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Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
So I finally bit the bullet and set out to audition at a Deja Vu club today. I was shaking and drinking Jameson out of my flask for some liquid courage before I went in the club.. I was so scared! After introducing myself to the manager he told me to get dressed and notify the DJ when I was ready - I was going out on the main stage for a 2 song set, and the audition was to be fully nude. I met another dancer in the bathroom and she was really nice and supportive, which was a pleasant surprise. Her and some of the waitresses came to watch me onstage and cheered me on. Before I knew it, the songs were over and I had a job and $11 off the stage :)
The auditioning process was done and the manager took me back to sign the papers. While discussing the contract, he mentioned that Deja Vu keeps 40% of the dancer's gross income off private dances. The dancer keeps 60%. No mandatory tip-outs, but it's polite to do so.
I know that a lot of SW members aren't fans of the Deja Vu chain, and now I know why! The big question is, does it hinder your ability to make a lot of money dancing having such a big chunk taken out of it?
I'd like to hear what other dancers who work/have worked at Deja Vu clubs have to say about this, and how it affected their income. Is it the same at all other DV clubs? Would it be worth it to dance at another club along with this one?
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
i always thought you paid a flat house fee and everything else you made was yours, guess i was wrong or that must be only with deja vu
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
That's what I thought too! Haha. I was very surprised when they presented me with that... 40% is a pretty big chunk out of your earnings.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Wow, I've never heard of that. As far as I know the club I work for is owned by Deja Vu, but they don't do that shit.
That sucks. Is that the only good club in your area?
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Ya, that seems like they are jipping you way too much money. If there are any other clubs I would try there too. And some of the best money I have ever made was working out of a dive club.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
I did a bit of research and found that the Deja Vu club down in North Hollywood is the same way! I'm in Sacramento.. and it's slim pickins up here. I would go to SF on the weekends but most of the clubs there are owned by Deja Vu as well. Wtf!
There's a couple dives around here and I'm gonna check them out after my first week at work. But yeah.. there's no way I'm handing over $400 of every $1,000 I make. That's just ridiculousness. I understand having house fees and tipping out.. but 40%?! Come on
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Well, at least it's not the other way around....they take 60% and you keep 40%. I worked at a place that did just that and lasted there about a week.
That is still pretty ridiculous, though. What gets me is the no "mandatory" tipouts thing, but then they pretty much told you should.....umm...so yeah in a way they are mandatory. If you don't tipout then you'll probably catch shit for it, and who needs that.
So how much were they wanting for tipouts, too??
You'll probably end up forking over 50% or more of what you make at the end of the night if you tip out. Fuck that. I'd try to find somewhere else.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Sorry if I'm butting in. Just trying to offer some info. I live in Sacramento too. There are a lot of other clubs here, but most of them are all nude. Only on stage and topless in VIP. (They don't serve alcohol.)
Have you checked out the Deja Vu in Stockton? I don't think they take that much of a percentage. I know a girl who works there I could find out and let you know. Also have you looked into Reno? Some of the girls like a club up there I just forgot what the name of it is.( I could find out tomorrow) Most of the Dancers I know say the best club in Sacramento is Centerfolds Gold club. (my personal favorite too..lol)
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
^^Agreed about Gold Club! I have featured there several times and the girls are always hot and it's always busy!
I started my stripping career as a Deja Vu girl when I turned 18. In general Deja Vu's across the country take about 40% or 50% with tipping. Some have different policies. I was amazed when I started bringing our traveling girls to Deja Vu in Tampa and they only asked for $5 from a $25 dance!
Anyway, some girls like the Deja Vu system better because they are usually busy and it is easier to get $ out of a Deja Vu custie. The corporation owns around 200 clubs worldwide. How that benefits each individual club is a conglomerate of information. Not only does the company combine marketing for the whole corporation it also solves problems as a corporation. Instead of one biased club owner/manager/DJ coming up with a solution to a club problem, they have an entire board of people to come up with ideas. When one club has a problem such as they push it aside. But, if multiple club managers report the same problem the board brings it to the table to come up with a solution and then they adopt that solution as company policy worldwide. Of course this doesn't happen with EVERY single club in the chain because different laws mean different rules which is why not all clubs have the 40% rule (also because of trend in the area requires them to be competitive).
Anyway, not everyone is going to work well in this system so you need to decide on your own. I personally don't do Deja Vu's any longer because after winning their national competitions they thought they owned me and tried to require me to do appearances for free or next to nothing. They were a bit pissed when I went off and became a feature doing things for other companies.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Thanks for all the awesome advice ladies! I think I'm going to stick with this club for now just to get more comfortable and develop better pole technique. Then when I'm ready, head over to amateur night at Centerfolds. The only way to get a job there is to win their competition, so I want to go in prepared!
I'm not too enthusiastic about forking over almost half my cash to management, so I'll be keeping my eye on the other clubs in Sac.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
I work for a Deja Vu club and they don't take 40% of eeeverything, just your lapdances and VIPs. Your stage and LD tips are yours to keep. And I still make great money even with them keeping 40%.
Jade Love: I think while you're starting out, Deja Vu is a great chain to work for. They give you the ins and outs of being a dancer and working in the business while you're still nervous. Once you get confident dancing, you'll probably want to move on, but for now it's probably good for you. :)
Good luck!
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
I work in California...
orange county
almost every single club in this area will take that much money from you. There's also a couple of clubs that only take the house fee and I've worked at these ones but they're usually dead! so... even if my club takes 40% of what I make ... that's cool! cuz I'm still walking out with $300-600 a night. while at these other clubs where they only take your house fee I was making $100 - 200 a night!!!!!!!!!!!
then again... I work at a full nude club... no alcohol... i don't know how different it is if you want to try a 21-and-over club...
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Deja Vu either ran or owned most of the clubs I worked at in San Francisco. The rates seemed high at the time, but it was pretty good money. Deja Vu was also the first place where I was told by the managers that up-selling was okay, and the club only took their portion of the base cost. So basically the up-sell/tip is all yours. You should ask them if it's okay to up-sell dances.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Don't get me started on Deja Vu!
First I will say this: they will try and get you with back house that you don't owe. That has always been my experience with them.
I worked at Vu over the summer and it was difficult or I should say an absolute nuisance to revolve around their specials. I'm used to hustling and actually making money. At Vu it was more jumping through hoops, being expected to kiss ass to the managers, and being hit on by the DJs. The waitresses would come into the VIP and try and sell ladies drinks. They count how many couch dances you have and if you are on top of a customer asking for another dance and he says no, it is near impossible to dispute it. They have also added video cameras recently in the VIPs.
Vu is continually in your game and they take better care of the customers than they do the girls. In my area the customers will sit and wait for hours for the free dance. My favorite line is..."Why don't you come back for the two-for-one." I got in trouble for turning a customer down for a dance special one time. I don't dance for jerks, regardless I was obligated to dance for him because he approached me.
On top of that there is no clear distinction on being charged for house, back house and no call no shows. At my home club I carry a zero balance and the house is 30 dollars more. My nightly fee and tip out is $160. I think I racked up about $700 in back house in the two months I was working at the Vu. I never knew if house was going to be $90 or $150. When you thought great I got some drinks and my house is $80 tonight, the manager would regretfully inform you "well you did two dance specials so that is an extra $20." Gosh I don't remember doing any dance specials at all. Interesting.
The manager would tell me "well I was being nice and didn't charge you because you called in." Then the next week he would charge me even if I called in! They would not, NOT let me change my schedule or take time off either.
You've been warned. Go work at some dive club where they value the dancers and not how many vids and other garbage you can sell for them. Vu is the Wal-Mart of strip clubs. They bully and undervalue the girls in a big way.
One of the worst places to work and they have been sued many times by dancers in the past.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
judashearts
I work for a Deja Vu club and they don't take 40% of eeeverything, just your lapdances and VIPs. Your stage and LD tips are yours to keep. And I still make great money even with them keeping 40%.
The club I work at operates just like this, only they take 50-60% of lapdances and VIPs. Tips are 100% yours and no house fees or tipouts. The key to making money is to get the customers to give you good tips.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
I work at a sister club and our rent is $10 our payouts are good $1 on a $15 dance and $8 on a $40 dance. VIP is nice too $125 to you & $25 to the club & so on. Granted were a small club under renovation. I felt robbed at Hustler, $40+ rent $8,$6, and half of VIPs on payouts.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
HVACdoc
Sorry if I'm butting in. Just trying to offer some info. I live in Sacramento too. There are a lot of other clubs here, but most of them are all nude. Only on stage and topless in VIP. (They don't serve alcohol.)
Have you checked out the Deja Vu in Stockton? I don't think they take that much of a percentage. I know a girl who works there I could find out and let you know. Also have you looked into Reno? Some of the girls like a club up there I just forgot what the name of it is.( I could find out tomorrow) Most of the Dancers I know say the best club in Sacramento is Centerfolds Gold club. (my personal favorite too..lol)
I currently work at stockton deja vu and its a 70/30 split but that club is going down the shitter. Most girls are going to reno, I've been told its really good money.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
current info on Deja Vu clubs:
They changed the way they take a cut out of your earnings. Now (at least the ones I worked at) it's a flat house fee, normally around $1-200, plus tip outs. Not mandatory, but if you don't the DJs, dance counters, etc will fuck with you. They no longer take a cut out of each dance. They still take a cut of of Champagne/private rooms and dirty 30 house dances though.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
ugh, i'm so not a fan... but all the best places to work in SF are deja vu, unfortunately. if there isn't much to choose from you just do what you gotta do!
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
I've been working at a Deja vu club for a year. We have a flat house fee of $130, then tipout. Yes, they take a cut of your private rooms and specials, but if you're a motivated worker the money you keep vastly outweighs what the club gets.
It may not be for everyone, but it is a generally clean, safe, and busy club, so I feel good about working there.
Also, I've never once been backrented. I find if you're responsible and courteous, you can completely avoid those things.
All that said, forty percent sounds insanely high to me and a lot can depend on the management of each club..
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
I've been working at a Deja vu club for a year. We have a flat house fee of $130, then tipout. Yes, they take a cut of your private rooms and specials, but if you're a motivated worker the money you keep vastly outweighs what the club gets.
It may not be for everyone, but it is a generally clean, safe, and busy club, so I feel good about working there.
Also, I've never once been backrented. I find if you're responsible and courteous, you can completely avoid those things.
All that said, forty percent sounds insanely high to me and a lot can depend on the management of each club..
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Does anyone know if the Deja Vu in Sacramento is still good. I live in Sacramento & I'm just starting out
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Dahlia Vixen, this thread conversation is four years old. It's better to start new threads asking about any city's club scene in Club Chat.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
They certainly do take out a lot... I dance in Detroit and most of the clubs have a flat-rate house fee, which is better, because they house fee is minimal compared to what I earn. Whereas when I was dancing at a Deja-Vu sister club in Kalamazoo, MI they took out a percent of every dance we did plus half of every champagne room. Luckily there I snagged a few big spenders who'd always rent out the champagne room for hours, but what I'd make there for a few hours in the champagne room is nothing compared to what I'd make at other clubs' champagne rooms.
I have friends who work at Deja Vu in Lansing and one who works at Deja Vu in Flint (both Michigan cities) and they both said the club takes half their earnings...
At the clubs I typically work at in Detroit the tip-out is a flat rate of between $50-80 (including house fee, DJ, and house mom) which is much better, IMO.
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Re: Yay, I got hired! Question about Deja Vu clubs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Nicole_oh
I work at a sister club and our rent is $10 our payouts are good $1 on a $15 dance and $8 on a $40 dance. VIP is nice too $125 to you & $25 to the club & so on. Granted were a small club under renovation. I felt robbed at Hustler, $40+ rent $8,$6, and half of VIPs on payouts.
What club were you working at? Deja vu'a sister club??