Yes they do. I don?t think it?s a bad idea per se, I?ve thought about getting somebody to take my calls for me but never gone through with it. My only concern would be that most are paid on a commission basis (for every appointment arranged and attended). So I do wonder how thorough the screening process is likely to be. Also I like to know exactly what has been agreed with the client prior to the booking and I think with a middleman there is always the danger of the client trying to pull one by saying ?I was told on the phone you do x,y,z...?

I use a PA.  He tends to go above and beyond for me as well.  From a personal perspective, I would say it's definitely worth it.  I always vet customers over the phone, but he manages my emails, arranges my diary with prospective clients, listens in on calls and gives his thumbs up or down opinion and doubles as my security/driver.  And for a very minimal fee per booking, twenty quid for incalls, forty for outcalls.

I have had someone answer my phones (many years ago now) but I feel that no one can do the job better than yourself. 

Safety measures IMO are also a bit lax with some taking the calls.  If it is just "someone taking your calls" they are not bothered the same about your safety as you are and things can slip.

So although they are useful I feel it is best for us to answer our own phones and screen prospective clients in our own way.

Is it legal to have a PA who arranges your bookings? I think it sounds like a fantastic idea but would they not fall under the 'profiting from the proceeds of prostitution' clause or would they be exempt as they're offering you a service?

It's 'Controlling Prostitution for Gain' (nobody cares whether they make a profit or not), but yes, any third party taking payment for arranging booking would be liable to prosecution under this section of the SOA 2003, and there have been a handful of high profile cases where attempts have been made to charge women working as maids for doing much the same thing.

I would never, ever want somebody else deciding who my clients were going to be anyway, but the thought of somebody whose income level relies on how many they get through the door doing so makes my blood run cold. Plus I wouldn't want my client's privacy invaded in this way - if a punter calls or emails an independent lady then it's partly because he doesn't want to deal with other people, and I would never allow somebody else access to my emails. Some punters give away far more information about themselves than they need to, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be happy at the thought of random folk who it wasn't addressed to reading their private correspondence.

If anybody really is so busy they can't cope with all the calls they miss, I would suggest downloading one of the Call Blocker type phone apps that send an auto respond out to tell punters when they can call back - it works great for me. Or just be very efficient at updating your voicemail greeting .