Agency vs. Independent

[mogi]

I've had a mixed bag since I entered the scene.

In YOUR experience and opinion. What are the Pros and Cons for YOU - as a punter?

For me

Agency Pros
1)  a one stop shop with variety and selection and an established 'standard' [putting those 'standards' up front (and consistently delivering it) makes it easy for me and is worth more (e.g. genuine, recent photos, quality of venue, reliable appointments, safety and security)

2)  the good ones insist that girls have recent professional photos to 'showcase' plus a blend of selfies [Indies don't seem to invest the time effort to do that]

3) Service - if the agency is service oriented, you build up a rapport with the receptionist who almost acts as your Pleasure PA. Knowing what you like and alerting you to new talent that meets your standards

4) Collective finance and ability to produce a website that showcases the talent and makes me feel that it's an exclusive or quality product - plus that bit of savvy to get the site seen

Agency Cons
1) They may or may not be acting in the interest of the girls and it turns out they're just an organised gang

Indie Pros
1) It's their show so if they have to take care of customers

Indie Cons
1)  If they're busy and unorganised (many of them are) they don't have the bandwidth to offer the kind of 'customer service' that I'd like for the calibre of girl I like to see - hence, not answering phones, being rushed, not having the incall facilities (as they don't have a booked schedule to make it worth booking nicer hotels)

2)  Looking at low investment in 'marketing' themselves so have to market themselves on search sites with tons of other WGs which makes it harder to separate the good ones from the bad. (more work for me - and I don't want to work hard at it... I just want a quality experience)

That's just my opinion.

[mogi]

BTW - the most consistent agency brothels I've found in the UK are

McKenzies (North)
Sandys Superstars (North)
House of Divine (London Area)

It's been hit and miss for Indies in all of the above areas - and BIRMINGHAM is the armpit of the UK for both Agencies and Independents IMHO

[smiths]

I've had a mixed bag since I entered the scene.

In YOUR experience and opinion. What are the Pros and Cons for YOU - as a punter?

For me

Agency Pros
1)  a one stop shop with variety and selection and an established 'standard' [putting those 'standards' up front (and consistently delivering it) makes it easy for me and is worth more (e.g. genuine, recent photos, quality of venue, reliable appointments, safety and security)

2)  the good ones insist that girls have recent professional photos to 'showcase' plus a blend of selfies [Indies don't seem to invest the time effort to do that]

3) Service - if the agency is service oriented, you build up a rapport with the receptionist who almost acts as your Pleasure PA. Knowing what you like and alerting you to new talent that meets your standards

4) Collective finance and ability to produce a website that showcases the talent and makes me feel that it's an exclusive or quality product - plus that bit of savvy to get the site seen

Agency Cons
1) They may or may not be acting in the interest of the girls and it turns out they're just an organised gang

Indie Pros
1) It's their show so if they have to take care of customers

Indie Cons
1)  If they're busy and unorganised (many of them are) they don't have the bandwidth to offer the kind of 'customer service' that I'd like for the calibre of girl I like to see - hence, not answering phones, being rushed, not having the incall facilities (as they don't have a booked schedule to make it worth booking nicer hotels)

2)  Looking at low investment in 'marketing' themselves so have to market themselves on search sites with tons of other WGs which makes it harder to separate the good ones from the bad. (more work for me - and I don't want to work hard at it... I just want a quality experience)

That's just my opinion.

I wouldn't punt through an Agency again because in London they are to expensive for my liking all so the pimp gets his or her cut. I can locate many so called Indies for a lot less. There are no pros for me using an Agency.

What makes a good and bad WG is her attitude, punting is all about locating ones with a good attitude which is what UKP can help punters with, and avoiding the bad which UKP can also help with.

[DannyJames]

3) Service - if the agency is service oriented, you build up a rapport with the receptionist who almost acts as your Pleasure PA. Knowing what you like and alerting you to new talent that meets your standards

And if this 'new talent' doesn't meet your standards on a booking will she return to you the wasted fee? She's a 'salesperson' at best, a pimp at worst. All she does is take a cut of the price I pay, when I'd rather she didn't exist and the price per hour potentially less.
If people know what they like then they can crossmatch profiles with reviews on UKP.

4) Collective finance and ability to produce a website that showcases the talent and makes me feel that it's an exclusive or quality product - plus that bit of savvy to get the site seen

I've never needed my ego stroking in that way. If I want something then I can either afford it or I can't; my perception of whether a whore will be a 'quality product' would largely be based on feedback from punters on here.

[8rockLanders]

Back in the day, when I was a relative newbie at the punting scene, I used to book through agencies and if I wished to continue patronising the girl, I'd cut out the agency completely from the transactions and deal with the WG directly on future visits.

I'd often get a cheaper hourly rate since she doesn't have to pay the agency cut.

These days, as I'm more experienced, I would rarely go down the agency route.
If you're prepared to do a bit more research and leg work, you can save on heaps of £££ with independents.

[OakTree]

Back in the day, when I was a relative newbie at the punting scene, I used to book through agencies and if I wished to continue patronising the girl, I'd cut out the agency completely from the transactions and deal with the WG directly on future visits.

I'd often get a cheaper hourly rate since she doesn't have to pay the agency cut.

These days, as I'm more experienced, I would rarely go down the agency route.
If you're prepared to do a bit more research and leg work, you can save on heaps of £££ with independents.

Depends where you are. There's barely a difference between indies and agencies price wise in the north west.

[mogi]

What makes a good and bad WG is her attitude, punting is all about locating ones with a good attitude which is what UKP can help punters with, and avoiding the bad which UKP can also help with.

Agreed.  That said, is it just down to hit or miss?  A later comment talks about 'doing the legwork' but I'm a visitor to the UK (on business) and what I'm doing now [with this thread] is trying to get up to speed. TBH I don't really want to do the legwork - hence, historically, opting for agencies that other punters recommend.

[mogi]

Depends where you are. There's barely a difference between indies and agencies price wise in the north west.

That's what I also found when I was doing work in the North.  IMHO there's a better selection (looks, attitude and price) up North.  And as the prices weren't too different I opted for using an agency and had a good experience.

[mogi]

If you're prepared to do a bit more research and leg work, you can save on heaps of £££ with independents.

By 'heaps of £££' is that per hour or over a number of punts? 

As I don't do it that often (I guess I'm lazy) I don't mind paying £10-20 more for an hour to minimise the risk of getting a 'dud'

This forum is my first 'deep dive' into figuring out how to get more good punts than bad.  Since being on assignment in the West Midlands I found more bad than good - hence coming to the forum.

Thanks for your insight Brocklanders.

[mogi]

I've never needed my ego stroking in that way. If I want something then I can either afford it or I can't; my perception of whether a whore will be a 'quality product' would largely be based on feedback from punters on here.

I'm not sure if it's just ego for me. Maybe it's the porn watcher in me, but I like seeing the premium product AND the 'girl next door - selfies' (so I know what to expect).  It kinda' gets the imagination going makes the punt a bit more 'porn movie' than 'bar pick up'.  But that's my own weird thing going on.

I find value in the feedback of the people on the forum - but some of the 'pro-punters' have put negative or neutral reviews on girls with whom I've had a really good time. I didn't see the reviews (hadn't discovered UKP) until after I'd seen the girls.  And it was a good thing (on those occasions) because I would have missed out on a good thing.

I'm almost at a point where it's not about price. It's about quality. I just don't know where to look to get the best quality (looks, attitude, skills) proper ESCORT not solely a prossie.   Hence my starting the thread about agencies.

Thanks for your insight.

[mrdiamond77]

I have yet to punt with an agency girl.  Started off punting in parlours and now I just go with independent girls.  Don't feel any need to go through an agency.

[Belgarion]

I still cannot understand how people let middle men or women come between themselves and a WG

I would prefer to speak directly to the lady I fancy.

[donny99]

Indie Pros
1) It's their show so if they have to take care of customers

I don't see this is a pro for just indie WGs. All WG, in theory, should have to do their best in taking care of customers if they want repeat business.

I used to only see agency WG when i first started, and i never had a bad time.

[OakTree]

I still cannot understand how people let middle men or women come between themselves and a WG

I would prefer to speak directly to the lady I fancy.

A large part of it is convenience. As I said earlier, in the NW where I punt, there's little difference in price between agency and indie. With the agencies there's far less chance of being fucked around (The ones I use anyway) You ring, you book, you go off and fuck. AW for me is just a minefield of let downs and pissing about.

[8rockLanders]

By 'heaps of £££' is that per hour or over a number of punts? 

Over your punting lifetime.

What I mean is by using tools like UKP and other internet resources, you can build up a really useful library of information about the provision of sexual services. As a rule before booking, I always read the reviews about the WG. Of course there will always be fake ones in the mix but after a while you'll be able to make a more informed choice based on this and the AW profile.

If there is one piece of advice I can give , it's not to be afraid to walk away from a booking if you're not comfortable. The problem with some of us blokes is that when we get horny, we kind of lose our sense of reasoning and just want to shoot our load there and then.
Even when I was lured into a bait & switch scams in my earlier years, my hormones were already in hyperdrive and my brain was telling my cock to CIM or CIP. At that point, it was really difficult to walk away when a WG is shoving her arse and tits in your face.

Fortuantely, with age comes experience and I have no problems walking away from a punt if I'm not comfortable about the situation and I'd encourage my fellow UKP punters to do the same.

In business, the customer is always right.

[mogi]

Over your punting lifetime.

Fortuantely, with age comes experience and I have no problems walking away from a punt if I'm not comfortable about the situation and I'd encourage my fellow UKP punters to do the same.

In business, the customer is always right.

Spot on! 

I guess it would be great to get the benefit of experience without paying the price (literally) and having the bad experiences to boot.... but that's life. 

[mogi]

I don't see this is a pro for just indie WGs. All WG, in theory, should have to do their best in taking care of customers if they want repeat business.

So what 'service' do agencies provide.... from your perspective?

[Jimmyredcab]

 I just don't know where to look to get the best quality (looks, attitude, skills) proper ESCORT not solely a prossie.   

They are all prostitutes ----------------- just more expensive.   

The girl you book from the agency for £200 could also work as an Indie at £120.   

[Norbut]

Really there are 3 basic categories:

Agencies
Brothels
Independents

Most 'independent' AW listings are really either brothels in disguise or girls working in a brothel.  There are are few true independents, but at least they are probably more likely to show up on UKP because they tend to be around longer with the same profile.

With that in mind, my experience would be split up like this:

Agencies:
Expensive, but more consistently reliable, better service, younger and 'fresher'

True independents:
Good, but sometimes older and a bit 'fake'

Brothels (including fake independents):
Very variable.  Some of my best punts, but overall more bad, going on hideous, than good.

I think agencies and true independents have the opportunity to look after their reputation.  Brothels, being illegal, must find it difficult to put down roots and build up a good reputation.  It would make sense for them to get the cheapest (and hence worst) girls and then rely on bait and switch to entice us one time suckers in.

[OakTree]

So what 'service' do agencies provide.... from your perspective?

For me it's convenience, I can't plan days ahead. If I decide I want to see a girl the same day it s far easier to ring an agencie and ask who is available. X Y or Z are offered and two hours later I can be balls deep in one of them. On the day bookings with AW it can be just plain hard work. First I have to trawl through trying to find someone I fancy then try and get hold of them and hope they're available at short notice. I might have to look for and ring four or five girls before I get a go. Then there's the let downs being left high and dry. With an agency, if the girl is a a no show invariably another one is provided.

For me and my way of punting agencies are a no brainier.

[Yeboahsleftfoot]

Agencies have been much better for me than indies, been doing some number crunching on my first year on here which proves it categorically.