What kind of sales relationship do you want from your cocktail waitresses?
So, I'm (possibly) planning on cocktailing at an SC. If/when time allows, I'm thinking I want to be super-friendly to customers and chat it up with them about the dancers, and try to get them to tip and get dances and what not. I've been on the customer end several times and those are the waitresses I tend to tip better and am comfortable chatting with. (And, yes, i know the difference between being friendly and 'open' and being annoying. And I also know when someone doesn't want to be talked to)
So that being said, as a dancer, what kind of sales relationship do you like and expect from the waitresses?? I've been in sales before and am pretty out-going/flirty/cute, so I'm thinking I'd like to take it one step further, and work as a team with some of the dancers and helping their hustle. Do you think that is do-able? Or am I being naive about the inner-workings of a strip club?
Re: What kind of sales relationship do you want from your cocktail waitresses?
Well it sounds good in theory, I'd love to have a waitress help me out like that and I'd make it worth her time. Catch is, playing favorites will put you on great terms with whichever dancers you help but on bad terms with the rest once they catch on.
Like, last night at my club, I was just taking off and I overheard a waitress tellin another dancer just coming in about a big group that wanted some dances. I wasn't personally affronted as I was done for the night, but I felt miffed that she was holding out on the dancers still out there working for whatever reason.
Re: What kind of sales relationship do you want from your cocktail waitresses?
Thanks for the response. I wasn't really thinking of it as playing favorites....more along the lines of talking up whoever happens to be on stage. I wouldn't want anything in return from the dancers.....by me being flirty and cute about it with the customers, I was thinking they'd be more apt to tip me or wait for me to come around for their next round of drinks. (instead of ordering from the next person they see).
The reason I think it wouldn't work is that I know how there can be drama between the dancers and waitresses....or at least that how it seems to me sometimes. It almost seems like the dancers look down on the waitress. I can't think of any other way to describe it.
Re: What kind of sales relationship do you want from your cocktail waitresses?
I am going to take an entirely different approach to this situation and say you should have no sales-relationship with the dancers. As a waitress, your job is to serve drinks. I have worked any clubs where the clients have to get up and go to the bar for antoher drink, leaving the dancer behind. My clients and I like when a waitress is doing her job and not selling dances/being overly friendly with the guy at the next table.
This does not mean you cannot, when not busy, talk/flirt/joke with the customers or upsale the girls. "That's Suzzie on stage 1, she's really a doll. You should give her some company" or "I heard Suzzie gives an amazing dance, have you tried one."
Try to send their attention to the stage, no matter who is on instead of selling dances. This reduces the likelyhood of dancer upset. Dancers tend to be very catty.
If you serve the drinks with light converstation (expecially when a dancer is present, or upsale the present dancer(s) you will be more successful in my eyes. I appreciate when a waitress compliments me infront of a customer and it typically leads to a dance (where I share the $). The problem is balancing this so thatif you are going to give compliments you do it for even the tight girls who don't share the $.
Re: What kind of sales relationship do you want from your cocktail waitresses?
Adara, thanks for the response. What you're describing is pretty much what I meant I wanted to try to do. I just didn't explain it very well.
Here's what perplexes me though ... both of you who have responded have commented about 'making it worth her time' and sharing money.....are you freaking kidding me?! Is that honestly expected? Don't you have to give away enough of your hard-earned money between house fees and standard tipouts? Jeez. I don't even know if I'd feel right about it, after all, I'm not the one is doing the actual work.
From my perpective, when I've gone to sc's, I like when a waitress is friendly, says things like "So-and-so is really fun, you should definitely get a dance from her" with a flirty wink to my group AS OPPOSED TO the bitchy waitress who obviously doesn't want to be there, throws the drinks on the table, takes the money and demands a tip. Who do we always tip more? The friendly cute ones! So my thinking is that's how I'd make more money, is by extra tips NOT by collecting a share of people's money. Therefore, I'd be helping my pocketbook as well as any dancers on that shift...kinda working together, if you will. And let me also reiterate - I'm not planning on being over-the-top friendly like being all over the customers and hounding them .... just flirty and talking up the person on stage, or asking if they've gotten any dances yet, etc. And of course, only as times allows.
I'm sure I'm thinking too much into it and being naive...I just like to have a game plan. ;-)
Re: What kind of sales relationship do you want from your cocktail waitresses?
I just hd an interview for waitressing in a club, the rules are pay attention to the customer 1st...be flirty, make conversation and make sure they are happy and they tip well (at least at this place...very upscale, spoke with a waitress there, they make as much as the dancers...one girl was tiped $700 a few nights ago for taking care of some buisness men). your club may allow you to dance a little for the customers if they request it as long as your tables are taken care of.