Pro cuddlers “selling themselves”

HugAnEwok

I booked a local pro cuddler (let’s call her “Mary”) about a year ago once my regular cuddle buddy (let’s call her “Jane”) moved to another state. She was all right, but not as personable as others. She wouldn’t even give me her real name, so it was awkward not knowing what to call her. Anyway, she soon moved away as well, but she comes back to visit nearly every month. She has my phone number, so she texts me every time she comes into town, basically trying to “sell herself” and her services.

Since she moved, I found another pro (let’s call her “Katie”) who I see fairly regularly and is much more personable and fun. So she’s my “regular” cuddle buddy at the moment. The problem is that Mary is kind of annoying to me. She constantly texts me and tells me about her new “packages” and “deals.” I don’t want to be rude, but I kind of just want to block her number and/or tell her to buzz off. She reminds me of one of those door to door salesmen who pressure you into buying something you don’t want. Jane and Katie never do/did this. They waited for me to initiate and book a session. I often do, as they’re both very kind, sweet, and amazingly affectionate. They don’t have to “sell themselves.” They just put themselves out there (on this site), wait for customers to come to them, and if we enjoy their cuddles, we book them again.

I feel like pro cuddlers should have a business model similar to doctors or housekeepers. These people really don’t advertise. They put themselves out there online and wait for the customers to come to them. If a customer/patient likes and trusts them, they keep coming back as repeat customers/patients. You never see doctors or housekeepers put out TV ads, much less call/text their patients/customers to get their money. My doctor never texts me and says, “Hey, I’ve got this great deal where if you come in for a routine physical, it’ll be half off! Also, don’t forget how good a doctor I am!” No. People find a good doctor they trust and then keep coming back whenever they get sick. That’s how professional cuddlers should run their business too IMO.

Also, any tips on how to get Mary to stop pestering me constantly without being rude?

Sideon

[MOD - my apologies. I moved the original post but not the associated comments.]

Rezz

Hey @HugAnEwok !

Be upfront. Tell her you will inquire with her if/when you need her services. If she's truly a professional she will get the hint and understand. If not , you know you're dealing with a pushy adult looking for a quick money grab IMO.
In which case block her.

I don't cold call my clients. I may message them to say hello and check in on their well being but to send them my rates feels inpersonal and rather presumptuous. What if this client has a relationship, financial hardships etc. It's intrusive to assume they need my services.

I look forward to seeing you in December! ☺️

Sashamcgee

Well unless the pro cuddler agreement has changed that is terms for losing her pro status on this site. She's breaking at least two rules ... 1. All contact to book sessions must be on site. 2. You're not supposed to contact enthusiasts first (I'm not sure on the exact wording around this.) Either way, I would report her.

xandriarain

When business is slow I will reach out to clients I have seen in the past, I do not come out and so “would you like to book another session?” I will just say “Hi, how have you been.” I understand the position Mary may be in. If she was getting enough business from clients reaching out to her she probably wouldn’t be bothering you. There is a way to reach out to clients without being pushy just and letting them know that you were thinking about them. There is an art form to dealing with clients and just people in general not everyone has the best social skills. It’s been a tough time for all professional cuddlers because of the pandemic so you probably will see a trend of cuddlers reaching out more because there is just generally less demand. It’s honestly just better to be blunt and say that you do not want to have another session. If you actually want to help her out you might even tell her what you told us and explain why you don’t want to have another session. It’s helpful to get feedback and not be left to wonder what went wrong.If a doctor or housekeeper was not getting enough business they probably would make an effort to network more or do some advertising in the community to get more business. Also doctors and dentists do send out reminders for check ups and things like that. To you it seems like they are looking out for your health but to them they are trying to keep their practice’s cash flow steady.

ubergigglefritz

I see it more similar to a massage therapist or other self-care professionals than a doctor, and they will send emails occasionally. I do keep in touch with my past clients, but if I don't hear back from them for a certain amount of time, I usually stop texting them (like @xandriarain , I text occasionally to say ask how they're doing, etc). I feel like this is normal in this industry, but if anyone asks to stop being contacted, then it should be a 100% stop.