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Thread: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

  1. #1
    Veteran Member lovelydancer's Avatar
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    Default Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    So I relocated to a new club (a club I've never danced at before, but happen to know a few people from other clubs I have danced at that now work at this new club) and immediately got hired as a cocktail waitress for all the shifts I wanted (full time, night shifts, 5 nights a week with the 2 nights off I wanted). The GM seems really cool about scheduling, provides quick and easy training, and lets every girl earn their spot versus playing favorites...which is a good thing for me because I have a good work ethic and am competitive without being cutthroat.

    I'm excited to hopefully make some money without taking my clothes off (after 4.5 years of dancing, I know I emotionally can't handle stripping full time, it drains and depresses me) but nervous at the same time because I just never know if it'll really be better money for me or not. For the area I live in and my look I make enough as a dancer to pay my bills, but it's always a mix of a few really awesome nights and a bunch of shitty nights. I still just wanna pay my bills, but hopefully have my income be more consistent. While still working club hours because it works easily with my school schedule.

    I start training on Tuesday. Any final thoughts or helpful tips before I go in? At this point I have a thousand thoughts going through my head, lol.

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    God/dess shanna dior's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    I've never waitressed - be it in a normal bar/club or a strip club - so no specific advice on that for me. You already know how to hustle for tips from dancing, so don't be shy about applying that knowledge to this new gig. Just be sure not to step on the dancers' toes by giving dances or letting the customers get too touchy with you, as per a few rent threads on waitresses not knowing the line. Hope it goes well!

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    Veteran Member Jasmine.Doll's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    I went from stripping to waitressing, once. It didn't go well. I had been stripping at a major hustle club, where I had to be EXTREMELY pushy and annoying to get paid, before the transition. Then I started waitressing at this nicer club which sold food, etc... I couldn't turn get out of the aggressive, bitchy hustle mode I was acustom to, at the time. People would ask me for an extra napkin and I'd be like, "Really, bitch! You gonna tip me for that! Do I look like a fucking waitress??!??... Oh wait...."

    It's funny b/c I was a waitress, a good one, b4 I started stripping. But somewhere along the line I lost my waitressing skill set. I had a hard time waitressing b/c you can't get the $ up front and you are never even sure it's going to come. And I am retarded b/c I seeth with rage if someone stiffs me, even if I just brought them one beer. Something is wrong with me. Dancer have to kiss ass, but I feel like its a more manipulative form of ass kissing. Waitressing is more straightforward ass kissing, in my mind. I'd rather be a scheming, lying, manipulative dancer than someone who takes drink orders, for some reason. I feel like I have more control, in that position.

    As I wrote this I'm realizing that I might be crazier than I have previously thought. Anyway, my advice--don't be like me. If someone stiffs you on a drink, don't go find his credit card receipt, look up his name on line, find out that he runs a locksmith company, leave that company 18 horrible reviews on yelp using profiles you made specifically for that purpose.... Not that I have ever done that.. Ok, I've done it. I'm fucking nuts. Instead just take a breathe. It's just a dollar.

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    God/dess simone87's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    ^ LOL you just made my day. sounds like something i'd do too..

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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    lol Jasmine is amazing.

    I was a waitress for 8 years. You may have to develop a thicker skin than your stripper skin, because you do have less control. Or maybe not, maybe for you the consistency of $$ will make you feel more in control. You'll find out. Never count your tips by table. Always count your tips by hour or week. If you look at the tables/customers as individuals, the shitty ones will take over your mind. At the end of the night count your money and think "Wow I made $36 an hour" instead of "That prick at table 4 left me 10%".

    ALWAYS have a sense of urgency. If you're not doing something, chances are you're forgetting something. Just keep moving, full hands in full hands out. If you can't remember 26 things at once, tape a piece of paper inside your order book for jotting notes. Even if someone just asked you for a straw, write it down. If your mind goes blank, look at your notes. Cross them off after you've done them. If your note pad is empty, FIND something to do. Walk past the tables and remove little pieces of trash, top off water glasses. You WILL find someone with an empty glass needing another round, or someone who's ready to pay, etc. You always will.

    Just be there. I guess it's like being a stripper, you're not supposed to hide in the dressing room all night right? Same thing for your tables. Just keep walking around. You don't have to harass them every five seconds, but be accessible. That's all customers want. They want their shit fast, and they don't want to have to beg for it.

    You'll do great! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions your trainer isn't answering.

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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    Quote Originally Posted by Stormi Weather View Post
    ALWAYS have a sense of urgency. If you're not doing something, chances are you're forgetting something.
    Yes! It might just be my club/area, but strip club wait staff is not known for their service around here. Customers are often sitting around without a drink for a long time after they come in and they wait ages to get anything after their first drink too. I don't think you should constantly be going from table to table, but check up on your tables and make yourself available to get flagged down.

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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    ^excellent

    I would suggest to try to always be polite and warm when interacting with customers (even when they're being cimplete dicks).. (Ime) making them feel welcomed can often significantly impact tips.

    I've found it helpful to always have 20 or so singles on hand for customers who want to break larger bills.

    Counting out change isn't totally necessary, but I've found it to be something a majority of customers appreciate--especially when they've had a few drinks.

    Oh! And make sure customers actually sign their receipts when they cash out! Double checking to validate a signature before bringing it to the bar. Maybe its just at the club Im at, but you wouldn't believe how many people either sign the wrong copy ( even when you make it absolutely clear which is which) or simply 'forget' to sign!

    Good luck with everything!

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    Veteran Member lovelydancer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    I definitely wanna help dancers out if I see money in the club. We all should be helping one another out, then we all can make money. I think I'll be fine transitioning into waitressing (I feel like I've handled the changes well so far), I believe now it's more a matter of if the other waitresses are going to see me as a threat because I'm competing for drinks and tip money, not dance money..

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    Veteran Member lovelydancer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    So I wanted to give you all an update; the general manager was happy to see me as a waitress...but apparently he's the only one. The other managers are mad I'm not an asset to the club as a dancer anymore, dancers think I turned on them cause I'm no longer dancing, the bouncer is livid I didn't "get his approval before going to the GM", and the waitresses (one of them being the bouncers girlfriend) legit wouldn't show me the register and at some point in the night cornered me in the bathroom after I got done peeing to threaten me to not "cockblock their money and not watch out". I went to the GM about it who did absolutely nothing.

    Ummm, wtf is wrong with people! I've always been happy, professional and polite to everyone at all clubs I've worked at, with the exception of my very first club since I was a bit of a lush then but even so I was a happy drunk. This behavior and treatment is ridiculous and hurtful. Shouldn't we want to do any and everything we can to make more money for business and keep the few customers we have around and spending money on everyone?!! It was quite disgusting to see everyone's true colors. Shady shit...

    Btw I'm sorry for the anger in this post. I'm legitimately upset and confused. Especially cause I'm always cool with everyone. At this point; fuck them. They sooo badly didn't want me as staff because I pad their income better as a dancer, but their actions just pushed me to dance/work period at another club. This club was a true hole in the wall and I was by far the best looking and acting person in that place (not to sound like an egomaniac but it's true). And because they acted like total shitheads I'll take my assets somewhere else.

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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    good move !!! These days, receiving a 1099 from a strip club for dancing OR waiting tables can still constitute a black mark for future 'straight job' employers. At least when dancing the higher income makes up for that risk !!! And if 'drama' is also involved ...

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    Veteran Member lovelydancer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going from stripping to waitressing in the club

    If I do go back to a "mainstream" job again it'll more than likely be a regular bar or nightclub. So working as staff in a club isn't too much of a stretch for me. After everything that happened the other night I was frustrated. But I immediately got hired at a small but busy strip club as a bartender!! Pretty excited about it. They gave me 4 nightshifts a week and said if my sales are good they will let me pick a fifth day of my choice if I want. One clubs loss is another's (and my) gain! Good karma

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