In my 15 years in this hobby, I see agencies as vital.  The good one act as booking agents for the girls and so it is a win win situation.  To me that takes out the "pimp" question as both sides prosper. In a "pimp" situation either in this arena or in the corporate world one side, usually the more powerful of the two side prospers at the expense of the other.  Good agencies help all parties, everyone gets what they want.  I have consultued to agencies in Europe and while many believe running an agency is easy. I can attest that it is not. The good ones work hard at being good. What t comes down is what is the best situation for each person.  My two cents worth.

...Agency, independent, butcher, baker, or candlestick maker it doesn't matter. There are excellent ones, pretty good ones, and ones you should run from. It isn't agencies are no good and independents rule. Everyone has their reason for a preference. I've read arguments on both sides. They make sense but it still comes down to you can't paint them all with the same brush. One agency being a rip off that won't make them all rip offs. One independent going BSC with a guys info doesn't mean they all will/do.  

Each must be judged on their own merit. There are agencies I don't have any qualms doing business with. There are others I won't go near. This is based on my research and yes that does sometimes include my "gut" feeling. There are independents I would see and recommend without a moments hesitation. The opposite also applies. Each has built their reputation.

Do people really feel that agencies take advantage of girls? - Yes, some people do feel this way. My opinion is some agencies do some don't.

Do clients feel this way? - I imagine some do feel this way. I did not feel this way about the agencies I used.

Do ladies feel this way? - Some of the ladies I've spoken with do feel this way some do not.

Do you feel that agencies provide a useful service to both gentlemen and ladies? - I think they do.

Are these agency owners really viewed as "pimps" by your own personal definition? - Again I don't think this about the agencies I used. I do think there are some that could fit this category.

My attitude about agencies in general is positive. When I answer questions about this on the boards (the Newbie Board mostly) I always point out that research should be done. Only deal with reputable agencies. There is no one answer fits all cases in regard to this issue.

professionalism is the key to success! Fairness is glue to hold it together!

all agencies do and should have a profit motive and that does not make them a pimp in my opinion; it is like any organization some of them are excellent employer, great service/ product provider etc. And there are some really bad ones that stink.

I do my research, I have used some agencies ... and some of the owners and handlers are so business like and professional ... I would hire them to run parts of any business I would have assuming they had any specific knowledge expertise thats required.

What do ladies that I know think ... I have heard both ... they also recognize the good ones over bad ones and express the same feelings (I am discounting any idyosynchratic conflicts here).

Personally, I like indies ... simply because I can prebook mostly and last moment itch is not an issue with me.

One final note though, everything remains the same (quality, cleanliness, etc.), by design agencies have higher chances (over indies) of attracting attention ... just my 2c.

Do people really feel that agencies take advantage of girls?  Some do and some don’t. I can generally figure it out after a session.

Do clients feel this way?  I do not and believe there are some very well run agencies in ATL. GC, Exotic,  
Southern elites comes to mind. There may be others, but I have not visited them so can’t comment.

Do ladies feel this way?   Not qualified to comment. My observation is that, one can tell if they do.

Do you feel that agencies provide a useful service to both gentlemen and ladies? Some do and some don’t. In talking with providers, some like it because they don’t have to deal with all the hassle.
And.....  
Are these agency owners really viewed as "pimps" by your own personal definition? May be gross generalization.  As in all cases, there good and bad apples. I prefer agencies because, I do not have time to deal with 100 reference questions and 25 emails. Once a agency knows you, setting up appointments is easy and good agencies have good selections as the one’s I mentioned above.

What kills the whole situation is agency owners becoming too strict and not allowing providers some discretion with repeat clients of the providers and agency and forcing them to clock watch. Agencies are creating a personal fantasy and illusion and should learn to treat clients accordingly. It is like taking your car regularly to a dealer or mechanic, when someone gives them repeat business and not bargain shopping, you need to them special. All clients are not the same, some give you more business and some give you more headache, which one’s would you rather have?

And there's little if nothing I find wrong with an agency model. Does Agency equal Pimping? Since I hobby and I'm typing on the board, I'll admit a pro-Hobby bias and say No! In my mind, M, you are no different than a baseball agent or an office manager. Sure, there's a range of percentages (of negotiated contracts) that Agents get based on their own abilities, so I see agency girls as ball players (pun intended). I'll elaborate.

Many professionals - athletes, doctors, lawyers, actors, and such - are fantastic in their talents but piss poor businessmen. Many pros who do not want to deal with the administrative side of business, they just want to do the work, heal, litigate, play ball, etc. So they have administrators.

For these folks, an agent or an office wife will make sure clients are verified (have the stated medical insurance, or a director is legit shooting Shakespeare not Skinemax), a schedule is full (but not over burdened), monies are collected and distributed (insurance co-pay, SAG union daily rate, or donation, it's still money),... you get the picture.

There's nothing wrong with the 'office wife' getting paid an Agreed Upon amount, whether that's a per diem, a percentage, or even minimum wage. There are several reputable agenices in ATL, and at one time it seemed that ladies flowed readily amongst them. Whether the Agency or the lady decides that the relationship is no longer fair and thus time to move on... it's probably a bit of both as with any other business.

There are many pros who 'get their feet wet' in their fields, practice their craft and learn business skills before striking out on their own with varying success. Nothing wrong with this either, as we have seen countless Indys who started w/ Agencies and even a few Indys who have returned to being an Agency lady.

So business is business. The personalities involve change... that's about all. M, for what it's worth, my dealings with you have always been pleasant and fair - from my POV. Hope your post was just the result of a Bad Day at the Office, and you have a better today and weekend.

Rant complete, ga_kosh

I usually try to see ladies who are not with an agency.  It's not that I don't trust the agencies but I would rather set up a session with the provider instead of going through any type of "middle man."  This is especially true for providers I"ve seen before and am setting up a return engagement

I have only dealt with one agency  ER. I never had any problems with ER, always had a good experience with them. I always felt they treated md good, and I also felt the girls were treated good by the agency, a win-win for everyone involved. I have not tried any of the other agencies here in town, but might give it a shot. Just a little worried about them having my info, but there must be trust all around. I posted the question about the agencies, because I wanted to het a feel from everyone, thank you for your response, I got some names, and now I will go to their websites and check them out.

The chief complaint about agencies that I've experienced and heard others complain about is bait-n-switch.  Here's a quick test you can perform.

1) pick one girl from the agency that has fairly unique attributes (e.g. only one with really big tits, or only Asian, etc), so you have good reason to want just that one

2) call agency and make an appt several days out - say, next Thursday, 6pm

3) have your Buddy call from a different number the next day and ask for the exact same girl at the exact same day and time.

If they agency makes the appt, then there's a very high chance they are a bait-n-switch agency, since the same girl can't be at two appointments at the same time. (I once had an agency tell me "All of our girls are available all of the time.", which of course had to be BS and just meant they would send out whoever was available.)

If the agency says that Thursday at 6pm won't work, but that 5pm or 7pm would, trying to accommodate your schedule (hopefully, they only give one option or the other - giving both would be a dead giveaway), then you know you have an agency that books appts too close together, forcing the girl in question into clock watching mode, or is still bait-n-switch (won't book the same girl back-to-back, but will send in a substitute; after all, it only takes a few minutes to throw new sheets on the bed).

And, then if everything checks out and you decide to go ahead with the appt, the final step is the "walkaway test".  In today's technology age, have the girls pictures on your phone and look at them closely before you go in (or just take the phone with you).  When you're in the introduction phase, if it is obvious that the girl you're meeting isn't the girl advertised, then WALK AWAY!!   I was scared shitless the first time I decided to do this, but after many bait-n-switch encounters I was fed up (I have a very particular type I like), and I walked.  After the first time, it was easy to walk away on other occasions, and then I learned the Buddy Test, and bait-n-switch agencies could be spotted easier without having to use the walkaway.