Are the maseros getting worse at Hong Kong?

9 comments

• grimes

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  2 years ago

  Meseros are the worst part of the TJ experience. My spanish is pretty shaky, so it would be great to find some that spoke english as well, but no such luck the last time I was there.
• mf92802

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  2 years ago

  I have found that if you have a particular waiter that you use consistently, it is easier. I try to have one for each bar that I go to. My pet peeve is the "waiter bottle shake" where they come around every 2 minutes to shake the girl's beer. My regular waiter simply makes himself available and knows I will call him when we want to order. The other waiters will leave you alone once they realize you "belong to another".
• TJ Walker

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  2 years ago

  Yup the maseros/waiters been getting desperate since 2021. Even your trusted personal maseros will come to your hotel room knocking looking for you regularly while you resting.
• Papi_Chulo

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  2 years ago

  One would assume b/w the pandemic loses, and inflation which is also hitting MX, the me$eros may be hurting - or maybe they see the recession coming and feel business is gonna slow?
• CJKent_band

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  2 years ago

  @Pointofklean I will play along and answer your question. Q: Are the maseros getting worse at Hong Kong? A: YES, it is a sign of the bad economic situation all over the world. In any case people go to the Happiest Place on Earth (according to Krusty) to have fun. [view link] Remember you are visiting a different country with a different culture a different language, but very nice people and really good food, an interesting “experiences” that you should be able and happy to afford. When In Hong Kong make sure you, the customer, are checking out what is being sold, services, drinks, lap dances, “arriba trips” and make it obvious that you want to take your time walking around and checking out the wares and services that the meseros are paid to sell to you. The meseros are really just doing their jobs. And sometimes your enjoyment of your buying experience is diminished by them doing it. Meseros will NOT be doing their job if you clearly indicated that you want time to look around and they kept pushing - right? You need to behave like a gentleman and just acknowledge that you have seen them and you recognize they are there trying to help you and be compensated for their help. Look at them like real people just like yourself same as you and with eye contact, and a smile, just say “Thanks. I really appreciate your time. However for now I just want to look around, and I will call you if I need any help”. (Gracias. Realmente aprecio tu tiempo. Sin embargo, por ahora solo quiero echar un vistazo y te llamaré si necesito ayuda.) They will see you are a well educated person; you feel in control of the situation and they will respect your wishes. Problem solved
• besmitty

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  2 years ago

  my two suggestions : 1- buy a bottle if you drink alcohol. They see a bottle, they dont ask if you want drinks bc you have a bottle. this will cut down on the wait staff. This will not stop the staff selling chips and food but just a simple waive of no gets them to go away. 2- tip a masero nicely like 20 bucks and he'll check on you periodically and keep others away. our's usually will point his laser at us in our booth and we will waive him over or waive him off, that way he doesnt need to come to us unless needed. this prob works best during the week though.
• JAprufrock

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  2 years ago

  Couple strategies I use: -- As mentioned, always keep a drink in hand, even if it's an empty beer bottle that they can't see is empty. -- I walk around, from front of the club to back, up to the second and third floors, rinse and repeat. Never staying in one place for long. I'll grab a seat at a shaving cream show, fondle titties and pussies for a few bucks, and then, like the wind, I'm gone, to a different part of the club. Sitting in a booth by yourself for more than a couple minutes is an invitation to be harassed by maseros and sharks.
• besmitty

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  2 years ago

  @japrufrock -- I can see how your stradegy would work for you, but I don't like to move around much when I'm at the bar. I like to find a nice booth with good viewing so I don't need to scope the talent without moving from my seat so that's where that strategy doenst work...though the beer bottle, you could just fill up with water halfway and leave on table. then looks like you have 1/2 a beer still lol. Again, for me, I just buy a bottle and split with friends at my table and solves it for us lol. SHOCKINGLY I dont spend much time at the shaving cream shows...I think they are fun to watch but I rarely do sit and watch... maybe I'll switch it up Monday and check it out more lol
• PutaTester

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  2 years ago

  All of the above is good advice. My advice is "just say no." Actually "no thank you" to be polite in a foreign country, but some newbies are afraid to say no. mf92802 and I have the same practice; when a mesero asks to provide a service, such as pouncing when a chica sits down with me to ask me to buy her a drink, I say the name of my favored mesero, Aldo or Benito, and shoo them away indicating that I will order my drinks from them. There is a certain respect among the meseros that if a mesero has a loyal client, they tend to leave that client alone. Indeed, some girls have favored meseros and have "jumped the gun" ordering from their favored mesero before I could shoo them. (Usually because she has her boobs in my face.) In that case, my favored meseros have backed off and even indicated that the business should go to the mesero that the girl favors, because he got there first. besmitty's suggestion #2 is good, but I tip just $5 up front and ask that my masero ask the others to back off. OTOH, I typically tip more generously for each service performed, so my favored masero does tend to get $20-$30 during the course of my visit. If you don't know, the HK meseros pay to work there. Last I knew, it was $40/shift and they are required to sell three food items. HK has lots of financial motivation to put as many meseros on the floor as possible. And vote with your dollars! There are other clubs that are less pressure with hot girls and cool entertainment. I can buy a mineral water from Francisco in Chicago Club, indicate that I will order fichas exclusively from him, and the others will leave me alone. Indeed, they are typically quite polite about it. In Adelitas, I walk in, I am swarmed by meseros, and tell them I am looking for Raul. They will help me to find him (likely hoping to fail and then get my business) and when found, Raul gets all of my business. When HK has more meseros than mongers, they might get a clue. And Hell might freeze over, but I am not going to bring my overcoat.