Would you rather they let everyone know in advance? Would you prefer they just disappeared one day? If your a regular of their services would you feel slighted if they didn't tell you?

Ladies: If you were going to retire how would want to do it? Go out with a bang or disappear into the sunset?

Thought this would be an interesting post. I was having this conversation with a few gents and ladies recently.

So what are your thoughts?

AR
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I don't see much point in announcing it publicly though I don't see any harm in it either.

If I were a long-time regular customer I would want to know if a fav was leaving the biz. I certainly understand the need to move on after retirement but simply disappearing and leaving your regulars wondering if you are OK would be, to me at least, a bit rude.

Just ask Brett Fav-re.

So many ladies "retire", only to come back due to various reasons. Hiatus, or sabbatical, may be a better word to use.

It all depends on the individual, but if I have an ATF that I consider to be a friend, I would hope that she gives me warning beforehand riding off into the sunset.  I would want the opportunity to give her a proper sendoff.

All providers are unique, and however they want to leave is up to them. Who am I to tell them how to run their business?

I've noticed several providers retire and unretire, repeatedly (sometimes annually).  
I tend to think that this casts an image of instability or plain dishonesty on otherwise good names.

It would seem to me that providers who have always known that their participation in the business was finite or a means to an end just leave, delisting their reviews if they have them, disabling their website and notifying established friends privately before deleting or abandoning their email account/telephone.

...And providers who make it into an event or make the rounds with splashy retirement notifications are most likely to return (especially if the retirement tour doesn't bring about the financial windfall that they apparently think the sense of urgency will produce- otherwise, they'd just go on sabbatical to attend to other interests without making such a big deal about it).

Personally, I don't want to sully my name or leave a bad taste in the mouths of my clients by retiring and unretiring repeatedly.  When I decide that I'm finished working, I'll just ride off into the sunset with attention only to my known clients, many of whom I consider my friend.
I fret about them when they go off the grid and I'm certain that some would fret about me if I didn't take care to just say "I'm okay- but I'm all done" before disabling my email & phone.

Interesting question Angie, I was just chatting with someone about this over the weekend.

Let's face it -- sometimes providers can be the target of nefarious deeds.

Lemme know you are retiring so I don't think something bad has happened.

Angie trying to tell us something?

Naturally, it is completely up to the preferences of the provider. I was just thinking about someone I used to see regularly. She told me that she would be retiring because we saw each other regularly and while I miss her company, at least I could wish her well and know she was okay. Since then, I just have to guess when they disappear from the radar that they have moved on. I think I would like to know, if for no other reason than to see if she might recommend a friend.

I think I would want to know ahead of time. As a father, I worry about the people that I care about, including my friends in the hobby. Not knowing what's going on leads the mind to wander and assume the worse. A simple note via email or text would at least prevent me from worrying.

She should do what is best for her...period...nuff said!

I'd prefer to know.  Maybe to arrange one more visit or just to know all is well with a lovely lady.

If possible, a lady with regular clients should let her clients know that she was slowing down, taking a break, whatever.  

If my doctor or another trusted professional just packed up and left town, I would think that worst.  

Also, in this profession, there might be better terms than retirement, because retirement implies, to some degree, that a person is tired of working and has been waiting for the time when he or she can leave, unless of course they are retiring because they have not maintained their skills or they have been inflicted with an illness.  Retirement usually involves passing the baton to a younger professional.  Here, where this is a degree of closeness, albeit if the closeness is merely physical, there are clients that believe that they are an important person in the lady's life, and they would be hurt if they thought otherwise.  Also, some ladies come out of retirement, and they might need those clients when they return.  Perhaps a sabbatical would be a better term because there is the implication of a return with increased knowledge and zest.  A sabbatical party would be perfectly appropriate prior to the person's leaving and is common in academia.