First, I want to put all of this into the following frame: If I can make things easier or more comfortable for a patron in a way that either doesn't take away from me, or is fair to me, or even creates a win for us both, why on earth wouldn't I?
My focus, and the focus of the folks who reach out to me is largely emotional chemistry. While you can certainly pick up a lot about a lady or gentleman from their words, questions still arise, such as "Did she really write her own site/ad copy?" or "How much did she 'edit' herself in her words?" (ie-do they really represent her when she's in person).
My starting rate and time minimum is rather high, when comparing across the board in most major cities. Furthermore, because I pursue and cater to emotional and mental chemistry, my average "starting rate/time" (how long my average date runs) is solidly in my dinner and extended dinner arena. That's a significant chunk of change AND a significant time investment on the part of the lady or gentleman seeing me.
While I definitely agree this is a "luxury" activity, providing a short ~half hour daytime meeting-at a proportionate rate-to grab coffee or hit the part or an art exhibit is a completely reasonable way of injecting some reality into the situation. It's fair to me-I'm still getting compensated for my time, AND I'm avoiding the "will you test the waters for free?" requests, AND it's fair to the lady or gentleman contacting me who might be more cautious. Perhaps they've gotten burned before by someone who very much did not accurately represent themselves (in words/tone or visuals), or perhaps they are new and shaky (easily 1/3 of the folks who reach out to me anyway), or perhaps they are solely focused on a deep emotional connection and are more willing to invest the larger sum if they know that is there or at least possible with the lady they're reaching out to.
Lastly, I invite you to look at this from a purely business perspective. Assuming this is simply a gentleman who is serious about his caution, and willing to adequately compensate for your time, then this is a gentleman who is more likely to stay with you in the longer run should you hit it off. On a personal level, I'll take those deep, lasting friendships over surface skimming variety any day of the week, but even removing my personal feelings from the equation, having dedicated patronage is just wise business.
There's a lot of things I cannot or will not do, and I'm comfortable both holding to my boundaries and finding workable alternatives to make us both happy. But in the case of simple win/wins like this? Oh yes, gladly.
Posted By: RiaMonetNYC
I had someone send me an inquiry about making an appointment but they wanted to meet for coffee first and then set up an appointment for a later date.
No. That's a waste of time.
Hobbyist and Providers what's your opinion and has his happened to you?