New cuddler, was told I should be tipping?

Hello,
New to the cuddle scene and so far having mixed feelings about it. I recently had my first cuddle, and it was not terrible but not great. The individual spent the whole time talking about their problems, and I could barely get a word in edge wise. I was then asked if we could end the cuddle early because they needed to go pick up their child. The next day I received a message with an eye roll and a simple "it's customary to tip". Am I missing something? I assumed with the hourly charge that it was all inclusive. Given that the cuddle session didn't even last the full hour and was not very comforting I feel a little taken advantage of. Any suggestions?

Mike403

@Armyvet330 - That's pretty shady to send that to you. The cuddlers set their own rates. If they wanted to be paid more, they'll charge more. No... tipping is not required. You aren't at a restaurant where servers are making sub-minimum wage.

ubergigglefritz

1. A professional cuddler should not send the whole time talking about their problems.
2. A professional cuddler should not send the session earlier than you paid unless you can't respect the platonic boundaries.
3. Tipping is optional, but absolutely not the norm or required.

I would call that a bad experience. 😝

MaxCuddle

Their are alot of quality cuddlers out there. I wouldn't bother responding to that one. Look for cuddlers that have good Karma.

cuddleNsqueeze

Yea.. that sucks... but fake reviews suck too... maybe she was having a bad day? Maybe she is usually a better cuddler?

Wizurr

I agree they aren't working for a service.
I am funny that way. If a barber is the owner of his shop do I have to tip him?
I prepare your tax return for a fee. Need I be tipped?
How about the grocery bagger? I know we are expected to tip at Starbucks and worse yet in the pokerroom after a dealer appreciation fee is added to the buyin..

Drives me nuts.

Mike403

Tipping has gotten out of control in this country. I was at a music festival over the weekend and they had self serve drink machines that once you get set up, you can pour yourself a drink and there's cameras on it so it know who to charge for the pour. Every time I poured a drink, it asked me to choose a tip percentage. Who am I tipping? The guy who changed the keg? I just put zero.

SunsetSnuggles

Everything @ubergigglefritz said. This is not how a session should go, end, or follow-up.

~ Sunset Snuggles

ubergigglefritz

Here's my logic in tipping (though I absolutely do not expect it from anyone), to those answering that there should be NO tipping. I try to keep everything as affordable as possible so more people can hopefully have a session. I have discounts and credits and bonuses out the wazoo after the first session. People who have higher budgets tipping helps me continue to afford to keep my rates lower and offering what I do, and to continue being available for this work. Few people tip though. Most people just have another session, which is even better than a tip. 🤷‍♀️

taminator

If im with someone a enthusiast or pro and they talk about their problems most of the session or for a while u know what thats ok cause maybe they need to vent and God gave me two ears and one mouth for a reason.

@Armyvet330
As a pro cuddler myself, I am appalled this “pro” treated you this way. Tips are not at all required and it was incredibly unprofessional that you received a message that they were expecting one. Like @MaxCuddle stated, look for pro’s with a lot of karma and read the reviews. I also take the time to text and message my potential clients to make sure that we are in alignment with each other. I know you are new to this community, but what you experienced is not the norm and if you feel so willing to do so, I would leave your experience with that pro on that persons karma. On behalf of the professional cuddlers on the site, I am truly sorry that you experience this and I can assure you that there are much more professional “pro’s” out there. Don’t give up on CC just quite yet! ❤️

Rezz

Leave her karma to accurately reflect your experience to save others spending their session to be her therapist and paying for it. Then, I'd report her. She may have a history of pressuring clients for tips. I'm not sure if the mods ban pros for just being unfit and tacky but at least they will have a record of her behavior.
You are never required to tip. Ever.
Appreciated? Yes. Customary? Lol No.

CharlieBear

@armyvet that is not a typical cuddle session experience (or it is and I have just been lucky.)

I think tipping is appropriate if they have to travel to you. If you live further away, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for them to be compensated for the additional time driving a long distance and the cost of gas. But if it’s local, I don’t think tipping is required and definitely shouldn’t be something you are guilted into doing.

I highly suggest looking into pros that are certified through a site such as Cuddlist because, at least in my experience, they know how to be a professional cuddler ☺️

Mike403

I've seen a pro even consider it a red flag if a client tips because it may mean they are expecting more than what falls under the platonic cuddling agreement.

Thanks for your input everyone. I was totally respectful and platonic the entire time. The cuddler had 4 reviews at 5 stars, but looking back now it was from a lot of deleted cuddlers. I had even paid for the session in full a week ahead of time.

CuddleDuncan

@cuddle4health fake reviews should be Reported so that they may be dealt with.

Having a bad day is neither an excuse nor a reason for delivering unacceptable service.

If a cuddle professional does end up giving a sub-par session (life happens) then they should apologise and make it up to the client, perhaps with a discount or extra time for the next session.

@Armyvet330 sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Yes, you were taken advantage of. No, none of that is the norm. Although, sadly, tales like yours are much more common than they should be.

Explore the forum a bit before trying again. There is a lot of advice here, although it is rather scattered around.

Babichev

That is so tacky and unprofessional.

Not everyone with a pro account is a true professional. I agree about leaving karma.

Not sure how long this person has been taking money for cuddling but perhaps look for a pro who has been doing this for awhile?

Hope you have a much better experience next time.

Mike403

Other than a client breaking the rules or a true emergency, there is no reason to end a cuddle season early. If you have obligations(such as having to pick their child up at a certain time), they need to be scheduling their sessions around that.

Melancholy

I've been here 4 years. No it is not customary to tip. Tipping makes sense when someone's base pay is low like a waitress.

@Mike403 You are absolutely right—I have a child and I make sure my child care arrangements are set in stone before I schedule any sessions with a client (also why I don’t take short notice clients)

RadiantHugs

@Armyvet330 This professional took advantage of you and should be reported. And bad karma is certainly in order. I rarely leave "bad karma" for a pro, but this is absolutely one of the cases where I would.

ubergigglefritz

I take things to the extreme and typically don't have anything else going on for at least a couple hours after the scheduled end. I leave lots of buffer room so I'm not concerned about anything else when we're wrapping up. Anytime that's not the case with the chosen time, I let them know. 😉

Ironman294

I always tip unless it’s was a bleah cuddle session. And if I felt a great connection with them and intend to see them again I’ll give a good tip as not all cuddlers are created equal.

Mike403

Nothing wrong with showing appreciation to your favorite cuddler by being a repeat client and booking with them again. Nobody needs to feel like they should give any more money than what the listed price is for the session.

Sorry man, bad intro to this otherwise awesome place. The pro I see on the regular (pretty much weekly) I added a tip and she actually seemed uncomfortable. 2nd time I think I rounded up so it addded maybe $15-$20 but again I got a vibe that it makes her feel a little bad. Now 12 or so sessions in I just pay what it comes to which includes a little extra for travel due to distance and price of gas now. So tipping is a non issue for me. I have made her dinner here twice and plan to again and always offer something in way of food/snacks. We're deep into the trust zone so offering food and cooking is welcomed by her, plus she loves my cooking!

Better luck my friend. There are amazing people here. I just happened to find one of the best!

UCpaaHVg6u0

@cuddle4health A bad day? Fake reviews? Are you up to defending these opinions? For your sake, you might want to walk it back. Even if she had a terrible day, that does not explain soliciting a gratuity. It is NOT customary to leave a tip.

There should be a guild of cuddlers or something. Then a set of quality standards of professional conduct and behavior could be established. Bad cuddle professionals wreck it for the good ones as surely as bad clients wreck it for the good clients.

SuperManCuddles

@Armyvet330 I am very sorry to hear. I have been on this site for a while. Tipping is not expected at all (but optional for great service and only if you want too without pressure). I am very sorry for the horrible cuddling experience, then the cuddler had the nerve to ask for a tip after (when the service was below expected (not great) and to make it even worse could not even get 5 stars karma. Despite me having many positive experiences and karma, had a few similar sessions before. It can happen to anyone but hope that you find more compatible/professional cuddler, for a great experience.

CaringSoul

@Armyvet330 I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience here. It's not customary to tip your professional cuddler. Professional cuddlers should never ask for tips. That's very unprofessional of her. But I'm very appreciative when clients gave me tips, but it's not something I require. Tips or no tips, I offer excellent service.

jaswbrown

@Armyvet330 I don't have nearly the experience as many on this thread have, but I've seen a few pro cuddlers, and while I had one that had to end the session early due to a family emergency, she felt bad I had gotten a hotel room. She scheduled a make-up session for the rest of the time and hosted at her house (which she doesn't normally do). Because she did everything in her power to make it right, I tipped her generously. When I tip, it's because they had to drive a good distance (but didn't charge travel time), had to deal with bad traffic or parking, or just went above and beyond with their communication and scheduling. I also make it understood why I tipped, as to not create any misunderstandings or awkwardness... The explanation also serves as direct positive feedback...

A pro shouldn't have burdened you with her issues, but instead should've rescheduled until things were in better order. I would've also been concerned about paying for the session in full so far in advance. The cuddlers I've seen had me pay at the beginning of the session, though I could see a small deposit beforehand being reasonable. I'd give it another try, but I would try to find the highest rated cuddler in your area, and hopefully your session goes MUCH better. Additionally, I like to look at the substance of their profiles, to get an idea of who they are and what to expect.

Lovelight

It seems tipping is losing its meaning by the way some entitled people are using it. People tip if they want to not out of obligation. -_-

I'd call that a bad experience too.

desi_babe

[deleting my comment because as per usual, this forum just ends up attacking people with different opinions instead of recognizing that different people have different experiences]