Hiya
I have seen a guy a few times now who always texts me to ask me if I will have a meal with him prior to the booking commencing so we can 'get in the mood' (Jesus). He texts also to ask if I will meet him for lunch etc. I've always told him I am too busy and my time is limited to work. The last correspondence I have had with him is for him to tell me he has fallen for me. What a complete load of BOLLOCKS. The reason I know this is bollocks is because, after I explained that I won't ever be following suite/doing likewise etc, he has gone quiet. I know he won't get back in contact. This is because he, like your guy, is a game player. I hate the married game players more than anything else as I believe they are the real game players when they behave like this. At least with a single guy, we 'could' (if we were trying to be nice) put it down to delusional thought processes...but the married ones. It makes me angry because it's like they think we're stupid. It's actually a huge insult.
x
I had a client with whom I'd go out for a meal with before his regular 2 hour booking on the basis of if I could make it, so there wasn't any pressure and the meal always took up minimal time. He'd check with me on the day, if I was free he'd pick me up 1 hour before his booked time, and by the time we got back his two hour booking would have already started (that wasn't a condition I put on him, it was the way things worked out). He just wanted to include the meal in an easy way. This worked out perfectly for us both.
On the other hand I had another client who after a couple of times going out with him for a meal off the clock in addition to his 1 hour booking (which always overran outside of the meal), expected me to put aside what was most of an afternoon to accomodate what was 1 hour at discount because I kept him on old rates when I increased.
First guy brilliant, second just became a stress. I've had others like the second, some who just ask and ask and ask, and appear to do anything to spend time with me. When I explain I actually don't like going out shopping, or regularly eating out (to me it's a well appreciated occasional treat) because my interests/enjoyment is doing other things, I've often received that hangdog look along with a few whines and whinges as if I'm being unreasonable.
I still have the occasional client who I'll have a coffee or meal with, but it's always attached to a longer booking, say 2 hours or more, it'll be someone I rarely see and with whom I feel totally comfortable with - they respect my time and boundaries and would never dream of whinging or forcing me to do something.
Outside of that if someone keeps pushing I'll explain how much pressure it puts me under, can they please stop or I'll have to stop seeing them. That often does the trick, but I do find someone hell-bent on wanting you outside bookings won't stop, and thus I'll part company with them.
In summary what I'm trying to say is that everyone who'd like to see you outside of bookings isn't difficult, sometimes it works out really well. I've been treated to some restuarants I'd not have been to otherwise, and had a really nice time which is a result of how me and the client treat each other. It doesn't just happen with everyone!
Topic: Shopping trips (Read 2350 times)