U vs ROB -- Who has the Edge ?
dennyspade
Illinois
I'm at a local favorite club and would be deemed a regular by club management, bartenders, DJ, security etc. A New Dancer sidles up next to me and requests that we go get some private dances. This venue is a topless bar and charges $15 per song. It's easy to keep a dance count with song changes and the DJ announcement of who's on stage if you happen to be back in the VIP.
Scenario:
The DJ gives the dancers a break (empty stage and no announcements) and plays a "techno-mix" which has no beginning/end before it evolves into more undefinable techno garbage with no music breaks.
"New Dancer" continues her self-rousal by humping/grinding autonomously and without my stated or tacit approval to continue during this musical interlude and I presented her payment for four (4) songs. She told me: (You owe me more $$$) I said that I would pay for 4.
She told me that I was responsible for 11 song/dances. I called B.S. and the DJ had the bouncer check the security cameras and the clock and stated that based upon time/per song it would be eight(8) dances. I presented payment of $100 and stated that I would pay no more. (She will never get another dime from me, my friends or any other clubber within my view or voice.)
After a review of the "McGruder Film" surveillance camera video, Management gave her another $20 and apologized to me for the mishap.
I know that if I had NOT been a club regular; Club Management/Security may have had me give this ROB more $$$; however, I wanna know, if we are seeing more of this ROB behavior, in light of current economic conditions and what do you suggest to the newbies to protect themselves ?
Got something to say?
Start your own discussion
14 comments
Latest
At the $5 clubs it is often a probably that it is by design purposely difficult to hear when a song begins and ends---but, it sounds the the same game is played at more expensive clubs.
I certainly agree with you and realized that this club did not and does not want tgo lose this customer. I also wanted to put this ROB on notice that she will be under additional scrutiny with her tactics.
I did need to see how club management would respond in this situation and whether they would "cave-in" to the ROB or consider the tenure ( and character ) of the customer. It did appear to be about the best result I could expect. Thanks for responding and hearing me out.
jablake:
The # of songs played matters less than the tactics of dancer to ripoff the customer. Had I been intoxicated, unruly and/or unknown; it could have been more detrimental. I viewed this as "Dancer-specific," as opposed to a change in club tactics. And thank you for sharing your opinion.
It is difficult, imo, to just change clubs. That is another advantage the ROB has. I feel fortunate that at Angels everytime that I've complained management has taken my side. I don't complain often because it is a real downer and usually the "heist" is small.
Minnow makes a very good point. And, if she is telling you 11 dances and the bouncer is counting 8, then good management would be all over her for attempting to get a few extra songs. Management should be thanking you assuming she also told them 11 dances.
In a free market the customer is generally KING, imo, but it isn't a free market.
That said, the ROB has the advantage because you're one her turf - the club. While in normal retail the customer is king, the people who work in clubs are frankly not very smart business people, by and large - the concept of customer service escapes them.
I just make sure I take control as much as possible by specifying what I want at the outset. Seems to work.
O.
Turned out that I did know the dancer, but had never bought a single dance from her. As things turned out both the customer and dancer were happy with me, which was very nice that they were happy with each other.
The man was financially successful. Perhaps his willingness to ask was one reason for his business success. So, he created an edge by asking someone who he believed had experience at the club.
Maybe it was my age. Or, maybe the way I act with the dancers. Or, my clinging to every last dollar as if it was my last. Bottom line he wanted to improve his chances before spending a few hundred dollars, but he also made clear it wasn't the money as much as theft that upset him.
For the record, even after years of experience I can sometimes be taken by a ROB. Usually, I just prefer to lose X amount of money rather than get into a confrontation. One thing the courts as well as good police officers have taught me is that being in right just isn't good enough. Really work to avoid confrontations (at least in my area of the country) because that is preferred choice.
I had something of a similar scenario at my most recent outing, except in the end, I didn't have to pay as much as I could have. It helped my current favorite at that club was my chosen dancer at that point. I had one song in the VIP and then the club had their nightly "all girls to the stage" event (they have a specific name for it, but I forget it at the moment), which involved giving dollar dances to patrons and then the dude (or lady!) she's with on the last song (they do 5 clips of songs) has to strip for the lady. Generally, this goes on for 10 minutes, but that whole period was just one song. I ended up paying for two songs, but it could have been more. Then again, my favorite thinks they charge too much as it is.
Contrast that with my experience yesterday. Yesterday I went to one of my favorite clubs and met up with one of my favorites. We made out for 30 minutes at the bar. We then went to the stage for 15 minutes and had plenty of skin to skin contact. Then we went and had sex in the private (15 minutes) and it cost me $120 and I was there for over an hour. What is that 15 songs worth of time, but we never count songs. Since I’ve seen her before money was never discussed. If I would have given her $80 or $90 she would have been just as pleasant and thankful as she was with the $120.
This is why some strip clubs burn down.
Anyhow, the ROB always has the advantage. Don't fool one's self.
I encourage my TUSCL brothers to be more proactive about resisting bullshit. We're the customer. They can't possibly continually abuse us. Most decent dancers will talk it through, accept a compromise, anything to avoid a scene -- probably because, whether OR NOT you storm out in a huff, she'll get the shit kicked out of her by the same bouncers for HER part in the mess, whether or not she's in the wrong. So, she just wants it all to go away.
Then again, there are the queen-bee scamming bitches at certain clubs who just can't resist breaking rules and getting away with it, screwing over customers, and making sure the bouncers and managers eat out of their hands too. Those women should be avoided. They're bad at private dances anyway, and they're likely blowing about 3/4 of the staff to stay in their good graces.