Your cancelation rate these days???

[Michael Wayne]

This is a question for other PROS but clients please add any info or thoughts you may have. My regulars rarely if ever have to cancel and because they are regulars if something comes up they know they can just reschedule. I am NOT talking about regulars. This question is about new potential clients who book advance appointments and they do everything right and then just before the encounter they cancel with or without a reason or an explanation and do NOT reschedule. I have been escorting many years and there have always been cancellations but i would say the rate was no more than 15%. These days as i have been keeping track for 13 month the cancellation rate for new clients is an astounding 50%!!!!! I cannot explain it....I have no bad reviews. I am in better shape now than when i was 27. My cock has not shrunk!!!! So guys what is your rate of cancellations these days? The only explantion i have is that possibly there is more competion out there and more choices for guys in a non escort capacity (grindr, scruff, adam, even craigslist)????? http://www.rentboy.com/magicmikey http://www.rentmen.com/mikeyusatop

[bigvalboy]

This is a question for other PROS but clients please add any info or thoughts you may have. My regulars rarely if ever have to cancel and because they are regulars if something comes up they know they can just reschedule. I am NOT talking about regulars. This question is about new potential clients who book advance appointments and they do everything right and then just before the encounter they cancel with or without a reason or an explanation and do NOT reschedule. I have been escorting many years and there have always been cancellations but i would say the rate was no more than 15%. These days as i have been keeping track for 13 month the cancellation rate for new clients is an astounding 50%!!!!! I cannot explain it....I have no bad reviews. I am in better shape now than when i was 27. My cock has not shrunk!!!! So guys what is your rate of cancellations these days? The only explantion i have is that possibly there is more competion out there and more choices for guys in a non escort capacity (grindr, scruff, adam, even craigslist)????? http://www.rentboy.com/magicmikey http://www.rentmen.com/mikeyusatop

 

I think it is a huge problem Mikey. I was just discussing this with a very popular escort who came to town and I hired for the day. In conversation he told me that a client who had booked the previous day, for a two hour session just stopped communicating with him at the last moment, and this after exchanging, according to him, several very nice texts and then emails. He even spoke with the client for about a half hour the night before, just to touch bases. It was very frustrating for him, since travel costs are so high these days, and basically he had set time aside, which now was wasted. He was saying that between no shows and cancellations, it is becoming more difficult and more frustrating to do business.

 

He was thinking about charging a fee up-front for clients he has never been with before, since cancellations and no shows have been on the rise. I have never paid an up-front fee, but knowing what I know now, and what escorts are going through, for an escort that was well reviewed, I probably would consider paying the up-front fee.

[actor61]

This is a question for other PROS but clients please add any info or thoughts you may have. My regulars rarely if ever have to cancel and because they are regulars if something comes up they know they can just reschedule. I am NOT talking about regulars. This question is about new potential clients who book advance appointments and they do everything right and then just before the encounter they cancel with or without a reason or an explanation and do NOT reschedule. I have been escorting many years and there have always been cancellations but i would say the rate was no more than 15%. These days as i have been keeping track for 13 month the cancellation rate for new clients is an astounding 50%!!!!! I cannot explain it....I have no bad reviews. I am in better shape now than when i was 27. My cock has not shrunk!!!! So guys what is your rate of cancellations these days? The only explantion i have is that possibly there is more competion out there and more choices for guys in a non escort capacity (grindr, scruff, adam, even craigslist)????? http://www.rentboy.com/magicmikey http://www.rentmen.com/mikeyusatop

 

I don't think this problem is just for escorts; it seems to be endemic. I can't tell you the number of times friends or colleagues have canceled social engagements with me on a moment's notice or sometimes without any notice at all, just a stupid text the next day saying "Got tied up. Sorry." And don't get me started on the subject of texts instead of calls. Two weeks ago, I was expecting 3 people at my place for dinner, to which they had been invited and which they had confirmed about 3 weeks prior to that. On the afternoon of the dinner, they all canceled. I have not responded to their texts and don't plan to. They are absolutely baffled that I'm not speaking to them. People just don't feel the same sense of commitment or social obligation that they used to. Nobody thinks twice about canceling an arrangement if something better comes along or if they just don't feel like doing it on the day.

 

Regarding the escort situation, I think cancellations are a 2 way street. In the last month, 2 escorts canceled appointments with me with only about 10 minutes' notice; one because he had a migraine, and the other because "just not into it tonight, dude." People do what they want to do without thinking much about others these days, it seems, whether it's escorts, clients, friends or associates. My family calls me old fashioned because I still write thank-you notes, I show up when I'm supposed to and I honor obligations. In this world of texting, Facebook, etc. where you don't need to be person-to-person, doing the honorable thing has sunk way down on the list of priorities.

[instudiocity]

Disloyalty in social engagements and business engagements is a sign of the times. If I can get it cheaper somewhere else, I can ignore the amount of time, talent treasure you've brought to the table. Which was ok when Walmart beat the neighborhood stores in price, service and convenience (and in that order), but now it's bleeding over into the rest of our commerce.

[Racketjock]

Ditto, the wise words and viewpoint of Actor61.

[+ nycman]

I understand your frustration, but good luck collecting.

[zach_wilson]

Dear Mikey, I understand what your going through it does seam like cancelations are at an all time high. I have had some where the flight is booked and everything, then last minute something comes up and they cancel. As well as the client calling me to inform me their at the hotel and will be ready at our scheduled time then say they will be a little late then say they have to reschedule all together. I understand that stuff happens, however personally I have never canceled on a client as I understand time is valuable. I would think that an appropriate deposit for the date/time would be okay. However when I have asked for this because it being an overnight/evening rate locally, I have gotten either no response or the response of why should I pay the deposit that doesn't make sense. What I try and explain is I don't make my living off of the deposit.. It is just a way to insure that I don't request off from my part time work without reason. I actually had one client tonight cancel and he is one of the ones that had stated that "Its a turn off to be asked an deposit my word should be enough" and had even verified yesterday that everything was a go. I am with you, I wonder why so many cancelations as opposed to a year ago where there were far fewer?

[maninsoma]

I understand your frustration, but good luck collecting.

 

Reread Mikey's post. Upon reading the thread title, I had the same first thought. After reading Mikey's entire post, it's clear that "rate" refers to the percentage of new clients who end up canceling or not showing up for their appointments, not a fee being charged for no-shows.

[maninsoma]

If it's any consolation, as a client I've encountered this as well. I actually wondered after a while if I had been added to some black listed client website because it started happening to me so frequently. I contacted a guy in advance of a planned trip, had a few email exchanges, and even spoke with him the day before our appointment. Just prior to our appointment, I got an email from him that his schedule changed and he had no cancel with no mention of the potential to reschedule. At least he was more polite than a few other recent visitors. With one I exchanged a few emails, called him, set an appointment date and time, and gave him my address. I never heard from him again and he didn't show up. With another guy I schedule an appointment mid-morning for just a few hours later. I was supposed to meet him at his hotel, but I didn't have his room number which he supposedly was going to give me via phone as soon as he checked in. Not having heard back from him, I thought I would head in the direction of his hotel so I could meet him on time should he end up calling me, but despite my leaving a few messages before and after our scheduled time he never called me back.

 

I honestly don't know why an escort would do this since it seems like it would just be easier to only schedule appointments for "now" if you have trouble keeping commitments. At least then you wouldn't develop a list of disgruntled would-be clients, and I would much rather someone say, "Call me at noon tomorrow and if I'm available we can meet at 12:30 or 1:00" versus someone scheduling a specific appointment he cannot keep. I don't think I've ever done anything to piss off an escort or masseur I've hired, and when I've searched for my identifying information I haven't been able to find any trace of negative comments about me online. I have to assume that many people are just flaky and self-centered.

[DeNeufaille]

Hummmm..... guess there's just so much gold at the end of the rainbow, the pot runs out: some folk like to take as much gold coin as they can and others like to horde the gold coin.... Find a happy mid ground:) It is all fun and games, no worries...

[+ FreshFluff]

I think texts and emails have just made it EASIER to cancel. You can do so without having to actually say it and without hearing the disappointment or anger in the other person's voice. Also, because people are supposed to check their texts and email constantly, the person cancelling doesn't have to worry about the other party not getting the message in time.

 

Mikey, you mentioned a while back that you've caught clients booking 2 or 3 escorts in one time slot and then picking the one they like best. Do you think that's what's happening?

 

Zach, I don't know you're market, but it's hard to successfully charge a deposit unless other escorts in your area are doing that too. Also, many people on the M-F associate prepaying with scams.

 

But if you decide to charge a deposit anyway, you probably want to make it a non-negotiable for new clients. What you don't want is a situation in which you say you require something (like the deposit), the client balks, and you agree to the appointment anyway. It sends a signal to less ethical clients that they can walk all over you.

[dcguy20]

What Actor 61 said. I, too, have had escorts not show after appointments have been confirmed (once in NYC from someone I had seen in the past). When the guy from NYC finally contacted me the following morning as I was checking out of my hotel, there wasn't even an apology (he was trying to see if I could see him that morning).

 

Definitely the sign of the times, because I have certain friends who think nothing of cancelling plans at the last minute.

[seeme]

sign of the times

 

What Actor 61 said. I, too, have had escorts not show after appointments have been confirmed (once in NYC from someone I had seen in the past). When the guy from NYC finally contacted me the following morning as I was checking out of my hotel, there wasn't even an apology (he was trying to see if I could see him that morning).

 

Definitely the sign of the times, because I have certain friends who think nothing of cancelling plans at the last minute.

If I must do a last minute cancellation with an escort a fitness trainer, etc I expect to pay a cancellation fee whether i am regular client or not. It is the way of the market. A no show or last minute text from from such professional would have me seek services else where. However I rather they not show then spend our time on their smartphone, telling me they can multitask. Sadly I can not.

[Michael Wayne]

Guys thanks for ALL the great ANSWERS. I actually feel better after reading all the replies because know i know that this is not just me. Big Val what you wrote is troubling in an extreme sense as it touches on touring and traveling. I find that when i am on TOUR in a new market the cancellations are few and far between. it is when I am home in my LOCAL market (south Florida) where it is reaching , as actor 61 so correctly said, "endemic levels." Fact is we have a cancellation epidemic in south Florida. According to Zack it is in his various markets as well (home or touring). I have NEVER asked for up front deposits. I have clients who choose to do it and i have some regulars to prefer it that way but it is not my practice because it reeks of a scam.........it i believe scares new clients away as well. As far as a cancellation fee is concerned doctors do it but as i was once very properly corrected on here i did not go to TWELVE years of med school! Trying to collect these fees is an impossibility if you ask for it. They say, "I'll take care of you next time," but you never hear from them again. For instudiocity my question is: do you approve of the practice of cancellations. You used the personal pronoun I in your answer. Craigslist is certainly walmart but is the product superior??? Now as to maninsoma: It definitely goes both ways. Very true! Certainly cavalier escorts cancelling last minute or no showing emboldens clients to do the same thing. to denufaille: it is no game to me. It is my job, my career and my livelihood so to me it is very serious. to freshfluff: yes it is still happening every day! I'll be working out with an escort buddy and he'll casually say he has to run to make his 2 pm session at the ritz vanderbilt beach in naples...... I'll think thats funny cause i gotta shower and get to the ritz for my 2pm as well. While we are both driving there the client will cancel on one of us and go through with it with my friend. to dc guy: "sign of the times." yes, sadly it is! finally to seeme: I am also NOT a multi tasker . as a rule my phone is OFF during sessions. lets have somemore good answers. http://www.rentboy.com/magicmikey http://www.rentmen.com/mikeyusatop

[bigvalboy]

Guys thanks for ALL the great ANSWERS. I actually feel better after reading all the replies because know i know that this is not just me. Big Val what you wrote is troubling in an extreme sense as it touches on touring and traveling.

 

Hey Mikey,

 

I don't know, however this particular escort told me that he thought some of these cancellations were coming from local escorts who set up bogus appointments, then cancel, to tie up his time. Do you find that happens to you when you travel to other cities, and all the local escorts know that you are coming? If so, I think that is really sad. There should be enough business for everyone.

 

But in this day and age, what with the economy still struggling and guys not hiring as much, maybe it is a bigger problem than I thought.

 

Cheers, BVB

[SteveEscort]

Hello Mikey, how's you. Ages since we spoke.

 

Mine is virtually non existent with regulars. About one in 4 enquiries result in an appointment at some point and approximately 20% of new guys who book, cancel and occasionally no show.

[Atomicshawn]

Cancellations do suck but I find that it's happening far less. I find that 9/10x the clients who try to make an appointment by texting will flake more than the clients who I speak to on the phone. Which is why I don't text with new clients under any circumstances unless we have already met and the appointment actually happened. Which brings me to a question for all the escorts who have a high cancellation rate: Are you guys making appointments with new clients who flake via text message/email or is it mostly by phone? And what percentage of cancellations are from the texters vs. callers/emailers?

[JoeyBryant]

Definitely the sign of the times, because I have certain friends who think nothing of cancelling plans at the last minute.

 

Yup, it all began when smart phones came into play. I mean think of it, everything is being done at the touch of a thumb. You can book/cancel any and everything without ever having to speak to anyone.

 

But on a serious note, I just got back from 2 weeks tour in 3 cities and a week in San Francisco; the main course. It's not just a Florida where it's an epidemic. In SF, I had lots of cancellations too. It was just stupid. People were calling me, and saying they'll text me the address, and then not do it. I dealt with 2 persistent idiots, and then a lot of random idiots. It was discouraging and frustrating. BUT....I wasn't going to let that ruin my trip.

 

Before I went to SF, I only contacted 1 client who I met before. Who I knew, wouldn't cancel. That also means I only went with 1 advance booking. That's all I needed. I didn't care because I know how the town is. On my last visit, I had a couple cancels, but I ended up filling in for every person who cancelled...So on this trip, I didn't worry if people were cancelling or if I didn't have anyone ahead of time because all that meant was, there's interest..clearly, they are calling me. So now it's just a number's game.

 

Despite all the flakes and no-shows (I wouldn't even call them cancellations, since they never cancelled), it ended up being a pretty good visit after-all. All the clients I seen, contacted me while I was there, and had no idea I was going to be seeing them prior to me arriving in the city.

[JoeyBryant]

Cancellations do suck but I find that it's happening far less.

 

 

Mine is virtually non existent with regulars.

 

 

These are 2 guys from different countries. Outside of the US. One in Canada, the other in Europe. But, I have to say the difference is you guy's have different laws than we do in the US.

 

You know what the real issue is? The United States sucks for escorting. That's the truth of the matter. Yes the potential is here, and yes many of us are still successful, despite it. But it could be BETTER. And SHOULD be better. In America, you have the puritan laws, the never-ending supply of competitors (from other escorts, to non-escorts, to porn, etc), and the whole 'I shouldn't have to pay for it, because there's lots of guys giving it up for free' mentality.

 

So what do you end up with in such a place? Cancellations. No-shows. Flakes.

[Amoco]

And they also pay taxes and have required testing with reporting....

[JoeyBryant]

Craigslist is certainly walmart but is the product superior???

 

A word about craigslist: It may be the WalMart of the sex industry...but on my last tour, I picked up several clients from craigslist. That's basically free advertising, and getting the same amount as I was advertising on the escort ads. In many cases, I'd probably have not even reached the clients, because many of these paid escort sites aren't fucking driving the traffic to us like they should. There's 1 city I frequent, that the escort ads no longer get any calls from, because for the last 2-3 years, there's always only 2 or 3 of the same escorts advertising. So clients stopped looking at men4rent. They stopped looking at rentboy. They check it once or twice a year. I need something faster than that. So, I put something on craigslist and things were back to normal. I even met a client who said he no longer checks it, because there's no one advertising there.

 

The way I see it, I want to go to where the traffic is. I'm sorry but, these escort websites are starting to fall to the wayside as far as attracting client traffic. Advertising on CL doesn't need to be sleazy or low class. I mean, just look at this craiglist ad. A Mercedes dealership is selling a 2014 C-Class on craigslist.

 

I think we should just get past where an ad is, and focus more on what the ad can do for us. When it comes to paying for advertising, I pick and choose carefully because I don't like the idea of paying $50-100 for an ad, and then waiting days and weeks to see any kind of return from it. It needs to be a quick turn-around. As in, I pay for an ad, I better get a client that same day. They aren't doing that. Craigslist is. Plus, clients on craigslist don't always see price when contacting you....so it alleviates being crossed off or looked over due to price.

[Michael Wayne]

Guys let's keep this thread rolling because this is VALUABLE for both clients and PROS. This is real world reality! Amoco: so nice to see you posting. Your post was certainly a voice of reality and reason. Joey: always the honest guy even if it makes you unpopular on here! lol! I must state for the record that the USA does not suck in any capacity. I have been lucky enough and bleesed enough to make a GREAT living in this business in the USA for many years without ever leaving this country once. It is all abour EXCELLENT customer service and client relations. I love the USA! As to what Joey said about smart phones I totally agree but i , like everyone else, do use them and they are a necessary evil. CRaigslist????? I think Joeys' comments are RIGHT ON THE MONEY and they deserve a thread of their own which will be my next thread. Atomic: phone calls are great but MOST clients want to book via email/texting for the purposes of discretion. Let's not forget as escorts that DISCRETION is still the PRIME DIRECTIVE!!!!! My biggest concern with this new generation of escorts is a lack of discretion. I hear the horror stories every week from clients. I prefer if a client calls because i have a deep voice and when they hear my voice they are MORE likely to book and not to cancel but i cannot MAKE them call. To not book via email/text seem detrimental to the biz. STEVE: u r very lucky ansd an exception to the rule. I've spoken to about 20 fellow pros since i posted this thread and we are ALL running about 50% cancellations right now here in the good ol USA. BIG VAL: no, i do NOT believe it is other escorts doing it. In all my years and all my touring i have never busted another pro for trying to tie up my schedule. It may happen but i doubt it. In fact when another pro comes to my market i try to send them a little quick note to let them know they are welcome and if they are my type i offer my services to them if they have a client who wants a double. http://www.rentboy.com/magicmikey

[JoeyBryant]

I must state for the record that the USA does not suck in any capacity. I have been lucky enough and bleesed enough to make a GREAT living in this business in the USA for many years without ever leaving this country once. It is all abour EXCELLENT customer service and client relations.

 

I should probably reiterate what I meant. I didn't mean to say the USA 'sucks', but you have to admit it does suck for escorting in some capacity. I was also comparing that to Canada and the UK. 2 countries that have taken the steps to embrace it so much as to not criminalize it. We (they) still haven't gotten past that yet. I've also stated that it's not to say people don't make decent money/living doing the business here. I wasn't speaking from a financial standpoint, I was more referring to the 'system' and the way it's set up here.

 

I mean think about it, if the US didn't suck for escorting, we'd be able to get totally X rated on our ads, instead of having to wait hours for an ad to get approved, only for it to say, "I AM DOMINATE T*P THAT OFFERS ER**IC ENCOUNTERS AND MY IS 8" UN..." It's also why I sometimes feel craigslist can work better for me, because I talk totally dirty on there...but men4rent censors ads out so much, that I come off sounding like sex isn't even on the menu.

 

That was why I was referring that it sucks here. It sucks because escorting here is too restrained. They need to let us loose, so we can be as wild and kinky and dirty on our ads as we want to. It's never going to happen as long as the sucky U.S. uses sucky laws to control us.

[instudiocity]

I mean think about it, if the US didn't suck for escorting, we'd be able to get totally X rated on our ads, instead of having to wait hours for an ad to get approved, only for it to say, "I AM DOMINATE T*P THAT OFFERS ER**IC ENCOUNTERS AND MY IS 8" UN..." It's also why I sometimes feel craigslist can work better for me, because I talk totally dirty on there...but men4rent censors ads out so much, that I come off sounding like sex isn't even on the menu.

 

That was why I was referring that it sucks here. It sucks because escorting here is too restrained. They need to let us loose, so we can be as wild and kinky and dirty on our ads as we want to. It's never going to happen as long as the sucky U.S. uses sucky laws to control us.

I'd pay to see that... Joey UnLEASHED in HIS ADS! Yup, then maybe Joey would learn that it's his constant bitching on a CLIENT FORUM that effects his income...

 

Joey, the glass is half-full, enjoy your glass of water, please quit spewing it all over us.

[JoeyBryant]

BIG VAL: no, i do NOT believe it is other escorts doing it. In all my years and all my touring i have never busted another pro for trying to tie up my schedule.

 

I just want to say, don't be lead astray. You would be taken aback by some of the things I've heard from people, of what other escorts have come up with. I've heard stories of escorts asking their clients to contact other escorts, and then cancel in attempt to tie up their schedule. I even have my own documentation, of escorts being behind certain things. Check out this (anonymous) email from an escort who responded to a separate ad, when I was visiting his area:

 

Actually I've seen your ad on men4rentnow for a while, I actually got an ad running on there right now too... And I might get an appointment lined up so I could just use that cash for you... I usually top, but been looking for a guy with some fucking skills to use me good... But yeah, sucking you off too, or instead of, especially if you bust a huge wad, works too...

Some guys want like a boyfriend experience, but I just want to service your cock... Even get spit on and called dirty faggot --but that's about as kinky as I want... If it comes off natural ya know.. If not just use me as your cum dumpster fuck hole... Come in, do it, take off, easy...

Dunno though, maybe my appointment would want to get tag teamed?

 

Now...this same escort/client never ended up meeting me. He faffed around all night, meanwhile I was seeing another client while he was busy trying to mess me around. Not saying he didn't want to do all of that, but the fact that it didn't, loses all credibility with me. Now, this just so happens to be a escort who admitted he was an escort. It doesn't include the ones who don't.