Came across a provider's site who lists her rates as:

1 hour - $300 (fairly standard for my area)
2 hour - $500 (ok, discount for second hour, not unusual)
3 hour - $700 (ok, no additional discount, but same discount still applies)
4 hour - $1200 (huh?? the fourth hour by itself costs the same as a two hour appointment?)

this struck me as odd. I understand offering a discount for multiple hours, but then why charge more than even the her regular hourly rate for the fourth hour. I've never seen such a U-shaped rating scale before.

Any thoughts on why the 4th hour would be so expensive? Or does her calculator simply need new batteries?

Might depend on the providers schedule of how many clients see prefers to see in the time of one day.

If she's figuring to possible see two at $700, and then you take up her whole night, that might explain her possible $200 loss.

Just my guess...

Might be a misprint on her website, also...

How many women do you know who are good at math?

Give me a break already. What kind of fucked up comment is that? Get real dude. Most women are good at math and if they aren't that's why there are calculators.

I've seen some require food for a date over 3 hours.  I have seen 4-6 hours at that kind of increase.  Perhaps that was what she intended.

Do you know Mathew?

Yeah but...................

How 'bout the old adage that women can't estimate length mathematically because for centuries men have been telling them that 6" is really 9"?  




-- Modified on 6/4/2008 10:21:53 PM

to a provider about an odd appearing rate scale, I've been presented with some very creative reasoning that I would never have been able to deduce in advance.

However, I'll make a guess that she decided to charge $300 per hour and then decided to discount 2 hour and 3 hour sessions but for unknown reasons decided not to discount a four hour session.

Contrary to the moronic post claiming women are not good at mathematics, the fact is that some ladies are very clever in setting up rate schedules which are intended to influence the bahviors they want from their clients.  This lady may simply prefer dates of less than four hours and, therefore, induces the client to choose that option by offering a desirable discount for it.  

I know one lady who loves overnight affairs and offers a lower-than-market rate for that in order to encourage that selection from her suitors.

I once saw a lady who blatantly stated in her ad that she really, really preferred 2 hour appointments.  To underscore the point, she charged $950 for a 1 hour session and $1000 for 2 hours.  I imagine that most of her clients scheduled her for two hours......

Not much different than the Government using taxation policies to drive certain behaviors in the general population.

sfg

are better at math than your are at tact. I'd venture to say that women seem to run most of the households in this country. I have worked with plenty of female mechanical engineers, who, by the way, are some of the best and most creative. I've noticed their designs to be far more cost effective than their male counterparts.

-- Modified on 6/5/2008 11:10:57 AM

Unbeknown to you, providers do many things that, on the surface appear odd and at times down right strange. Why, because if they came right out and said exactly why they were doing what ever it was they did, the flame wars and even outright hostility could and usually does ensue. But there is method in their apparent madness and it's done for a variety of reasons...to exclude certain types of men and to, as someone lower down explained, direct clients to appointment times they prefer.

I have done certain things to attract a specific type of client and to avoid others. Not as cryptic as some, but I have still been judged on my business model and told repeatedly that I am deterring a certain group of men. Yes I am...those I don't want to see, so in effect, it's working very well. I could come right out and describe the men I don't want to see but why would I when I know full well that it would impact my image.

Often, what seems strange on the surface is very clever marketing.

So Aceholein1, the next time the urge hits...have your money handy and I can tell you right now, we know how to count our expected donation so don't worry your little head about our math skills.

Amongst friends we call this "hooker math", but I can see that it may be taken wrong in this setting. I'm sure that the comment about girls being bad at math was a joke.
Anyway, we all set our prices to encourage the business we want. I am seriously considering charging $600 for 1 hour and then $700 for 2 hours just to make my point. Maybe this lady has to get a babysitter for her children and doesn't like to be away from home more that 3 hours at a time. I have a girlfriend who charges $1000 for 3 hours but $6000 for an overnight because she hates to get a nanny for overnights. Who knows.
Here's a novel idea. How about you ask the provider?  You may have an interesting post as a follow up.
H

People, people... please extract the cobs from your anuses (anusi?). If someone can't play here, where can they?  

Thank you, Heather!  You were the only one to get it.  

Sheesh, there are some jumpy (read:defensive) people on this board.  Luv the white knights, too.  (Do I need to point out the sarcasm in that last sentence?)

More time with you is awesome Heather- glad your rate structure encourages it!

Agreed. When working with complex quadratic polynomials one must not drink and derive. -e

-- Modified on 6/6/2008 5:52:55 AM

Is my OP question really that insulting somehow?

Don't worry, we're used to you going off the reservation every now and again, besides Zisk, like me has a very thick skin.

-- Modified on 6/7/2008 9:45:53 AM

She didn't think it through for the 4-hour. Should probably have been more like $900-950.