Pricing

Morpheus

I've been wanting to post about this but knowing it's going to stir things up, I've stayed away from it but oh well, here goes.

I've noticed several of the new pros in the So Cal area are charging astronomical prices. The accepted hourly rate is still $80 an hour which is what snuggle Buddies and the majority of the pros on Cuddle Companions charge. Some of the rates that I have seen are $90, $95, $100 and there is even one new pro that's charging $210 for the first hour and $110 for every hour after that. Once you add on travel fees, a session that should be $80, ends up being $120. For many people, this is not affordable.

I just asked a brand new pro who was just listed on the site today and she said she charges $150 an hour? Wtf???

Many pros will say that after the 15% cut, a profit of $68 an hour is not worth it to them. $68 an hour is far more than the average person makes. I make a very good living and I make less than $68 an hour.

There are also some pros that are charging a travel fee in both directions which is unethical. No client should pay the pros travel fee in both directions because you don't know where she's going after she's done with you. She may be going to see another clients and doubling up on her travel fee.

All clients need to take a stand and not pay overly inflated prices. My recommendation to clients is that you shouldn't agree to pay more than $80 an hour and a travel fee in one direction should be a reasonable amount.

The rates pros are charging is out of control.

Mike403

They could arge that this isn't like a normal 9-5 desk job. I'm sure most of them aren't cuddling 40 hours a week. They also risk their safety everytime they meet a new client.

The pros in my area charge as low as $50 to as much as $100. One of the benefits is that they have the ability to set their own rates. They also have to keep in mind what the local market is willing to pay. If nobody is paying $100, she will have to lower the price or make nothing.

Morpheus

That's the problem though, guys are paying more than $80 an hour and if they would stop doing that, then all pros would adjust their rate.

GeekCuddles

I'm sure there's a market for all price categories. I'd prefer to charge the average $80 for various reasons.

Also, while the per hour rate seems high, if broken down it's really not that much. For a few reasons at least for me. (I won't speak for others).

1) a 1 hour session takes at least 3-4 hours out of my day.
Now I may just hold myself to higher standards, but I shower, shave and spend at least an hour prep for that 1 hour session. This includes making sure things like I smell clean and my skin is soft (for arm rubbing etc.) and my nails are clean/trimmed. I even am careful to wash behind my ears. Also I do things like prepare my session bag making sure things like my phone and portable speaker are charged and I have a tooth brush in case I drink coffee or something on the way. Then sadly in LA there is usually 1-2 hours of driving.
(Also, I would never go directly from one session to another. That would be rude to both clients. There is always refreshment and a shower in-between.)

2) We don't get that many sessions a week, at least not as many as people seem to think we do. If we seem super busy or already booked it's because most bookings are for Friday/Saturday nights. See reason #1 as to why I can't fit more than 2 bookings into a night. I know I'm not the most booked cuddler I'm sure for many reasons. But I get maybe 1-2 sessions per week.

3) The higher pay can also be construed as "danger pay". As much as I hate point it out as we are all aware of the potential pitfalls, at the end of the day we as pros are putting ourselves into a potentially physically or mentally dangerous situation. Yes, the client is taking on a bit of risk as well but realistically it's not as much as the Pro. Sadly, that's just the way society is today.

So that $68 (plus maybe $30 for driving if it's further away) should really be divided into 4. So really with the amount of work put in I'm only actually getting about $24.50 an hour. (68+30)/4

If I didn't charge to cover the 1-2 hours of travel then that hourly would drop to $17 per hour minus the cost of gas and car maintenance. That's not any more per hour than an office job and way less hours.

Just a bit of my perspective. I'm sure some people will still think the standard pricing outrageous,some will find it reasonable, and others think it cheap.

I completely agree with you GeekCuddles. I'm the new pro that he is referring to in the original post. I do offer discounts for longer sessions, but you hit the nail on the head when you said that it takes you 4 hours for a 1 hour appointment. The other reason is absolutely safety. I'm not going to risk my life for pocket change. This isn't my primary source of income, so anyone who doesn't want to pay the premium doesn't have to book with me. It's also a supply and demand issue. I am literally swamped with messages. Maybe as the "new" wears off and people become less interested in me, I will lower my prices. I also would rather charge more for a first time meeting and then less for repeat customers. If I've met someone and know they are safe, then I'm happy to lower prices for a repeat. I also feel that the higher price keeps the riff raff away. Just my two cents, but I appreciate everyone's input.

Morpheus

Thank you @geekcuddles for charging the proper rate.

Morpheus

Also I would like to add that everyone who works takes time to shower and get ready for work into the morning and they take time to drive to and from work but the majority of companies don't pay them for that time, they pay them for the time they clock in to the time they clock out.should I go to work tomorrow and ask my boss for more money because I take a shower in the morning and brush my teeth after lunch?

Morpheus

@lg1163 I would recommend as a new pro, look at your potential clients profile and read their karma. This will give you and all pros a good general idea of whether that person is safe or not. I have more positive karma than most male members on the site. Believe me, if anyone on here is safe, it's me.

@GeekCuddles as a person that has/does use pro cuddlers I can appreciate the explanation that you have given. I do understand that you walk a fine line between it being a job, it being mutually beneficial, and your own safety.

I also understand that many professionals also hy a full time job.

Thank you for your insight on this matter.

Dale

Mike403

Karma can be faked. Somebody can create a fake account and give themself karma.

@mike403 I never thought about that!

Mike403

To ensure safety, require that you meet new clients in public. Nothing wrong with a public cuddle in the park.

GeekCuddles

Just a bit more information because I'm a numbers nerd and used to work in people management so I've had to do this stuff in a traditional work setting before.

As to the commute/getting ready for a regular job vs. a cuddle job. It's trying to compare apples to oranges.

For a regular 8 hour office job, the time and effort of getting ready/driving is compensated in set wages, longer shifts (=more money) and having a set office location. They aren't compensated directly because of having set commute costs and knowing exactly where/when they will be working. As well they can (as HR would put it if they are unhappy with their commute costs) move closer to the location of their office. Many offices especially in areas like downtown LA will cover things like parking (which can be hundreds of dollars a month) and offer other benefits that offset living expenses.

Pro-cuddlers get none of that so shouldn't be compensated in the same manner as an office worker. Also a traditional office worker would only have to get ready commute once per day. A busy cuddler may have to do it twice or three times a day.

Any contractor or employee who is required to drive their personal vehicle to non-office locations for work is supposed to be compensated for that driving distance, per State and Federal regulations. Basically pro-cuddlers are more like contract workers in that we do not have a set office or benefits.

When I organized events and had to be in say Costa Mesa (46 miles from my home) at 4 am in my personal vehicle, you better believe my office paid for my overtime and driving (per mile). I've done cuddle sessions in Costa Mesa area and have charged 30$ (2 hours) of travel time. But let's say I got more formal with it since someone might say that is unfair to base it on time. Well the regulated reimbursement based on mileage would be $49.22 (at 2017's rate of 53.5 cents per mile). And yes that is supposed to be paid both to/from since it would be driving to a non-standard work location, at least according to HR regulations.

Sorry this sort of thing is super interesting for me to breakdown. Like I said I'm a bit of nerd.

LG1163, goodluck with your new sideline. Please charge whatever you feel comfortable with. This isn't a regulated industry which is both good and bad.

Also, I didn't even think about fake karma, though I generally base my opinions more on how people message me and act than karma.

Morpheus

@Mike403 yes karma can be faked but all a person has to do is look at the source and determine then whether it's reputable or not. My karma are all from reputable sources for example and it can be proven.

Morpheus

@geekcuddles thanks again for charging the accepted rate of $80 an hour.

Morpheus

I still recommend and encourage all clients of pro cuddlers to not pay more than $80 an hour and to only agree to compensate for travel in one direction.

sometimes

Glad we live in a free economy and country where people are free to charge and pay whatever the hell they want and let the market sort itself out, and not be under the iron hand of any one individual. I don't have any bones to pick or axes to grind, nor believe anyone should be targeted for public shaming, regardless of whether cuddling is or is not a freelance hire service. Everyone here is by definition an adult, over 18, and free to do as s/he pleases within the site rules, which do NOT dictate market price controls.

pmvines

If you don't want to pay a certain rate, don't pay it. If you want to charge a certain rate, charge it. I don't think anybody is at risk of going broke paying to cuddle, and if they are, they may want to reevaluate their financial priorities.

sometimes

Even if they are at risk of going broke, cuddling isn't illicit and the cuddle charger isn't at risk of any legal or criminal charge if the payee suffers financial distress due to poor decision-making.

sometimes

@geekcuddles could you crunch numbers that explain why women still earn 80 cents on the dollar at best, why average income drops in formerly male-dominated fields when women gain greater presence,and why glass ceilings grow over every field I which women rise? Pretty please? Cause I truly want to know...

pmvines

I agree @sometimes. I know a lot of the paid cuddlers on here and consider some to be good friends. I don't see any paid cuddlers so I don't really have a dog in the fight . I do respect their right to do and charge as they wish. If its not something people can afford their business will be impacted and might adjust accordingly, but that would be entirely up to them. If there is a certain price range a client wishes to stay in then just seek out ones in that price range, but don't project onto the others who charge more just because you don't like what they charge. There are plenty of guys on here who I'm sure would like if they only charged 20 bucks an hr. So just because you may not like or agree with it doesn't mean its not fair .

GeekCuddles

@sometimes, that's a pretty tricky issue to tackle and requires a lot of data I wouldn't have access too. Only the IRS would have access to payee records so I wouldn't be able to see the full picture to actually crunch any numbers. It's also a pretty hard thing to prove without full access to company records so who knows what people are being paid in the same position. I have my personal theories and experiences with glass ceilings but I'm sure there are better more scientific reports out there than anything I could pull up in a day or so of research.

Mike403

Just don't book anyone who charges above a rate you like. Problem solved.

sometimes

@geekcuddles only kidding! Bloomberg Businssweek did a cover story on this recently in the wake of the infamous Google employee memo and a lot of prominent companies pronounced themselves mystified. The tech field in particular has been divided between publicizing payroll numbers or justifying their refusal to do so. These are rampant and consistent patterns across our society (the wage gap has actually widened within the current White House administration) and I cant stay silent when men who float blissfully on a cloud of traditional privilege get annoyed and complain when the dynamics of supply and demand work against them in a few situations.

I've only cuddled with one pro who was $60 an hour and I drove to her.

Paying $80 and driving to someone or paying $80 and paying for their transportation doesn't appeal to me.

Plenty of people spend hours getting ready/transporting to work and get paid much less than $50 an hour let alone $60+.

As with anything in business for me it just has to 'feel right and fair' so I guess I'll keep waiting while I blow money on nerd stuff to keep me fat & juicy!

Good thread.

Morpheus

I was thinking about this today and one of the things I didn't mention is that I care immensely about the site and about pro cuddling and I want this to remain cuddle comfort and not turn into backpage or sugardaddy.com I believe that we should all care and preserve the sanctity of cuddle comfort and of professional cuddling.

Thank you, @Morpheus

Morpheus

Thanks @Starflower

Oh. Also there are a number of Pros who do not give their 15% to CC.

So yeah. $80+ an hour.

Mark

Also there are a number of Pros who do not give their 15% to CC

They get found out eventually and risk being permanently blacklisted. Not a sensible business decision on their part.

I would advise anyone who is aware of Pros doing this to report them. You can do this anonymously by logging out first. This is stealing from the community - over 95% of fees go straight back into developing the website (not my time).