Appointments for VIP customers??
Does anyone here have their days already planned out so that they have customers lined up at certain times? If so how do you do it?
I would love to have a clientele built up to the point that I spend my afternoons calling customers and scheduling my evening's time availability. It always seems like all of my regulars show up all at the same time and then get mad at me for not making time for them. If there was a way that I could schedule so that they each get the kind of attention that they deserve, I would like to know about it.
I have a message line, and am thinking of getting a "throw away" moblie phone. I have business cards and I have my message line printed on the cards. No one ever calls the number on the card! I do get regular emails from customers, and try to respond to all of my email messages quickly.
Any other suggestions to develop a client base in the club?? I don't want to do outside escorting, but am happy to meet customers in the club.
Thanks for any advice, Paris Love
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paris
Any other suggestions to develop a client base in the club?? I don't want to do outside escorting, but am happy to meet customers in the club.
Thanks for any advice, Paris Love
Quick customer pipe in.
Im all over having a pre-arranged meeting at the club. Makes for the most efficient use of your time as well as the customers. I suggest using email contact (for your working schedule). Guys love it when they feel "hooked up". Cell contact is even better as long as your comfortable with it. I believe some of the gals use throw away phones strictly for business.
OK Im done. Back to the ladies' feedback ;D
FBR
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
I started a thread about this subject a long time ago.
Scheduled appointments are a great idea for regulars (and even semi-regulars) provided that both parties are good at keeping appointments. They can also be very beneficial if you can somehow place those appointments during your less busy shifts/hours. They get your devoted personal attention when the club is relaxed, and your busier hours are free for you to work the floor. Steering a customer to say, 8:00 on a Monday won't always work, but it can't hurt to stress to them the benefits of visting you during off-peak hours.
That being said, we are dealing with human beings here and even for the most responsible amongst us, completely forgiveable emergencies can happen at the eleventh hour. I think a bit of "shit happens" leniency needs to be considered, both for the customers and yourself.
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
Great question! Not being able to make time coordinate is a a big reason I can't keep regulars.
As much as I try to schedule a specific time with them, they never show up on time, and I get carried off by a customer who takes a while with me. By the time I get to them, they are mad, broke, or both.
I'm also going to get the throwaway cell........any other suggestions people???
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
Text messaging. I know Kat is not a big fan, but it's immediate, travels with you and allows for sudden changes in schedule or unexpected delays. You can also text very easily, even in the club, with the typical 1,000 dB music blasting from all directions.
It can be addictive. I receive and respond to at least 20 messages a day, often long discussions about schedules and dinner plans, etc. It's gotten a little silly though -- I've actually sat in my home club and texted with dancers at two other clubs. In my experience, dancers under the age of 25 or so pretty much only communicate by texting.
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
Hmmmm....that idea has the same limitations as a call on the cell, although it is better due to the noise. If I am sitting with or dancing for a customer, its pretty rude to be checking my phone and writing in messages on that little screen. Obviously I could get up and go text them in dressing room, but I could also call them then. At my home club we don't have a time increment VIP, so every song I am not dancing, I am not earning........
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
In my experience in the smaller clubs, the customers who have spent money on me and are gentlemen have my cell number.
The clubs I work in are all on bookings so I am only there every 4-6 weeks. The better customers call to say hi randomly between bookings.
Realistically there are only a few guys who really constitute regulars, and those guys know when I am booked because we communicate, and the other guys go on line or see who is booked for coming weeks on the bulletin board at the club.
If a dancer communicates with her followers, then she can first find out when they are free to come in the club, and tell them to come in at opening time if at a small club or early before it gets busy if it is at a bigger club.
I have never had enough regulars to fill up every night of a six night booking, and generally the older guys who are "faithful" come in at the clubs opening time and stay for a few hours with some exceptions. They usually don't come at the peak hours of the night.
You'll recognize the phone numbers of the old time faithful regulars and if you are randomly shooting the breeze with them for 5 minutes or so when they call, that can minimize two being in the club at the same time.
I don't feel e-mail is that viable. A dancer needs to physically talk to the loyal customers. The personal touch is much better and I never really talk to the guys more than 5 minutes anyway, so it's not that much of an inconvenience. I've never needed a disposable phone. The few guys whom I've given my number to who weren't really worth my time eventually faded out anyway.
I always know when my regulars who are most profitable to deal with are coming in. They call me several days in advance and usually the same afternoon before they are heading to the club.
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
Well, I have my first VIP appointment set up. All I did was to start asking, and this man is very busy and is super happy to know that I will be in the club just for him on a particular day for a couple of hours. I will come in before my scheduled shift, so I won't have to be on stage during the time I'm spending with him.
I have to talk with management about this, as the club is very stage focused, and doesn't have very many girls working there. They usually have a rule that dancers are not supposed to be socializing with the customers before or after scheduled shifts, but I think because they are so hard up for girls they will make some exceptions on occasion.
But finding a customer to schedule an appointment for VIP is one thing, it is another to get him to show up. I gave him my business card with my phone # on it and wrote the date and time on the back as a reminder. As soon as I had a free minute I made a note of the date and time in my day planner, and also wrote the customer's phone # down on the day before the appointment so that I can give him a call to remind him of our appointment.
I think that for very busy people having appointments will be very nice. I'm excited about being able to provide my customers with guarenteed undivided attention. I'd like to know if other dancers out there do something similar.
Also thanks for all the input from everyone.
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
I wish! My club doesn't allow its dancers to distribute cards or to "take down" any details from a patron or customer.... it is all seen as solicitation.
Otherwise, I would be all over it ;D
If we do receive a business card, we are to hand it to the front desk who will then hand it to the Promotions Manageress (who has started an 'address book' as such for the club).
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
FYI: Make sure you get a pre-paid cell from Virgin Mobile USA or the like. It's very easy to obtain someone's real name for $14.95 from intelius.com and other information brokerage websites.
Re: Appointments for VIP customers??
Quote:
Im all over having a pre-arranged meeting at the club. Makes for the most efficient use of your time as well as the customers. I suggest using email contact (for your working schedule). Guys love it when they feel "hooked up".
I agree.
I drive almost two hours one-way to my club of choice, so knowing in advance who's going to be there, at what time and for how long is a major factor in my clubbing (and therefore, spending) behavior. Email works well, though text or cell messages are equally acceptable.
Two cents.