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Getting your $$$ up front
Some of the dancers here have written lately that they get their money up front, before a dance. This seems like a great policy, but how do you do it without totally putting off the customer? It's hard enough to get them to buy a dance these days; I feel uncomfortable saying "Right, that'll be $20, please." But I know there must be a better way to do it. What do you do?
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
I just smile and say business before pleasure, and ask if I could get paid for the dance in advance. Many times the customer will be prepared to pay in advance anyway. If he pays me for the first dance and then I get a chance to peek in his wallet to see if he can afford more, then I will do the extra (unpaid) dances until he is finished getting dances with me. Then I will ask him to pay the remainder when we are through.
I have been saved a lot of hassle by always getting my money up front. I have had customers purposefully try to rip me off, by requesting dances when they knew darn well they had no money or they had no intention of paying at all. One guy tried it with me three times, thinking that I must be as drunk as he was, and every time I asked him for money he had to go back to his coat, or go to the ATM or find his buddy who is holding his money or whatever. I quickly warned all the other ladies working that night to watch out for him and to get your cash up front, so he got no free dances that night, but I guess he has had some success since then in getting a free dance or two.
People steal from all other kinds of businesses by taking services without paying for them, so our industry is no different. You just need to do what you can to make sure that doesn't happen to you! Of course there are the reliable regulars that you know you can trust, but if you have never danced for a guy before, always be sure to get your cash up front!
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
I have to say that I never ask for the money first and in all my time dancing I have never been stiffed - I feel pretty lucky now. It's just never been a problem where I've worked. I have had to get a guy's friends to cover for him, though.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
As a regular at this one bar for the last 7 years, and knowing the dj's, the owners and the barmaids, I know I would never pay upfront. Whenever a dancer asks me for the money upfront, I decline the dance. I can understand if I was a stranger an nobody knew me. But where am i gonna hide LOL. So just remember, every circumstance is different for different people.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
I always do because at my club we get tickets for are dances. Are manager gets the money first I say I have to have the money first before i can dance because you need a ticket they always give money first maybe your club might be able to start something like that . Its much easeir for us ;)
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
Money up front for the first dance - minimum - is required at my club. It has to be turned into the bar, because they keep track of all the money for the girls all night (a pretty good system, actually). Anything after the first dance - if they are back to back - is at our discretion as to whether to stop the flow of things to turn the money in, or wait until we're done.
But if we do not have money up front for that first dance, we can get reprimanded. Which I personally prefer to avoid....
And I do agree that in some instances perhaps a person can be trusted enough, simply through their reputation. Unfortunately, that is simply not the case in most instances. Also, if a girl is new to a club, she may not either know or consider the reputation of a customer. That is normal wariness in this business, and not anything to find offensive.
McCain
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
Quote:
Whenever a dancer asks me for the money upfront, I decline the dance.
See how easily guys get weird about this? I guess I would compare it to being asked to pay for your meal before eating at a restaurant - the fact that you aren't trusted to cover the tab is incredibly off-putting to the very kind of man who is never going to have a problem paying you for your dances.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
I've only once been declined a dance by asking for money upfront, and I was able to talk to guy into getting it anyway. it was my first night at a club that I've since left, and the guy was (of course) a regular there.
yes, there are men I will dance for without payment up front. There are even a couple I will do dances for on credit - knowing they will come in and pay for them the next day. but these are few and far between.
To Money: If you went into another bar where they had not known you for years, would you still be offended by the dancer asking up front?
I compare it to my first night dancing somewhere - they'll still tell me I'm not allowed to touch and other very standard rules for my region, because they don't know that I already know and follow the rules. Should I stomp out at the beginning of the night because someone reminded me of the rules I *obviously* already know? they don't know I know them, so spelling out the rules is no big deal for me. After I dance there a few times and they see that I know the laws, there's no problem and I don't have to be reminded again.
Same with customers - once I get to know someone, I'm more than happy to get paid after the fact. But until then, everyone pays before we play.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
Often times, if it is a new, or unfamiliar club for the patron, it's nice to have the dancer request the money up front. It removes the uncomfortable need for the patron to ask "Ummm. How much does it cost?"
Most of the time it is very much appreciated.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
I agree with Tre, paying up front also eliminates the awkward few mins. after the dance is over while you're still in the dark fumbling around for your money.
although I do tip after the dance (based soley on the effort and connection the dancer made with me) , so I guess I just contradicted my own point...
Oh Well! :D
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
Unless the guy is stone-drunk, I don't ask for the money up-front, and I've never been stiffed, either - like collette.... Who knows, though - that luck may change and someone might one day try to stiff me, though I doubt it. We've got some pret-ty mean bouncers in our club - and they don't play around! >:(
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
Well, thank you, Ed; but I'm well aware of that fact.
It was a general comment, slightly humorous, following the premise of this discussion.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
To Orchid: No if I was in another club I would not be offended if I was asked up front. The most interesting thing I saw was a few months ago. This dancer did a few dances for this guy, he didnt have enough money to cover it. So him and her went to the cash machine, and it came back "insufficient funds". I dont want to sound mean, but I was really laughing as I thought it was hilarious (then again, I know this dancer really well, so she didnt get mad at me! LOL). Anyhow, I have seen strange things happen.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
You Just "Think", she didn't get mad at you. I'm pretty sure she didn't appreciate you laughing at her not getting paid. It's really not a funny matter. But I guess we all have different sence of humors.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
No, she wasnt mad at me. We talk inside and outside the club all the time. One thing I forgot to say, this customer actually did come back later that night with the money. (I guess he got it from his wife???) LOL
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
LOL :) Oh, that's a different matter then. She did finally get her money. I love happy endings ;)
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
Candice, I love happy endings too! I NEVER get a dance unless I am guaranteed a happy ending ;) !
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
Ummm, ok....too much information there, but thanks for sharing.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
Geez Candice, where is your mind??? By a happy ending I meant no arguments etc etc etc! ;D
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
i think guys feel hustled when asked for payment up front, i too have been lucky with only maybe one or two incidents of getting stiffed. also i think it is a mood killer if the guy keeps having to dig in his pocket for cash for multiple dances. i think they are more willing to get more if they aren't interrupted. now if we go over say 3 i will ask if he knows how much he owes me , and possibly ask him to settle up before we go on but that is judgement call on my part i guess. goes to show you how places are different around the country. i have never felt comfortable asking up front nor do i usually ask for a tip either. i still get them though!
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
I feel the guy loses momentum with you on buying multiple dances if he has to pay as he goes.
I am working bookings in smaller Midwestern clubs now and many of them want the guy to buy a dance icket prior to getting his dances. as a result you don't sell large amounts of dances and the average guy gets 1 or 2. He doesn't know how many he wants in advance. You take him out of he mood if he has to keep paying as he goes and we all know selling a guy 4,5,6 or more dances in a row requires us to really put him in the mood.
On the other hand when I was working in Houston, guys were starting to run out not paying for dances. You have to use your vibe on this one. If it was a tab running customer i would have the waitress break his dances down into several tickets as we went so he wouldn't say my count was wrong in the end. For some cash customers i would do several dances and then get him to pay me for those before we continued once he was responding to me and relaxed.
Strictly geting paid up front for dances will surely cut down the amount of dances you sell. You've got to use intuition and gut feelings on this one. ???
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
My club has signs all over the dressing room that say "DANCE AND COLLECT AFTER EVERY SONG" but I never do. I just think it is a hassle for the guy to keep digging in his pocket after every song. Unless a guy is a totally ignorant asshole I don't think he would get several dances and then bolt, especially if he ever planned on visiting that club again.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
i have never asked for money up front
but if a guy has hit the $100 mark i try and square up before he gets any more...i figure if he is going to stiff me and least i got some of the money...but i ususally negotiate the price before hand..especially if im giving a deal...like 3 for $50 or what have u
i think i would feel akward asking for money for something i havent done yet..
but thats just me
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
I do feel hustled when I am ask for money upfront. It has only happened to me 2 or 3 times. Like someone said earlier I have never been maid to pay for a meal before I got my food. On those times that I have been ask upfront it normally kills the mood for me and it is one dance and done without any additional tip, and to not get a tip from me is very unusual.
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Re: Getting your $$$ up front
I had a guy that kept me dancing and the tally came to 400 dollars, he tried to burn me and laughed when at the end of the night I reminded him of his dues (we danced until lights on) he threw me a twenty and laughed in my face. Not one to take a rip off lightly (btw I constantly reminded him of his total he constantly assured me there was no problem) I blocked his exit, and called over a bouncer, now technically we know that there is not much a bouncer can do legally to alter this situation - knowing this and from my days of working in offices and understanding basic law, and contractual obligations whether on paper or merely promissary I asked him for his drivers licence, -this is where the bouncers presence really helped - I took a sheet of paper (an old schedule!) and wrote on the back two copies of a promissary note that "so&so" of such and such address does agree to and understand that this amount of money was owed for this many dances performed such a date etc etc and I signed it the bouncer signed it and most sweetly of all the jackass signed it. I gave him 7 days from the date of the note to return with the money, - I never expected it to work but it was an exercise in reclaiming my dignity in the given moment....anyway 7 full days passed and the jerkoff came back!!! Paid in full - SWEET! I never collect up front but I damn well remind them and make them acknowledge verbally the totals as each dance or every 5 dances. I would do this again in a heart beat, it is also legal to take collateral on what is owed. A watch a ring whatever it takes. I refuse to be ripped off.ANd ---I have done these things! ;D