A Gentleman’s Guide to Being a Respectful Client

The things that make the difference between a good client and a forgettable one

Companions remember their clients. Not necessarily by name – volumes vary – but by character, by how they made the companion feel, by the quality of their company. The clients who are remembered warmly tend to share a small number of consistent qualities. None of them are complicated. Most of them are just basic human decency applied thoughtfully.

This guide is not about rules. It is about the difference between an evening that works for both people in the room and one that only works for one of them.

Be on time, be clean, be sober

These are not sophisticated requirements. A companion who arrives at the agreed hour to find a man who is drunk, dishevelled, and forty minutes behind schedule has already had her evening considerably diminished. It communicates that her time is not particularly valued. It sets a tone that is difficult to recover from.

Being ready – in the room, showered, composed, and at the agreed time – is the minimum. It is also, apparently, not universal, which is why it is worth stating explicitly.

Treat the booking like a social occasion

The transactional mindset – that because payment is involved, all social norms are waived – produces genuinely unpleasant evenings. Companions are not machines that have been paid to perform a function. They are people, often interesting ones, who have agreed to spend time with you. The ones worth meeting respond to being treated as such.

Offer a drink. Make conversation. Express some interest in the person you are with. This is not complicated or demanding – it is simply how a good host behaves, and it changes the quality of the evening significantly.

Respect what was agreed

The booking was made through the agency with certain terms understood by both parties. Those terms do not become negotiable because you are now in a room together. Attempts to change what was agreed – to push beyond stated limits, to request things that were not discussed, to use the privacy of the situation as leverage – are the behaviours that end careers. Theirs, in the sense of being blacklisted by agencies. And sometimes yours, in the sense of being blacklisted by agencies.

Reputable agencies share information about problematic clients. A reputation for bad behaviour closes doors faster than almost anything else.

Pay correctly and promptly

Cash, exact amount, at the start of the meeting. Do not make this awkward by waiting to be reminded, presenting non-exact amounts, or otherwise treating a straightforward exchange as something to be delayed. Handle it briefly and cleanly at the beginning and then move on. The companion will appreciate the lack of drama around it, and so will you.

Leave when the booking ends

The booking ends when the booking ends. Not when you feel like the evening is over, not whenever you eventually decide to look at the clock. The companion has other obligations, whether professional or personal. Allowing the time to overrun without prior arrangement is taking something that was not on offer. If you want more time, book more time in advance.

The clients who understand all of this – and they are not a majority, which is a pity – get better experiences, better service from agencies when they call, and companions who are genuinely pleased to see them again. The economics are straightforward. Being decent about how you behave in a private room is also how you get what you came for.

Further reading: Your first booking in London | Why reviews matter when choosing an agency