I think it's perception. Perception that an Indy will have lower rates, have less of a time constraint (potentially could allow the meeting to go longer than the agreed upon time), will be easier to schedule and there's no "middle man (or woman)". I think since there's such a strong need for discretion, one of the perceptions is that with an INDY you will reach her directly instead of some other person acting as administrator/scheduler. It seems nice to speak directly with the provider you will be seeing and I think adds to the fantasy some. I think the aspect of the agency with scheduling a time and such may take away from the fantasy and seem too business like for some clients, IMHO. Finally, some clients may not like that their donations do not go solely to the provider they just spent time with, but will be split between her and the agency. They may not just want to deal with that. Nothing I'm saying is law, but these are some of the first things that come to mind.

I'm too new to offer valuable suggestions over how an agency can attract the "INDY ONLY" clients other than being sure to offer consistent, highly reviewed providers and strong word of mouth.  In this day and age, agency websites and provider review sites are two of the strongest weapons in order to attract clientale. I DO notice though that on TER and BP, Independents do a LOT more advertising. In checking out agencies the last few weeks, I've had to do aquite a bit of searching to find them in my area. They are not easy to find.  But independents are everywhere online and some of their websites look absolutely amazing...you can tell the woman hired a professional web designer and everything to be sure to attract people to her site. It might be hard for an agency to do that without attracting the attention of LE, but it's just what I've noticed.  

I hope this in someway has be helpful to yoou, Raven.

I have used agencies and indies over many many years - and there are both good and bad for both.  Not sure what you do with someone who just simply hangs up because they don't get the actual provider on the phone.  I guess you have to look at it the way a provider would look at someone who only wants providers with any other specific characteristic - blond, young, MILF, etc. if the go elsewhere.

Frankly, I have had very enjoyable experiences with all kinds of providers.  There are great agencies in some cities (Atlanta and Toronto for two examples) - but not so much around the Carolinas based on my very limited experience here.   As a very occasional hobbyist these days, indies are more of a problem for me with verification requiring recent references so I tend to use agencies back in my old ATL stomping grounds a time or two a year that I am there.  Take a look at what agencies like Essential, JFL and similar in Atlanta do - nice ladies, great reviews and an obvious attention by those in charge to ensure every experience is top-notch.  Select Company has been around a very long time in Toronto (more than 10 years) - they must be doing something right. Take a look at what they offer.

Actually the only complaint I have about any of the agencies I mention above is that the ladies are almost always fairly young - and these days I would prefer to be with someone who wouldn't be the same age as a grand-daughter (OMG - I'm getting old) even though I don't have kids of my own.  (I had to give up on the "not old enough to be my daughter" a long time ago!)

I am relatively new to where I live now - but concur with the previous poster about Charleston and agencies since I am not in that general area.

I've never dealt with an agency and when I was about to, that thing in AZ and NM went down. I know that all agencies are not the same and I'm not saying that all Independents are great I just have reservations. My paranoia I guess. Just my 2 cents.

Tough call. I've had good and bad with both.

The main reasons I've previously preferred independents are the opportunity to talk with them beforehand, arrange sessions outside normal times, be more flexible with length of sessions and donations, avoid the hassle of agency calls/texts urging the provider to hurry up and end the session and avoid the turn-off of security/drivers hanging around. On the other hand, using an agency probably does minimize the risk of the "cash and dash" phenomenon where the provider runs off with the donation. And I've experienced both agencies and independents utilizing bait-and-switch and heavy upsell techniques. So there's probably good and bad to both.

Since discovering TER, though, I think the most important thing is choosing providers/agencies with consistently positive reviews. My overall satisfaction with my hobbying experience has been much higher since I started using TER reviews as the main criterion for my selections. I can be reasonably sure that a provider is legitimate and at least potentially offers the services I'm interested in. (And personally I think most other review sites just don't have enough detail to make this determination.) And if a provider with good reviews happens to be with an agency then the good reviews probably mean the agency is good too, or at least not so bad that it isn't worth messing with.

In fact, Raven, it was the good reviews for you and some of your ladies that encouraged me to push past my agency reluctance and give GNS and now SBR a try. And boy, am I glad I did! It's been a pleasure working with you, and the dates you've arranged for me have all been good. (Actually, Gypsi and Sophie were way beyond good and into the realm of fantastic!). Since then, I've also found NC Playmates in the Triad area to have consistently pleasant and professional staff and wonderful ladies.

Finally, paying attention to the interactions on the discussion boards or directly soliciting feedback on the boards can also help sort out which providers/agencies are reputable and worth frequenting and which should be avoided.

So, I guess I'm suggesting that putting some effort into being sure your agency and your providers are well-represented on TER and/or other review sites could be well worth your while.

Hope you find some of these thoughts helpful. Keep up the good work!

Dear Ms. Raven
For me this is a very timely post. I have been contemplating calling your agency for some time now. I then could not find the website (GNS) and finally I rediscovered your present site. I am heartened by the fact that you are interested in this endeavor, and that you have the courage to write and ask about it now knowing what might be said.  That being said, I think that there is a perception that with an agency, time and money trump the enjoyment issue which is what many hobbiests want. The proverbial phone call to the provider on the minute at the end of the hour. Also, the lack of flexibility of the individual provider to not be labeled "a clock watcher". Then there is the aspect of feeling that in some way, providers who work for agencies are in some way being exploited by having to give some of there "hard earned money" to someone who did little more than answer the phone for them. I call that the "pimp perception" that I think sometimes gets transfered to agencies although I am not suggesting that this is true. But then perception is reality is is not? Thanks for this important post Ms. Raven. I much more confident in using your agency now. I will be calling next week.

Hey Raven,

I appreciate you taking the time to seek answers to a perplexing question.  Personally, I don't get hung up on whether or not a provider works for an agency.  I focus first on the talent.  I have met some amazing women who are indies but, truthfully, I've met almost as many incredible women who worked for agencies.  There are advantages and disadvantages of either scenario and most of those have been discussed in the responses to your post.  

BUT, an honest and responsive agency owner definitely plays a big  factor in my return biz.  After carefully describing my preferences, if an agency owner merely throws a warm body my way and ignores my preferences I will not use them again.  That said, honest mistakes do happen and the manner in which those mistakes are handled by the owner is critical in whether or not I use the agency again.  Some owners don't seem to give a hoot if they screw up an appointment and can be defensive or downright rude.  If that happens, it's "adios amigos"!  Others really do want to offer the customer what he seeks and bend over backwards to help him achieve his goal.  Fortunately, there are several NC agencies who fit the latter category including your own.

So the bottom line for me is TALENT RULES!  And if you have build that talent and properly manage it while simultaneously providing good customer service, you will likely be successful.  

Luke

Probably 95% of my encounters have been with indies in this country.  I usually prefer more mature ladies and as a general rule agency ladies are usually younger.  Also, by reputation and by my limited experience with agency ladies, there is a good chance of flakiness, e.g. no show, cancellation, not prepared, etc.

I recently decided to give your agency a try, with your most mature lady.  If my experience is representative of the quality of the rest of the ladies from Sexybyraven, then you should have no concerns.  Right now,  the quality rating is 100%.

My main concern with agencies is that they are more likely to be targeted by LE than an Indy. I would suggest finding a way to identify your clients via an email address, phone number, or handle, and then saying on your website that personal info is shredded after verification. It makes the hobbyist feel a bit more secure.

other constructive thoughts...

I've found your website a little hard to navigate to figure out who is in Raleigh and on what dates.

Try to keep your website/business name from changing. When I saw that GNS went away, it sent up red flags to me that there may have been a bust. I always err on the side of caution.

Lastly, thanks for posting to the board. Definitely a plus to see this from an agency!

I have been in the hobby for about 5 years and for the most part have had good results with agencies, ,my only complaint is mis-leading advertising by some agencies. By that I mean photos of the ladies that aren't accurate, as in the pics were taken 3+ years ago, and now the lady has gained 20 lbs, or has cut her hair off or it's a different color, etc.. The same problem occurs with indys also, so it is a crap shoot, sometimes you hit and sometimes you miss. But when you do run across a good agency, it is a great thing to have someone you can rely on to provide excellent service. I can only speak for myself, I have used Raven's agency once so far, when it was listed under a different name
(gonostrings) , I saw Gyspy at the time, had an awesome experience, and the lady on the phone was very helpful in giving me directions to find their incall.  You can't please everyone, so all you can do is the best that you can, and let your reputation speak for it self. Reputation in this business go's a looong way in getting customers and repeats, good customer service, provide good service at a fair price, in a clean and safe environment, (and easy to find location, LOL), and the hobby community will beat a path to your door.

I am a little late to the conversation because I have just started doing my research for NCAA trip March 17-20. I will be traveling with another male ( we are not bi) . I did business in Toronto for years and many agencies there are first class in customer service. In Canada ( also I have been to NF since NCAAs have been in Buffalo) there are open discussions of "services" and none of the excessive verification that is done in the US . The review board ( TERB) is open and I believe solves a lot of potential problems by allowing the clients to know what to expect in advance.

Getting back on topic when I want a 1 hour call usually an agency is best because you also have a back up. When I do"clubbing" dates I have found an Indy better since the clock watching aspect seems to go away by the woman's choice and you can discuss plans in advance .

Finally for our once a year NCAA journey it gets tricky since there will be two guys and in the room . This is when you need dialogue to establish comfort and sometimes agencies don't communicate with the service provider or have a "problem" with a non standard arrangement. And one final point when booking two or more woman I believe that it is best to choose an Indy and let her pick the other woman . Often times agencies will put together woman based on availability , while if you tell an indy to bring another woman you ALWAYS get compatibility.