tuscl

Getting refunds on cover charges

Array
Pennsylvania
Tuesday, January 2, 2018 9:05 AM
I went to a club a few weeks ago on a Sunday evening at about 4:45. The club had opened at 4:00, according to their scheduled hours on their website. I know clubs are generally slow to get started, especially on a weekend evening, but I was in the area and thought, why not? I entered, no door girl, just a bouncer. I asked the bouncer who was working and he showed me a list of 5 names. He charged me $5 and I paid and entered. One other loser was in there and the barkeeper, who was all over the place being busy. Music was playing but no dancing and no girls in evidence. I got my drink and about 15 minutes later one girl came out of the dressing room. She walked up to the closest custie, who was the other guy, sat down and began a conversation. After about a half hour they went to the lap dance room, came out about five minutes later. He then left and she disappeared to the dressing room. I’m left sitting there alone, just me, an empty bar and an empty stage. It had now been about an hour since I had arrived, so I got up to leave. On my way out I stopped to talk to the bouncer, still sitting alone at the front desk. Feeling somewhat irritated I told him what had happened, and asked if couldn’t get my cover back. I know, only five bucks, but I think you will understand that I was in a rather foul mood by then, and I chose not to accept his refusal to refund the five bucks. His excuse, “club policy.” I repeated, “No girls.” After a bit of back and forth I asked to see the manager on duty. He agreed and came fetched a young girl who could have easily passed for a dancer. I argued with her for a bit until the bouncer told her to leave, that he would “handle it from here.” He came out from behind the desk. He was BIG and I’m small and I felt suddenly very intimidated. But my innate stubbornness had kicked in and I wasn’t going anywhere. We continued to argue for a bit until he pulled out the independent contractor argument, that they couldn’t tell the girls what to do. I started to counter with a “false advertising” argument when the manager came back out. I changed tack and asked if I could at least get a free entry the next time. The manager said she could do that and pulled one out a gave it to me. At that point the bouncer came out from behind the counter and said, “Now, we’re not going to have the same problem next time are we?” Which, of course, really pissed me off, but good sense finally kicked in, I sort of had what I wanted. I recall reading here a few weeks ago about another PL’s similar experience but with a more congenial bouncer or manager. Are most clubs this nasty about refunding covers? I know the amount was peanuts, but I just got into one of those moods where I had to say something. I would probably have been satisfied with a simple we’re sorry, but all I got was a flat no. And that really pissed me off. The whole exchange probably lasted 20 minutes in which time one other dancer came in for her shift. Bouncer: “See, we got dancers now!” Me: “I waited an hour with no dancers, I think I deserve a refund.” I left. Now, if I could just remember where I put that free entry....

22 comments

  • rh48hr
    •
    7 years ago
    That's piss poor customer service. They are preying upon the fact they think you will return because you are PL who wants to see naked women. Quite frankly by just refunding your money or offering the free pass themselves they could have left with a happy customer who would be willing to come back multiple times because they were nice. Instead they have a customer who will reluctantly come back with a free pass. If you can find it :-) There is a reason their full time job is at a strip club.
  • Call.Me.Ishmael
    •
    7 years ago
    I understand why you were irritated and sympathize with your argument. But... cover charges are the most miniscule expense aside from tipping the bathroom troll. I'd write off the cash and write up a negative review (and you still should do that). In the course of sticking to your guns, you still didn't get a refund, but you do have a free pass to a shitty club where you have bad blood with a bouncer and manager. I'm not sure the math adds up in your favor.
  • joewebber
    •
    7 years ago
    i agree with CMI. you basically pointed out to the management what a shitty job they were doing of getting dancers in the club.
  • whodey
    •
    7 years ago
    I wouldn't bother looking for the free pass if I were you. Sounds like the club isn't worth bothering with based on the lack of service. Add that to the fact that both the bouncer and manager are going to have a bad memory of you and chances are they will be watching you closely on your next visit.
  • whodey
    •
    7 years ago
    And make sure to write a review like [view link].Ishmael said to save other PLs from a similar fate.
  • Jascoi
    •
    7 years ago
    sometimes... if there is a chance that the club visit is going to be bad due to the lack of girls or even sometimes the quality of girls... I will ask the door guy if I am not satisfied after a few minute visit... can I have my money back?
  • ppwh
    •
    7 years ago
    This Bud's for you, mister irate strip club customer who got a free entry pass after 20 minutes of arguing with the bouncer and the manager! Because of your courage and disregard of pissing off the bouncer so he will ruin any subsequent lap dance experiences, the door girl has started waiving the cover charge for the rest of us when no dancers are present!
  • Cashman1234
    •
    7 years ago
    I understand your frustration. I also understand the point you were arguing. It makes sense that you pay a cover charge to see dancers. If you don’t see dancers - you shouldn’t be required to pay the cover. The bouncer knew there were very few dancers - and he could have waved you in (without paying a cover). The manager could have told him to hold off on the cover until there were enough dancers to have a decent stage show. It’s poor customer service. It’s a challenge to reason with some bouncers - as they can be intimidating and unaccomodating. Managers may provide more understanding - but some aren’t very good either. As said above - maybe it’s best your free pass remains lost.
  • JamesSD
    •
    7 years ago
    Charging a cover at all with that few girls if they are selling booze seems stupid.
  • Subraman
    •
    7 years ago
    I am totally 100% with you. But I also know that 1. Most SC employees aren't exactly empowered, even the day manager might have his hands tied by the owner or general manager, and 2. this is one of the things that seems to be relatively on lockdown at many clubs, I suppose under the notion that many folks ask for refunds, in their eyes unjustifiably. None of that is a defense of what really is a horrendously stupid business policy, but one that is to be expected of a business that fundamentally views its customers as suckers to be fleeced. Just noticing that I've seen these kinds of exchanges at other clubs, and I'm not sure I've ever seen any club give back an entry fee.
  • theDirkDiggler
    •
    7 years ago
    I'm surprised they even charged cover so early. Almost every club i've been to waives cover before 6 pm. I've had numerous times where there were virtually no girls on stage or on the floor for over an hour. Usually i stick it out, even if i've literally paid nothing, not even an overpriced drink, when i could easily just walk out and go to another club or go home. However, there is no club close to me so i'm already out the time and gas so i try to make the best of it and going to another club might just result in the same thing although i can kill some time traveling. The times i wait, things usually get at least a little better. It's also why i generally don't go between 5-8pm (a different discussion).
  • wallanon
    •
    7 years ago
    The closest I've gotten to a refund was being warned by a valet or someone else on duty that there weren't many (or any) girls available when I showed up. Me not bothering to go in at all is about the same as getting my money back. As others have said, most clubs with any sense in how they're managed waive the cover if they're light on entertainers. But some clubs feel the need to get every dollar they can. It's their call one way or the other. Out of the hundreds of clubs I've seen, there have been exactly zero times I've asked for a cover charge back. From my perspective it's the cost of doing business.
  • JackScott
    •
    7 years ago
    If I was in the club owner's position, I'd rather that you leave pissed off to never come back again because if I gave you your money back, it would only set the precedent where you will want/expect your money back every time you have the slightest issue or problem. I have no problem with providing good customer service but I'm nobody's bitch. If you are going to belly-ache over $5, you're telling me how cheap you are.
  • chessmaster
    •
    7 years ago
    You should just get used to eating the cover charge. If it was $20 cover and no dancers, you have a legit gripe. But $5 shouldnt even be worth the 20 minute argument. You would better served in the future to avoid most strip clubs the first few hours they are open. Unless the club has a reliable crowd during those hours, dont expect much in the dancers. The dancers that are there(if any) are usually hiding in the dressing room waiting for more pl's. just avoid those hours all together, especially a sunday.
  • twentyfive
    •
    7 years ago
    OP if I were you I’d have posted the name and location of this club in my original post as a warning to others and if I knew the name of the manager I would have posted that as well. You have an excellent opportunity to get even use it.
  • TippingDollars
    •
    7 years ago
    A simple solution I use to do back in the day. Ask to check out the club before you pay the cover. If you don't see any chicks than dip.
  • Jascoi
    •
    7 years ago
    TD. that might be the easiest and simplest way.
  • Papi_Chulo
    •
    7 years ago
    Getting one's $$$ back at a strip-club for *anything* is usually a long-shot - once the club/dancers get one's $$$ might as well kiss it goodbye. I think you did the right-thing by making the club aware of your displeasure as a customer and this could perhaps lead to changes in the future, but I def would avoid getting into a heated argument over-it - I would try to go about-them recognizing my POV as a customer rather than trying to force them to see my POV - if there were NO/ZERO dancers then you'd have a much-stronger position, but the fact there was at least one, and perhaps a couple of others in the DR you did not see, means "there were dancers" - i.e. wanting one's $$$ back b/c of the low-dancer #s is kinda akin to wanting one's $$$ back b/c all the dancers were ugly.
  • ppwh
    •
    7 years ago
    A large portion of situations where you can feel ripped off can be avoided by asking a question to set expectations before spending the money. For instance, sometimes I'll go in during a late afternoon shift that with no cover that ends up having no dancers because I mainly want to have a beer in a comfortable setting and the possibility of a cute dancer being there is just a bonus. Sometimes I'm mostly looking for dancers and even if there is no cover, I ask at the door if there are any dancers before going in. If I'm a regular at a club and there are only 2 or 3 dancers that night, the clubs that are charging cover anyway often say something like "We only have Ruby and Sapphire working tonight." Policies of course vary, but I like the 5 second question up-front better than a 20 minute argument about customer service afterwards. The person you're asking might give you a pointer to make the visit work out better, or give you a free pass up-front just for asking on a day they're short on dancers but still would like the entry fee.
  • ppwh
    •
    7 years ago
    > and he showed me a list of 5 names Just noticed this, so it sounds like OP already had this memo.
  • Bj99
    •
    7 years ago
    If you wanted dances, you should have spread the word. I’m sure some wait staff would have gone and gotten a girl. If you wanted to see girls on stage, you prolly could have sat on pervert row and put a few dollars on the stage. As far the the refund goes, that’s not really how strio clubs work. Not with the girl either. It’s just that they are constantly bombarded a ss and drunk customers, so they tend to stitch to their policy until they know someone is a good customer.
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    7 years ago
    Pre-TUSCL there used to be this guide book of exotic dance clubs, sold locally at adult books stores. The most important thing to eval the clubs would be the number of dancers per shift. But it seemed always inflated, as I read about the local clubs. Any time I've ever walked into a strip club I've always asked the door man, how many dancers do you have here right now? The answers I've gotten have always been correct. Sometimes they'll say, "6 but they're all in the VIP room." He is helping them make money, but he is also telling the truth. When the number of dancers is real low, this means that there is no competition, and so the looks standard could be very very low. Like at our old George's Rock'n' Robin. But when the number is higher, most will be nice looking. As far as our OP, I don't think he gained anything, except maybe making it hard to ever come back to that club. If you go to a strip club, you know it is like gambling, you have to be willing to throw away money for nothing. He should have asked at the door, about the number of dancers. When nothing was happening inside, he should have asked the bartender. Maybe she could have rousted them out of the dressing room. Once at a local club I said to the female bartender, "You have 6 dancers here now." She nodded in agreement. Then I said "All ... ( pointing at the dressing room )" She smiled sheepishly. Soon they were all rousted out. Maybe you can get friendly with nondancing female staff. Different clubs are run differently. With some it is very tight, staff even has to log the time when each girl goes on stage. With others it is very lose, girls fritter away the time and hold up the dance order. But in such places you can probably get more friendly with girls in the front room. Management does not really try to regulate them. You have to just accept this in strip clubs, they often are not tightly run like fast food places. But usually this is better. SJG Bob Dylan - Forever Young [view link]
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