Using a Merb Handle for Discounts

[StripperLover]

EB,

The 2nd part of your item #5 I have issues with;

(5) the client is considered to have influential opinions or to write persuasive reviews.

because if they have no clue as to your handle identity, they won't offer you anything based on a persuasive review

 

[Special K]

The Owners

By the ways, in this scenario where the agency girl is offered at a discounted price, who absorbs the discount - the agency owner, the girl or the driver? Or is the discount prorated between the three of them based on their full fee divided by the % discount? Any guesses on this?

In this instance I believe it's the agency owner that absorbs the discount and the reason is that he / she is giving up their $40-50 in return for a hopeful major increase in business when after the appointment the glowing review is posted by the "credible" member.

 

[EagerBeaver]

SL,

The agency owner may conclude that the client is so well written in email exchanges that he is capable of writing powerful reviews.

Some time ago I had a long email correspondence with a Montreal agency owner in which we discussed various issues related to the business aspects of this hobby, and in particular some business ideas that this agency owner had. My opinion was requested and I gave it as to those ideas. I never told this owner what my handle was on any Board. In any event this owner during the course of our email exchange said to me "I think you are the smartest person I know in this industry", or something like that.

That owner, independent of knowing my handle but knowing that I am on the Boards under some handle, would likely also conclude that I could write a persuasive review, wouldn't you think?

 

[CantSeeMrHappy]

A major no-no

I advertised back when I was a Merb Pup, did not even get a discount, and got severely burned by members here. This even backfired nearly a year later! Got my fat ass banned, for being a good guy. Lesson learned.

What should happen, is the Owner Posts Publicly that a Discount will be made available upon proof that you posted about your experience on Merb, for you second visit. Proof via a PM.

This could apply to MP's and SP's, both indies and syndicates.

Message to an Owner :: Any publicity is good publicity ::

 

[StripperLover]

EB,

SK is absolutely correct.

If The Bay (La Baie) or Macy offers a sale of any or all of their merchandise due they require their staff to take a pay cut ? Obviously not.

As far as agency owners wanting to know a hobbyist's handle it is imperative that they try to find out as that way they can detemine who (which handle) has written the glowing review or the slamming one. And it behoves them to do or say any thing to try to get it or assertain it by any means even if they have to tell you that

"I think you are the smartest person I know in this industry", or something like that.

 

[StripperLover]

CantSeeMrHappy,

Are you suggesting that discounts be publicly offered in exchange for reviews, good or bad ?

 

[StripperLover]

sapman99,

Does the agency know your handle ?

 

[EagerBeaver]

so, at least one owner knows you as EB

Not true. The exchange was via MERB PM. Owner doesn't know me (i.e. my true "Clark Kent" identity), never met me, and never did business with me before or after that exchange.

 

[Mike Mercury]

There is absolutely nothing to be gained in losing one's anonymity on a board like this.

I guess that it may make some guys feel important or whatever to tell an SP his handle.


I have no clue what he gets out of it other than having his face attached to board gossip and board self-importance.

 

[Just-ass-weet]

Accepting discounts, then writing a review will only hurt the credibility of the reviewer even if he mentions in a disclaimer that he had a rebate.

You cannot possibly believe that everyone on TER VIP OR TBD PAID Members are compromised? As I stated earlier, these discounts are very common on those boards, and no one would say anyone was being bought to write a positive review. Maybe it is the difference in rates that make it less suspicious (I mean 25$ off 250$ or 300$ as opposed to the same amount off 175$ is a bigger percentage?)... who knows. I think I will abandon the idea altogether, but I like the feedback here, that is why I posted the question.

The most influential of all the arguments was the fact that members here do not pay to be members. Again, thanks so much for the feedback.

xoxox
Anik

 

[EagerBeaver]

Anik,

I have no idea what discounts you are referring to. I am a paid TER member and I haven't gotten any discounts. I know that if you write a certain number of reviews on TER you get additional membership days. If the reviews are honest so what? However in my case I don't really write any reviews on TER, so I don't take advantage of that feature anyway.

It's true that TER has been accused of many shill reviews and in some cases it's pretty obvious when you see some handles who have never posted a review all of a sudden post 4 reviews in one day of different ladies at the same obscure AMP in Manhattan. Come on. But as far as discounts to legitimate hobbyists as distinguished from self posting shills, I am not sure what you mean.

 

[Just-ass-weet]

Anik,

I have no idea what discounts you are referring to. I am a paid TER member and I haven't gotten any discounts.

I only travel in DC, PA and NY - but here are a few of the ladies that offer discounts specifically to TER VIPS in DC (as announced on the board itself.) I am not going to post a billion of the girls, but you get the picture... it is not a secret nor is it viewed as buying a good review... it just is what it is. EB maybe you just weren't looking for that specifically.

http://www.geocities.com/dallasrhody/DR.html

http://www.aimeesweetmd.com/

http://betty.nycnetworking.com/

http://www.aimeesweetmd.com/

These are a few who mentioned it in the past few months though many more mention it on their websites.

TBD has a specific spot to add whether or not Paid members get a discount right on the providers ad space.

And yes, Maxima, I still do offer those discounts to TER and TBD members (PAID) and to repeat gents too, but I decided to forgo the merb idea since as was said earlier, merbites don't pay to be members, so what is the point?

xoxox
Anik

 

[EagerBeaver]

Anik,

To be honest with you when I log on to TER it is only to read the reviews and nothing else so I was unaware of this information. I guess it doesn't matter to me anyway, because I really don't hobby in the USA anymore unless you count the occasional social freebie that comes my way, and I guess that does not count.

 

[General Gonad]

It's time to collect a refund!!!

All I know is given all the favorable or even glowing reviews I've written, I am going to call every agency and independent SP I've dealt with and demand a partial refund!

I will then spend the proceeds on a few FKS ladies I am interested in!

GG

 

[Just-ass-weet]

I like the idea of making things fun - one of the funniest and most amusing was the dollar store gift (I said anyone who brought me a dollar store gift got a discount - it was a joke about another thread where the lady wanted something extravagant - I believe jewelry) - I received some of the greatest little items ever! One guy STILL brings me a dollar store item everytime we meet... that is the whole purpose of something like that - to create a familiarity (sp) where, in most sense of the word, there is none... anyhow, hope that at least creates a part of my point.

Imagine if you could let your guard down for a minute and try to see what I am speaking of. Rest your paranoia about reviews and such, lay down the notion that it has some omnious purpose. I know most of you won't but let's say there was a machine that could tell you that intentions were of the best - not worst.

Now, doesn't having that kind of inside-joke, make everything all the more relaxed... especially when you have never met the person in question before? Don't you think that she (or in this case, I) would also be more relaxed because of this

One of my fave screening tools is to have a person tell me a story about something that makes them smile. I can tell you from experience, that the more times I screen with this, over a trillion other things, it is by far the most reliable! Maybe the only people who can go through with that part are good guys, or maybe we actually change something when we remember that both SP and client are people before they are anything else. Who knows. Yup, I am a sap and always will be.. sorry!

xoxox
Anik

 

[General Gonad]

One of my fave screening tools is to have a person tell me a story about something that makes them smile. I can tell you from experience, that the more times I screen with this, over a trillion other things, it is by far the most reliable! Maybe the only people who can go through with that part are good guys, or maybe we actually change something when we remember that both SP and client are people before they are anything else. Who knows. Yup, I am a sap and always will be.. sorry!

Anik,

You're such a romantic! I like your question as well because a guy that can't answer it is not really someone you particularly want to be with. Of course, after spending some time alone with you, I am sure you can put a smile on anyone's face.

GG

 

[CantSeeMrHappy]

Quote for StripperLover

CantSeeMrHappy,

Are you suggesting that discounts be publicly offered in exchange for reviews, good or bad ?

Yes, exactly that. Would prove the owner is not playing favourites. If a discount is good for one person, why not everyone else? Good or bad, all publicity is good publicity.

When the important thread is way at the top every day, like Cleo's in the Strip Club section, it gets more hits from the non-posters, and thus, surely, more business than another club.

In fact I've seen many times Outcall Agencies post on Merb, saying there's a special discount, knowing the Merbies will post a review, their thread on top, more views-hits, and so on.

Why can't Incalls or MP's do the same?
What's a 10$ discount on entrance fee going to do to the owner if that week he gets an additional 10 clients?

For an MP owner, an entrace discount would directly give the girl an additional tip. Happy customer, happy staff.

 

[StripperLover]

CantSeeMrHappy,

So based on your theory, the reviewers get an unreal service & the majority of their busines which is non reviewers are going to get a lesser service.

 

[CantSeeMrHappy]

Nothing is perfect

CantSeeMrHappy,

So based on your theory, the reviewers get an unreal service & the majority of their busines which is non reviewers are going to get a lesser service.

It's just a theory based on the thread.
Would a discount for a place, placed publicly on the 411 forum or Advertising forum, influence me to go there?
Or influence others to go there and post?

My answer: Yes
Am I getting a superior service? How can I tell? But I can review accordingly comparing to other places I've been to.

I sincerely doubt I would get extra options - that's money out of the staff - that desperately needs it. I'm talking entrace fee, where the owner gives up a little bit, not his workers.

Won't this even generate new posters?
We need at least 50 new posters to partially replace the void left by Oliver leaving...

 

[eastender]

Discounts

Very interesting thread.A number of points have to be considered within the context of the boards and the posts to date.

The question of the integrity of the review if a discount is received is tricky. Let's look at the qualifications required to post a review. Analogies have been drawn to professional newspaper and other media reviewers - restaurant reviewers, book, music,etc.This is a rather weak analogy since professional reviewers have academic or relevent backgrounds in their field of expertise and they get paid.Consequently if they get caught/exposed taking considerations for favourable reviews there is a very high professional and financial penalty to pay.All media reviews are counterbalanced by investigative reporters who are independent of reviewers,consumer interest groups that provide a different perspective - prime example being the study that showed that a cup of soup = a bowl of soup (one ladle each), and the public at large.

Neither of these qualities exist on the boards. Qualifications are very basic - the ability to register a handle and the concern of the board communities about shills and misrepresentation.

Discounts are another issue.From a very basic marketing perspective discounts are offered only if on balance everyone collectively overpays.Take a simple coffee card - buy 10 cups,get your card stamped or punched and get the 11th coffee free.Well the cost of the card and the promotion increases the price of the cup of coffee and since a minority of the cards are redeemed the restaurant comes out further ahead.Same game here.If a discount is offered at a certain time or to someone then rest assured that the rest of the time other people are overpaying.You just have to figure out how to play the game to your advantage.

Do discounts influence reviews.I suspect from the perspective of the party offering a discount there is an expectation of a favourable review since after all they came down from an artificially inflated price to accommodate discounts.From the perspective of the party receiving the discount the expectation of the level of service is at issue.If it is accepted that discounts are only offered from an artificially inflated price then it is natural to look for the catch - maybe a few minutes are shaved,etc.The whole scenario has to be balanced from a price/value analysis perspective.

Should discounts be stated in reviews?Yes, for a variety of reasons.Mainly because it gives the reader more information and facilitates making an intelligent choice.A restaurant critic may use a discount coupon to visit the restaurant to verify if the size of the portions and quality are the same as when paying the regular price.The restaurant owner or staff would not know about this visit,the critic or his employer receive a benefit in the form of a reduced cost but the review would be legit.Similarly on the boards all the people involved may know about the discount (agency /provider /user-reviewer /reader) but as long as the price/value analysis receives a balanced presentation there should not be a problem.