Sometimes it makes me think that we as custies don't know much what goes on behind the scenes and why owners/managers make the decisions they do.
But then again I think many just care about making as much $$$ as possible vs making $$$ by providing the best service possible - some seem to get it and some seem to not care to get it - seems many owners/managers are not necessarily SC aficionados and don't seem to know or care what SC customers need.
On the one hand, the near-universal opinion seems to be that strip club managers are pretty bottom of the barrel, business-wise.
On the other hand, I think Papi hit the nail on the head -- we as customers really know jack shit about what's going on behind the scenes. Years (decades) ago, I had an acquaintance who became part owner and managing partner of a small strip club. To whatever extent he had ideas going in of "I'm going to treat the strippers right and with respect, and put a premium on customer service", he got a dose of reality pretty quickly. Sometimes he'd give me a scenario that happened at work and asked me what I'd do. I'd give him a reply, but my replies were likely based on a model of behavior that I have from my adult life working -- that people are reasonable, want to do well, with proper motivation and oversight can be driven to succeed. And then he'd tell me how the strippers respond to such things, why my proposal was a disaster and how only adjusting to insulting patronizing rules gets the behavior he needs. We had a number of these talks and it was pretty eye-opening. In the same way that I don't really understand what it's like to manage a group of strippers, I suppose I really don't know how to maximize profit out of a bunch of pervy SC customers. I think we here on tuscl are the exception, and not the rule, so the club might maximize its profits by treating the usual SC customers like the chumps they are. I dunno
It seems there are clubs that do it right where the dancers and staff are friendly and seem happy to be there and the custies seem happy to be there and the club has a loyal following with both dancers/staff and custies - so it's not as if it can't be done - sure I imagine the owner/manager has to crack-the-whip to some extent but every job/business has rules and expectations
Most strip club managers exist simply to make sure the dancers show up, no one dies, and the money gets counted (mostly) correctly. At least that's my impression. Others may have a better perspective. I think it's possible that some club managers or owners peruse the reviews to see if there's a storm brewing on the horizon, or to post a club ad in the form of a review.
Managers, customers, and dancers all have an agenda. I don't think those agendas align very often. But, I'll admit that I know little to nothing about the "behind the scenes". I think that's for the best.
I get it subruman. My buddy owned a sports bar. Managing the waitresses was worse than kindergarteners. I can imagine SCs are far worse.
However, some clubs do well and get great reviews. And they get huge crowds.
Someone pointed out on another topic, how many patrons even know about TUSCL? I bet less than 5%.
There are some clubs I've been to that "get it," but they're rare.
There's a manager I know at one club who used to be at another; both clubs have been among my favorites under his watch. He gets it. He's made a point to build dancer chemistry. He really had it good at his first club. One dancer was a makeup expert and did the other girls up when she worked. Another did dress design and altering; the girls would go to her for apparel help. You could see it on the floor: Everyone liked each other and was upbeat and happy. The girls would pass each other and smile and laugh and chat quick. The dancers wanted the guys to be happy, too. It was a non-extras club, but the girls would go as far as the rules would allow and some were particularly clever. You got a great grind from every girl, after great conversation. There were multiple top-end hotties to choose from every time I went, probably because word got around that his club was good to work for, and even the mid-level girls gave a great dance. It's a lot of the same, from what I see, at his new club. He's got high standards for his dancers, but if they live up to them, he treats them well. It's actually how every business should be run.
Do I think he read his reviews? Maybe. Are there some club managers that read their reviews? Maybe.
I bet most don't, though. Any club where you see the same issues, over and over again and again? Nope, don't read their reviews.
There are probably more club managers that post our dreaded "Club Ad" reviews than actually read their reviews. It's unfortunate.
TUSCL can be an awesome resource for so many if used right. But people are estupido.
I think a lot of these owners/managers are stuck in the old ways where the internet wasn't a thing. A lot of business owners that do well read reviews all over the internet and even reply to customers trying to get them to improve a 3/5 star review to a 5/5 star. They take them seriously.
Probably a ton are burned out and are just going through the motions. I am sure there are a lot who are also incompetent in running a business
Maybe 10 years or so ago I decided to try to convince an owner to change his ways. I took about 20 TUSCL reviews and underlined the part complaining about the volume of the music at the Columbia Platinum Plus. I hand delivered them to his corporate office. The goons that were there said that he was not there. Probably on the golf course. They took the review from me and I'm sure they just wound up in the trash.
I'm older and wiser now.
You have to be VIP to read the reviews. How many managers will bother with what it takes to be a VIP here? They might read free reviews at sites like Yelp though.
What Subraman said. I’ve had similar conversations with one of the local club managers. Some of the dancers are reasonable, but most have to be dealt with like little children.
And he literally told me one day that customers like me, a regular who will come in and spend money pretty much no matter what, as long as the girls I like are there, aren’t his bread and butter. It’s the guys who come in actually looking for the “fantasy” that so many in the pink site want to provide, a pretty girl who will pretend to like them and give them the feeling they aren’t pathetic. *That’s* where he’s making his money.
I had a conversation with the manager of a club last night. Down to earth guy ( which is rare) and I know the dancers and waitress staff both have caused him to age a decade in the last couple of years.
For the most part you have adults in body and years on this planet but are still somewhere acting and using rational 10-12 year olds use.
I'll repeat what I have posted before if you really want to know what goes on in a club sit at the bar, talk to the bartender if he is a male and you'll hear more than you need or want to know.
Yes some read the reviews. Guys have commented here in the past about a mangager messaging a customer (them) on here in regards to something the customer said in a review.
I highly doubt it considering how much they already have to deal with keeping the club open and functioning.
And with that said, I really wish some of you would read the reviews instead of messaging us ladies trying to get us to hook you up with a club to get your rocks off at. This is why the reviews exist.
I would doubt most managers/owners read the reviews here.
The members here provide useful insight in some reviews. However, there might not be enough volume to sway a manager.
If there were club reviews - similar to the volume that you see on Amazon for certain products - I’d think it would catch managements attention.
One club - I used to patronize - would have spring break parties. There were drink specials, dancers in sexy bikinis and club t shirt give always. The patrons basically all drank beer (not the fruity drink specials), it was a nude club (so bikinis were useless) - and nobody was going to wear the club t shirts!
It’s mostly guys who aren’t the sharpest who manage clubs. The clubs are cash cows - and some can make lots of $$$$. But it’s not usually due to management choices!
^
I agree with the notion that perhaps the volume on a website such as TUSCL is not enough to grab the attention of the average owner/manager. Most of the reviews are by experienced mongers who have an idea of what the average SC should be like. An owner/manager probably focuses on first-time patrons
I would be pretty surprised if upper management in the larger operations didn’t read the reviews of their clubs and scan the discussion board, as part of their normal course of business, most of the well run clubs have an IT person as well as an advertising consultant. Rich guys don’t usually get to that position because they weren’t aware of what’s available
This thread turned into one of the more interesting discussions I've seen in a while. I'd like to know what actually goes on "behind the scenes" in management - what the rules are, how they're enforced, what ways big earners are treated different than medium or low earners. Also would be interesting to know what % of clubs or what regions there's pressure to suck or fuck management to keep job.
Ishmael put it pretty well: "Managers, customers, and dancers all have an agenda. I don't think those agendas align very often."
What club manager who GMD spoke to said surprised me a bit - that regulars aren't the real bread and butter, but rather the guys who come in looking for the fantasy. Indeed the times I've seen big money being thrown around at higher end clubs, it ain't the regulars doing it.
The members of this board probably do not total 5% of the population of people who frequent strip clubs.
Additionally we are not the target market by any sense of the imagination. (especially of the dancers)
Nor are we the typical client.
With Founder ( and Vegas if he really is there) it's even worse as overall the clubs target the out of town guys coming to spend whatever money they can that is burning a hole in their pockets before they go back home to a regular day to day life. Those clubs could and do care less than even the rest of the USA which probably doesn't care what we think in the slightest.
Probably the only reason they care ( if they do at all) is if and when someone puts to print something illegal is going on in the club.....then and only then you might have a club owners attention.
1) The owner of a retail business (not a strip club) once told me that he will never renovate his store because then all of his old customers would believe that he had also raised his prices.
2) Most mongers seem to secretly enjoy the fact that strippers are scatter-brained screw-ups who live chaotic desperate lives and work at filthy dumps where nothing works properly. It allows the Johns to maintain their fantasies of white-knight superiority. Anything else would just intimidate the customers.
I know that some follow the reviews and everything said on TUSCL closely.
And most mongers are basically shits and their world view is based on dividing women into two categories.
The order I am building will eliminate all of this.
SJG
I know that there are bunch of owners/managers that do read the blog & reviews on our local stripclub site. Some have listened to our input (imagine that!) and made some changes that we all liked and it helped their business tremendously. And of course there will always be the clubs that refuse to change and dig their heels in even deeper when confronted about their lousy business practices.
32 comments