Are $10 Lappers a "Good Deal"?
Papi_Chulo
Miami, FL (or the nearest big-booty club)
I would venture to say most custies would feel it's a good deal.
But I am wondering if it's a good deal for dancers?
I would think most dancers would scuff at $10 lappers right off the bat? But I wonder given the way business/economics works; if dancers may perhaps actually make more via $10 lappers?
As has been discussed in various threads w.r.t. the current state of SCs – I wonder if $10 lappers would boost the SC scene and also allow dancers to actually make more $$$?
I've read various reviews of clubs which have $30 and even $40 lappers and the reviewer stating he passed on the lappers or just got one lapper and also witnessing most PLs at the SC just chilling and not buying lappers presumably b/c of the high cost.
I've also read reviews of clubs with $10 lappers where the reviewer was more apt to buy LDs from various dancers b/c of the low entry point.
I also believe just as expensive lappers ($20, $30; $40) will serve to chill a custie's desire to take the LD plunge; $10 lappers may serve to warm him up and thus get him to keep on buying b/c he got warmed up (turned on)?
Thoughts?
44 comments
For us weekly cats, I think that $10 lappers are great, too. We'll keep spending money because if the deal you get. I think that for us cats that look for ITC, then OTC possibilities, that $10 lappers are great. Why waste money on a couple of $20-$40 dances then head into the VIP when you can get $10 dances then VIP.
For the dancers themselves, I feel that $10 lappers are great. They're making money and building up clientele at the same time. Win-Win for everyone.
The last time I clubbed, I bought 5, $10 dances from the same dancer. I didn't bother opting for the more expensive dances because the $10 dances at this particular club are good mileage considering that you're only paying 10 bucks per dance
Also, at most of the other clubs I've been to that offer $10 dances, the mileage has been good. Like Follies in Atlanta, and Fuego in Maryland, etc. But I have been to a club where the 10 dollar dances sucked, so it's not always a good value. But in my experience, most of the time it is.
I can't comment on whether it's a good deal for the dancers, because I have no idea how much they get to keep and how much has to be given to the club
It evens out the playing field but makes it a bit unfair for those 10 dancers who did excellent without it and now lose money. Of course there's variables like whales and such but you understand the general conception. This is for the dancers point of view. No need to discuss the patron point of view since cheaper is alwYs better. Am I right fellas (for lap dances I mean)
Are they a good deal for dancers? They are unless she can sell more expensive ones instead. Most of the time that's not the case.
As for what affects dancers: At the "Joint" they get to keep all of the $10. for each dance. The club, only collects a cut of their dances in the VIP. As a customer, I was far more likely to get a lot of dances there, because when a dancer would ask if I'd want another, I'd think, "It's only another $10. Yeah, go ahead, I'll do one more." And often more after that. (Not $20, $30, or $40 as in other clubs), so I'd often get more dances that because of that price structure.
In the RTRCs for the Strip Joint, I recognize names of at least three dancers who have been at that club for ten years, now.
At Follies in Atlanta, the dances are still $10 and the place is always full. The attractive dancers at Follies can do as many dances as they want since the demand is always there. At any given time in the club there are 10 or more girls giving lap dances.
Simple ecomomics 101.
The Inner Room in Coco Beach FL is always $10. The girls are very busy and they say that them make more money than at the clubs a few miles away which charges $20. Inner Room is in the top 20 clubs on TUSCL top club list. So it's confirmed to be a good buy.
The other $10 club is Cheetahs in LV. During the days it's $10 a dance (they say $20 for 2, but most will do $10 for 1.) A great value for LV.
Anyone who has ever taken an introductory class in managerial accounting understands the concept of capacity utilization. However, there are two problems.
(1). Capacity utilization is difficult to measure in a service organization
(2). Most dancers would say, "what is managerial accounting"?
From the dancer's perspective, it is hard to say how good a deal it is. She has to do twice as many dances as the number of $20 dances that she could otherwise sell just to make the same money, so I guess it all depends upon her particular circumstances (area, club, her personal sales skills, etc.). I can tell you that most dancers I deal with would lose their minds if they were told that they had to sell LDs for $10.
Follies is definitely where it is happening. It is obvious by the number of reviews that it gets.
My experience tends to align with this. The SR nearby tried to do away with its $10 dances and move to $25 during the day shift. It turned into a ghost town in there almost overnight. A few weeks later they moved to $15 and its still hasn't recovered - a year later. I'm not 100% it wasn't just a loss in its competitive edge that stopped bringing in customers, but all the girls said they made much less and most left in short order. They still have $10 dances one day a week. It usually the busiest day/night of the week, and usually has the best girls. Comparing it to Sunday nights, when prices are $25 and they have the advantage of other clubs being closed I know I spend more when I go on Tuesdays than I do on Sundays - and Sundays are happy hour drinks all night. If I'm spending more overall, and less on drinks - the girls have to be making more.
Down the street a dive, they still do $10 daytime dances till somewhere between 4-6. After whatever time that is, girls won't even bother asking for a dance. They all make 99% of their money on the $10 dances and CR's. They're obviously not the top notch girls though.
$10 dances are economical to the dancers if they sell a lot of them quickly and use them as a tease to upsell to the more expensive dances or to get tips.
In an hour's time, there's roughly room for 20 songs at ~3 minutes per. At best, if a dancer moved from song to song, she could make $200 gross at $10/song. Of course, figure a third of that period is downtime in reality, even for the best dancer, so the take goes down to ~$130.
At $20/per, if the frequency of dances held up, she'd double her money, but we all know that's not the case. I definitely think about that $20 more, and once in, get fewer dances. It easily cuts my # in half, so if that roughly holds for others, then the girl's dancing less, but presumably making about the same money.
BUT, that's assuming customers are even there. At my favorite Atl club, the place is jammed every single day in the afternoon, because the $10 LDs are so good. We all know a bargain, so we're there in spades. AT $20, far fewer of us would make the effort, and we'd spend less once there. So really, the dancer's take goes down two counts - fewer customers and fewer dollars/customer for the ones who are there. Plus the club is not entry fees and selling drinks (supposedly the highest profit item) to the guys who aren't there.
So, it seems to me, maybe high-traffic places like Vegas could haul guys in anyway, but most clubs hurt themselves with higher LD prices (just as with high door prices). The goal is to get us in the door, and there's no better way for a SC to do that, than to give us the one thing we want for a killer price - nude grinding girls. They can save the free buffet, for all I care. I don't drive an hour one way for the food, the drinks, or the ambiance.
No tiered pricing. Everything is $10
But it is kind of a unique club. No DJ / no tip out.
Dancer keeps the entire ten bucks. No house cut. No house rent. Dancers love zero payouts. They drive from as far away as Columbus Ohio and Chicago to work weekends.
This model - the $10 dance works.
I predict capacity of the lap dance room would skyrocket, cover charges income would jump if the club was a popular destination, beer sales would jump with customers thinking they are getting a better deal. I would have to monitor drink prices to total sales to see if that paid off, possibly without changing other variables.
Of course if your goal is to maximize utilization of the lap dance room and increase profits on drinks and cover charges, you would have to factor in how much sooner chairs and sofas need to be replaced to keep customers happy.
Unless I find a new potential favorite girl I'll get $10 dances all night long.
If customers aren't buying drinks because the waitresses are super slow or not getting dances because the prices are too high, that can be fixed.
At my regular club, many of the hottest girls have left in recent weeks. The ones who remain tend to be older, skankier, not such a good deal even at $10.
But here's the additional thing for me that's advantageous to the dancer: if she's good, the little head starts doing the thinking and I'll get more than one (in a row) from her.