. Sad, I know. We deserve better.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
velour1141
Yeah... i'm trying to get into fetish modeling and possibly feature work... really I'm just doing this for a few months to get my body and 'swagger' back after the pregnancy. And of course to help with a few bills... I just have no interest right now in getting a 'real' job since I only plan to do it for a short while, and kind of need to be in that 'club' atmosphere to get my connections back. Anyways... keep the opinions coming!
Trust me, you don't want to feature. I promise. For 90% of the girls that want to do it the money it takes to get started isn't worth it, especially if you only want to do this for a short time (less than 3-5 years). I've dropped more than 20K in costumes alone in the past year.
Sorry Huntsville is really bad, Nashville is aweomse due to the new laws, which is why I'm not house dancing here anymore.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
^^No it's NOT awesome, it's AWFUL! I can't edit my post right now!
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gingerlee
Trust me, you don't want to feature. I promise. For 90% of the girls that want to do it the money it takes to get started isn't worth it, especially if you only want to do this for a short time (less than 3-5 years). I've dropped more than 20K in costumes alone in the past year.
Sorry Huntsville is really bad, Nashville is aweomse due to the new laws, which is why I'm not house dancing here anymore.
Hey there miss Ginger Lee... we used to work together for a short while in Nashvegas... and Huntsville is even worse. I really don't want to feature... probably heading towards the modeling route. That's more up my ally... kind of sick of working in the clubs. Thanks for your opinion... and watch out for those pheasants!
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
^^OMG I remember you! We talked on Myspace too! I am so sorry Huntsville sucks ass honey.
Re: Need tips for how to deal with this type of customer!
I am in the same boat with the OP, and this is my advice:
1. Remember why you are there. I have a kiddo, too, and I am only still dancing b/c I want the flexibility to be there for him as much as I can. My goal is to put food on my table while working less than full-time, and making my own schedule. I know there are girls who are making a bunch more money than I am, but I don't need that much money. I need to keep my dignity intact.
2. Dress classy, not slutty. I work with some girls who will do anything for a buck (sometimes only one buck) and they look it. My look is more retro-glam. I purposely look like I am NOT ready to put out at the drop of a hat. I wear a lot of dresses and even long gowns down to my toes. I do my hair and makeup and everything to support that look. The customers I get are of a different sort than the bikini-girls get. I tend to get the ones that are less grabby and nicer, and I also get the doofuses that want to take me away from all this yadda, yadda. But most of the guys who get lots of dances with the known extras girls don't even want to talk to me, and v/v.
3. Try to drag things out as long as you can. I use these lines to good effect: "I never do that on the first dance (or before the 3rd dance or whatever)." "I don't know you very well . . . yet (wink)." "the longer I dance, the hotter I get" and so on.
4. Offer a package deal. I sometimes give 3 for $50 when it is slow and I am having trouble getting anyone to a second dance. It takes an evening of $20 single dances and makes it much more profitable and a.so easier b/c there is less hustle per dance. Some people would advise you never to offer a discount of any kind, and I can respect that. It works for me, in certain situations. You can make it a condition of the package that they pay up front.
5. Be careful about demanding payment upfront, however unless it is the usual thing at your club. Many guys see that as a red flag for a ROB.
6. Distinguish yourself in some way. I learned to give killer massages, and that is a steady source of tips. Most girls can't do it well, so I can get tips out of most guys, even the ones that "don't do dances" and the die hard extras hounds.
Hang in there. It will take some time, but you will develop your regulars and hit your stride.