I needed to see/read this thread! I am currently struggling to make that change but I know I have to do it. Now.
THANK YOU.
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I needed to see/read this thread! I am currently struggling to make that change but I know I have to do it. Now.
THANK YOU.
To drink or not to drink at work is somewhat of a source of stress for me... I am new to this (again) so there is the factor that *one* drink at the beginning of my shift will loosen me up, both on stage and in being outgoing with customers. But, there is also the fact that I am not a big drinker & kind of a lightweight, and I have to drive home. I hope, for the sake of my money, that fellas are going to buy commission drinks for me, and that part of my job is to appear eager to get them and drink them. I could tell the bartender at the beginning of my shift to make mine non-alcoholic, but I haven't done that, because I fear the customer might stand at the bar and hawk her every move making my drinks, and then we're both "busted"... so, I usually end up having my *one* jack & diet at 2pm, and try to sneakily retreat to the DR & pour out as much as I can of my commission drinks. A couple of times even this tactic has led to me drinking more than I wanted to (not sloshed, but feeling the effects, for sure). It is a very delicate balance that I have yet to strike. I hope that soon enough, I'll feel comfortable enough at work that I won't feel like I "need" that first drink anymore.
I cant dance sober, but kudos to you girls who can:)
why would you want to work sober? I want to see everything through a vodka induced haze!
I've worked in clubs that offered non-alcoholic options for commission drinks. Keep the customer at the table while he's ordering, rather than letting him go to the bar to order it. This was actually a rule at one of the clubs I worked, b/c mgmt didn't want non-drinking dancers to feel obligated.
Altho I don't drink at work, if it's late in the nite I will tell the customer politely, should he offer me a drink, that I do have to drive home so I'm done drinking. I have yet to have anyone get pissy at me when I use this excuse.
I've def used the 'take it in the DR & dump it' tactic, but I would keep a bottle of Coke in my locker to replenish sm of the liquid if I thought the customer might get suspicious. Then I could basically have my virgin Coke, but it would still smell enough like alcohol to leave him none the wiser.
[QUOTE=Aniela;2527130]I've worked in clubs that offered non-alcoholic options for commission drinks. Keep the customer at the table while he's ordering, rather than letting him go to the bar to order it.
Very smart, and I wish this was an option, because I would certainly handle it that way... except that i work days, and there is no waitress. I have had a customer ask me to take his money to the bar & get my drink, but in that case it was a flute of champagne (or 3)... kinda hard to fake as we don't carry a non-alcoholic anything that looks like champagne. So, I used the old, "I'll be right back" tactic on that one. Still ended up drinking probably 1 1/2 glasses, which, for me, is quite a bit.
Order virgin drinks for yourself.. don't tell the douchebag. The waitresses should know. Charge the guys like 10 bucks for your drink when it costs 30 cents to make.
Just get past the fear that it's going to make a difference to your income. I don't drink at work anymore and only once has a man made it an issue (although he was making an issue with everyone so it negated it being an issue- he was just beligerent). In my experience if I truly don't feel its an issue then my body language and attitude carry that across to the customer. I will order a non-alcoholic drink if offered to be social. Decide what your boundries for work are and learn to communicate them in a non-defensive, non-agressive manner.
Tell the customers you are diabetic- then you can only drink sodawater,water, coffee (no more sugarey drinks at the club but it's a samll price to pay for a reasonable excuse).
Don't get me wrong, I could work sober, but being naturally introverted, it helps to have a drink or two to loosen up and energize me. Of course, I'm never the one to buy my own drinks : )
I find it hard to work 100% sober in Vegas. It's a drinking town and everybody is revved up to have the time of their life. People really do look at you crazy if you order water or soda. I usually have 3-4 drinks in a 7 hour time frame with lots of water in between. I have worked 100% sober before and I admit I had more energy to stay later but I always feel like customers aggrevate me more. I see a LOT of alcoholics and its sad. I'm an active single mom to a first grader trying to move into a different career path an I can't afford to be sick and hungover just to make money. But I see the girls who either have no responsibilities or don't handle their responsibilities get shitfaced because all they have to do is sleep all day when they get home, wake up and do it again.
I don't see it different either way, it's all about what is best and most profitable for you, right? So good for you if you don't need drinks, good for you if you do. :P Me personally, I'm way more outgoing and flirtatious when I'm buzzed, like hellkitty said, sort of naturally introverted so line 'em up for me haha.
That is amazing to hear, congrats to everyone who doesn't drink/quit drinking at work! I still believe its fine if you do, just that choosing not to drink is better for your safety, body, and business in the long run. Im 19, 20 in a few months, so Im not legal to drink. Never have been a drinker & never will be!
I will be the first to admit that I've lost a fair amt of business b/c of the fact that I didn't drink at work. That's a boundary that was as important to me as not letting a guy stick fingers in unwelcome places.
W/ that said, at alcohol-serving clubs that didn't have commission drinks I'd order an amaretto sour, light on the amaretto, & make it last all nite, to take the pressure off of having to have a drink ordered for me/drink w/ customer. At sm clubs, I have allowed customers to order me non-virgin shots, when I was certain that I could toss the shot over my shoulder when the customer wasn't looking. I also did my dead-lvl best to have an arrangement w/ the bartenders & waitresses to have them bring me virgin shots, then I could just act being drunk - not hard when you're as naturally clumsy as I am :D
I agree. I try to order one cocktail and a bottle of water so after the cocktail is done I can drink my bottle of water but a lot of the guys give me a hard time about it so a lot of the time I end up drinking more than I should which makes me slack on money because I will skip working if I am not well rested. Just stay home and hang out with my kids.
I used to drink at work, but got really bad after switching clubs. I was nervous, and would end up having 3-4 drinks before work even started. Looking back on the night that I blacked out and don't remember half the night - yikes. So embarrassing. And I made shit money. I mostly escort now, and I absolutely refuse to drink on the job. Not only do I consider it dangerous, but being drunk certainly makes me look and act like a hot mess.
Which is why I've been trying to cut back/quit drinking period lately. I hate the way I am while drunk and always end up feeling horrible about myself the next day because once I start, it's hard to stop. It's really difficult, but not drinking while working is a stepping stone. I recently didn't go back to a club after being hired because one of their rules was that you were never allowed to turn down a drink because that's how the bar makes its money.... Umm... so I should put my health, comfort, and safety (I had to drive over an hour to this club) on the line so that the bar can make more money? No thanks. I didn't appreciate that.
I danced 2, 5 years sober but last 6 mo I can't do anything without percocet
I have done both. Strangely, on busy weekend nights I find it easier to stay sober but on dead nights I need to stay with one customer for longer and that usually flows much better with a few drinks.
Tomorrow and Saturday I will have to work 100% sober. I'm dropping off my baby at the Nancy's house (usually I have someone come to my house)
No way I'm picking up my baby drunk, it's bad enough I'm picking him up after dancing til 5 am.
I always work sober. I can't drink because of some meds I'm on. But even if I could, I would never drink at work. I feel like that would be way too dangerous and I might let my guard down, not be able to defend myself against grabby customers, talk trash or stuff like that. My club doesn't serve alcohol (nude) but some girls get trashed in the dressing room. I don't think they're making a lot of money.
I feel the same way. I worked the eve of my 21st birthday, not like I was a stranger to alcohol prior to that, but after midnight I don't even remember what happened, I had to ask the house dad, we all went to an after party at his house and he said I was walking and talking just fine, but it's scary, because I don't remember the last 2 hours or the ride to his place and that could have been really bad, thank goodness I had quite a few friends looking out for me that night.
Now, I just don't drink, because I too have a hard time stopping once I start and then I want to do other things that aren't so good....it turns into a vicious cycle. I appreciate you being honest though, because I am the same way and hate to acknowledge it. I also notice when I don't drink I look better, just healthier and my skin has a nice glow instead of a matte yellowish tint, gross, so that is good motivation to stay sober too.
Yes! I notice this too! My skin definitely looks way different after I've stopped drinking for a few days. Way healthier. And then, if I do drink, the next day I'm like, "Ugggh, what is wrong with my face?" Maybe others don't notice it on me, but I can see a drastic difference. It definitely is a huge motivator!
I'm glad if my post helped you feel not so alone. I live in a college town with a very heavy drinking culture, and the few times I've tried to broach the subject of cutting down on/stopping drinking, the people around me are not supportive, at all. They don't even want to hear about how out of control it makes me feel or why I don't want to get that crazy and do bad shit anymore. It's like if they acknowledge that those are legitimate reasons for me to stop drinking, they'd have to take a look at their own habits/behaviors, and everyone around here is pretty much the "definition" of an alcoholic just cuz that's the culture around here. So it's considered "normal"... but I don't think it is. And it's frustrating to not have any support.
Well the smart ones ;) will get to a point when they (hopefully) realize; 'wait every time I have gotten in trouble or fought with my friends or just had a bad night I was drinking.....' that was a wake-up call too, doing the mental inventory and realizing not once has any of that drama occurred whilst sober LOL.
Even though it is legal, alcohol is extremely dangerous. I have heard of and seen alcoholics having to detox much in the same vein as someone addicted to opiates or barbiturates. Not saying you or I were that extreme, but if one has a hard time controlling their alcohol intake, IMHO that is just as bad for your mental and physical health as any illegal or controlled substance. It is hard when you don't have friends that feel the same way and it does suck too, because you want to be social and be a part of things, but you feel awkward as others push their bad party habits on you.
I've been MIA from my main club because I quit drinking. It's not that I feel uncomfortable sober, but my girlfriends who I've known for years work there and they party hard. They're my close friends in and out of the club for a reason, but my habits/lifestyle is so different from them and I feel like I need to be away from it for a little bit. They have no clue that I'm battling my own thoughts when I work now. One even said I used to be "sweeter," but really I was just buzzed and vibed with them all the time. Listened to whatever they wanted to talk about etc. I'm still the same I just don't bullshit as much. Every day I'm sober I feel better and look better, but my old gfs don't do many sober activities or understand that I just pretend to drink now (i never drank much to begin with). We live in New Orleans after all.
I think that when you change habits like drinking and partying hard its inevitable to lose a few friends...it is difficult, but at the same time...if partying is the only thing that brings you together, then it might not be that big of a loss...and real friends always come around in the end...you might just have a little break for now.
I work in a slow club that definitely seems to attract the "let's sit and have a drink" type of customers so I've found myself drinking 2-5 drinks a night. I'm not happy with that, it's hard on my body and mind. I never pay for my own drinks so there is really little to "motivate" me in the way of making more money by not drinking - especially when getting a guy to spend $5 on a Jack and Coke may result in a dance if I use the old "finished our drinks, let's go for a dance now".
Really I feel like I'm making excuses, so here I will put them all out there, as lame as they are when said in daylight:
* drinking helps me fake being interested.
* drinking makes me feel more fluid on stage
* drinking keeps me from feeling my feet hurt.
Really though?
* I'm supposed to be acting. It doesn't have to be easier. I'll get better with practice.
* More fluid on stage is kind of a joke. I could actually stretch and warm up first and work on more moves rather than just getting "loose" on booze.
* Feet hurting is just part of it and I already know I'll feel better if I quit drinking and just stay hydrated.
My man has been gently discouraging my drinking and I KNOW I shouldn't be. I know it bothers him. I know it's not good for my body in the long term (even if in the short term it's not "hurting" anything).
Here I am in my late 20s feeling like I am graduating from some kind of "fun party" stripper (even though I never let myself get THAT loose) into a serious business woman. Part of me doesn't want to quit drinking at work because I'm scared it will be hard. But a much bigger part of me wants to quit because I don't want to jeopardize my relationship and home life or end up full-blown alcoholic.
Awesome job! I think even having just a few drinks at work when you're working, say, four days a week, and then go out drinking on your night off is where girls begin to run down the road of alcoholism. It's a depressant too, so it makes you feel like you need more the next day for the pick-me-up to work. I've been working sober for about 6 months now, minus the days I go into the champagne room, and it has made a tremendous difference in my sales! I'm also able to use practice new sales techniques to expand my skills. Yay for sober working!!