From my point of view, whether the take is positive or negative, it’s all part of the discussion. I don’t believe in storybook endings in this field. Like Lea said, whatever floats your boat.
Some people look at a Rolex and feel the 30k price is justified. Others see a watch that tells the same time as any other and happily buy a $500 one instead.
At the end of the day, everyone wins, because 98% of SPs and clients get exactly what they’re looking for.
Cheers to all.
I don't completely understand the point of comparing us to Rolex when Lea explained perfectly clearly why the experience of seeing an indy provider can be very different from booking an escort at an agency.
I get that a lot of clients just want a 1 hour session that's basically a succession of acronyms, but not everyone does. Agencies use a certain format and they dictate industry standards, which by the way are not set in stone and have changed often over the years and are different based on location. I think it's a legitimate choice to work for an agency and I can see why people do it.
My issue is that as an indy whose only source of income is sex work, I end up having to recreate that format. Obviously a client who is into that type of experience may not see the point in paying more, and often I have to offer an incentive for these clients to see me, like including acronyms that are normally offered as extras, a special or another way to make them curious about booking me even if their preference is agencies.
However a client who is looking for more of a connection, longer dates, an unrushed service, a new experience etc will often find it more advantageous to book an indy over somebody who is at an agency. It's also easier for clients to know who they're dealing with when they book certain indies because they read our social media, they see our personal style, etc. It's easier to figure out if it's a good match, and that's important for a lot of clients...
Just for perspective, in other big cities, agency rates are much higher than here and closer to what your average reputable indy in Montreal charges. This comparison to luxury items doesn't hold up when "high end escorting" is far from common here, maybe to Merb users 350 to 500$ per hour is too expensive but this is considered mid range in most bigger Canadian cities.. even in Halifax where you have no agencies and very few providers, clients expect to pay 350+ for GFE. In a lot of places, GFE doesn't even exist. In the past, it was also way less common even here..
Just look at what a lot of American providers charge, most of whom don't even offer GFE or not officially and very YMMV. It'll make less sense to compare indies here to Rolex watches..
I know all of this might seem off topic but I think those are relevant reflections that might help some reframe their experiences.