I need some help! Changes in the club....
My club has been remodeling and last week they opened the new "VIP" room. It's a $5 admission for the guys, and the dances are $25 a song--of that the club gets $5. That's on top of a $25 house fee. Previously we paid the house fee only, and charged $20 a song for dances. This is a huge change for us, and I don't know what I'm going to do. In a couple of months, our new champagne rooms will be opening, and I don't know all of the details on that one.
I really like my club, but how can they go from charging us $25 a night to charging us so much more? And not only that, if we ask questions or express concern about the new system, they pretty much show us the door. If we aren't all "on board" with the new system and if we don't have great attitudes about the change, they would rather not have us there at all.
For right now, I'm staying there. I've only worked two shifts since they made the change, so I can't say how it has affected my money. I'm sure my money will be fine eventually, but I am not happy about handing them a wad of cash every night. I feel like I'm getting pimped out.
I'm trying to think of new ways to make money, table dancing, etc., anything to avoid giving them such a huge chunk every shift. And I'm trying to have a better attitude so as not to fuck up my own hustle, but it's easier said than done. It's hard to go in one day and have everything change. I don't know how to do it.
What are your experiences with this kind of thing? Can anyone offer tips/suggestions on how to make this change successfully without losing money?
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
I had that exact same change happen at my club about 2 years ago. I swear club owners must have a site like SW where they scour for ideas on how to take more money from their dancers. I don't have any suggestions for how to get around it, just empathy. For some reason my money never really changed, but probably because I wasn't hustling VIP as heavily a few years ago because we were busier overall.
I HATE knowing I'm giving away such a huge chunk of change to the club for absolutely nothing though, and it feels horrible to essentially be giving away a free dance to the customer. You could always try to charge $30 to at least get your $5 back, but most customers already know what the price should be and don't want to pay even more. It's just another of the many changes I've gotten "used to" over time....
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
It DOES suck, but you could also look at it as dances are still 20 bucks a song for you, they didn't lower that at least... but it is frustrating to hand 50 - 100 extra bucks to the boss each night. Try not to let it upset you too much and dont worry Im sure the CR will be a good money maker too ;)
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
Hmmm... Looks like nothing has changed there. That sux girlie. They're always trying to come up w/ a way to milk money from the girls. I hate that club barf:ill:
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
VegasPrincess
It DOES suck, but you could also look at it as dances are still 20 bucks a song for you
Yeah, and now guys are getting 4 songs instead of 5, or not getting dances at all. So while we are still getting $20 a song, we are doing fewer dances.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Andygirl
Yeah, and now guys are getting 4 songs instead of 5, or not getting dances at all. So while we are still getting $20 a song, we are doing fewer dances.
Grrr..... I didn't realize that was happening!!!! Sorry girl :(
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
I used to work at a club that out of the blue starting charging customers $5 for a wrist band that granted them admission to the private dance room (where entrance used to be free). We still kept all of our PD dance money but were forced to sell the $5 wrist band in order to sell dances and therefore hear the ensuing griping from the customers. It pissed me off and pissed custies off but any girl who complained didn't get a schedule.
Everyone grumbled but had to get used to it. When working the floor I would know to target the guys with wrist bands because they were obviously interested in getting dances. It may take time but eventually it was business as usual. I would advise no matter how annoyed you are, not to commiserate with customers. It will make it harder for them to adjust to the price increase and you still need to sell.
Then the club implemented a VIP as well. The dancers didn't like that either because the club did take a cut. A lot of girls refused to sell them because it seemed you would make as much or more just doing PD's. In the end I learned to sell them and did well because you were able to make more of one guy. For example a 30 min VIP was $150, we kept $125 and an hour was $300, we kept $250. Some guys don't get five dances in a row (~$125) but would get a 30 min VIP that was more private. Also this was in a one way contact club so there was no difference in mileage between a private dance and VIP, just the privacy factor.
Anyways, it might suck at first and I feel for you because you're on the front lines selling to the customers that are going to upset by the $$$ increase but eventually it can work out. In the end the VIP really helped me maximize my money even though the club was getting a cut because I learned how to sell them first, while the other girls were still too resistant to change.
It sucks that you have to tip out of your PD money, I would never been happy with that.
Is yours the first club in your area applying this extra charge to the customer? That makes a different in how they will respond.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
Yes, Andy's club is the first. They started off with the $5 wrist bands a couple of years ago and have just graduated to $25 dances. Meanwhile, they are still the only club in town pulling this shit. They just underwent a revovation and I think the idea is to instantly up the club's status, but you don't go from one step above a neighborhood bar to "upscale gentlemen's club" in a week. I am very curious as to how this will play out.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Andygirl
Yeah, and now guys are getting 4 songs instead of 5, or not getting dances at all. So while we are still getting $20 a song, we are doing fewer dances.
Yes, this is what makes it extra frustrating. Guys don't see things in terms of number of dances, they see it in terms of the money they can spend. So, a guy knows he can spend $100, he buys 4 dances, you lose $20 to the club, while before you would've just sold 5 dances and made the whole $100. Though technically you're making the same money per dance, you're no longer making the same money overall.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
In the past, I had only worked at clubs like this, where they get a percentage of the dance price. Oh, and the wristband thing, too. Now I pay a flat housefee, but if you do less than 3 dances it goes down to almost nothing. I work in a really small club now, and it seems to me like the majority of "chain" clubs will try and up their revenue by nickel and diming the girls. It sucks, but in my experience it won't change and everyone will get used to it.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
I think that its the season to change the clubs. The club that I work in just adjusted the VIP room prices it went from $75 for 15 minutes club getting $15 and the half hour went from $150 with a $25 club cut. To 15 minutes for $100 club getting $25 and $200 for half an hour club getting $50. Most girls thought it was great for a few days then realized that the club is getting a larger cut. Customers are not buying them just because now.
Guess that we will just have to work harder to get what we deserve. and cope with all the changes that are going on.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dottie Rebel
Yes, Andy's club is the first. They started off with the $5 wrist bands a couple of years ago and have just graduated to $25 dances. Meanwhile, they are still the only club in town pulling this shit. They just underwent a revovation and I think the idea is to instantly up the club's status, but you don't go from one step above a neighborhood bar to "upscale gentlemen's club" in a week. I am very curious as to how this will play out.
The expectation is that the dancers will make up the money spent on the renovations, which is so much bullshit. Meanwhile, the new VIP area looks like someone's brother-in-law got contracted to do it. It's shoddy quality and customers are commenting on it. And the champagne rooms aren't even close to opening. You'd think they'd do it bit-by-bit as far as changing our fees and such. How can they expect us to pay before this project is even close to being done? It's crazy.
And they've told the girls that "all" of the major clubs in town are making the change from $20 to $25 dances. Obviously I know this is bullshit because I just came from your club and I know they aren't jacking the girls for $5 a dance.
Even if I still make tons of money I will always hold resentment against the club because of their underhanded methods. It goes against everything I feel is right and just, but I still want to work there because its where I am comfortable, its where I make the most money, and its where I have friends and customers. Still, I am having a hard time getting used to this. As much as I try to see the positives, the negatives keep slapping me in the purse.
Anyway, off I go. We'll see how my first Saturday shift goes with this system. Wish me luck!
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
I had a decent ($525) Saturday night, although not nearly as good as usual. It was a weird crowd, but somehow I made it work. Sometimes it feels as though magic takes over and you get the right customers to make your night. That's what happened. I also tried my best to do tableside dances, but that requires me to humble myself far more than I am comfortable with. I guess I'll just have to keep on trying new ways to make the moolah.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
^^^Hooray for stripper magic! I'm amazed (and thankful) at how, despite the overall erosion of our rights and take home pay, great money is still there to be made.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
Wait, wait, wait...you serious left out the worst part. I just came back to Andy's club tonight and...just...I am stunned.
They got rid of the comfortable, private but easily moniored VIP room ($20 dances) with large couches and built a giant room of dark, seedy stalls with STOOLS in them and barely room to move around!! The stools are barely big enough for an average guy to sit on, let alone for a guy and dancer to lounge on and talk. You can hump his lap forwards and then turn around and do it backwards. That's about it. Or, of course, since it's dark as shit, totally private, and you run out of things to do in half a song, you can do other things...
One guy told me tonight that the girl who danced for him before me told him he had a "perfect mushroom cap". Awesome. I'm sure my dance was a fuckin' bummer.
So...you take out the decent VIP room, replace it with tiny, seedy, private stalls, you bilk us from each dance.
Are they TRYING to turn the place into a brothel?
I'm livid.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
Yikes! That club was great back in the day...memories. I'm sorry it's been turned into crap over the years. Money has never really been a prob. there. If u can deal w/ all the bull that comes w/ the place. That's a lot of bull. A LOT..I might pop in there sometime to see the new stuff. I'm not ready to grace the stage there just yet.
Re: I need some help! Changes in the club....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dottie Rebel
Wait, wait, wait...you serious left out the worst part. I just came back to Andy's club tonight and...just...I am stunned.
They got rid of the comfortable, private but easily moniored VIP room ($20 dances) with large couches and built a giant room of dark, seedy stalls with STOOLS in them and barely room to move around!! The stools are barely big enough for an average guy to sit on, let alone for a guy and dancer to lounge on and talk. You can hump his lap forwards and then turn around and do it backwards. That's about it. Or, of course, since it's dark as shit, totally private, and you run out of things to do in half a song, you can do other things...
One guy told me tonight that the girl who danced for him before me told him he had a "perfect mushroom cap". Awesome. I'm sure my dance was a fuckin' bummer.
So...you take out the decent VIP room, replace it with tiny, seedy, private stalls, you bilk us from each dance.
Are they TRYING to turn the place into a brothel?
I actually don't mind the new dance room. It rids the guy of the assumption that I am going to sit there for a song or two for free. It's a timesaver if you ask me. And I haven't had guys trying any more than usual back there. The way I see it, the dirty girls are going to get dirty no matter what kind of setup we have. This just makes it a tad easier for them. But as long as they aren't dipping into my money, I don't care.
It's the other changes that worry me. It will be interesting to see how it goes once the other rooms open up.