Not just older customers but in general there is a sizeable Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. They shouldn't be let to feel excluded because of how the houses conduct themselves with lineups and negotiations. A suggestion I have for lineups is for the Shift Manager or whoever is ringing to bell to ask the customer if they have any issues hearing and ask what works best for them. If they can lip read, then tell the Ladies in lineup to look at the customer and clearly enunciate when saying their names (they don't have to yell, just enunciate clearly). If they prefer sign, it'd be a good idea to teach ladies the basic signs so they can introduce themselves and spell their names to clients. (This seriously would only take 10 minutes to learn.) Ladies, making up your own visual menus to keep in your room could also prove helpful. So if there's a problem where you can't be heard during negotiation and figure out what they want you can show them a menu of things you offer and the jumping off points for prices. To help your negotiations go smoother and not risk offending those who are hard of hearing or making the ordeal stressful for them. You can print your own menu out at home to bring or use services like Staples, Office Max, or online services like VistaPrint. It's very affordable! (Vistaprint is also easy and great if you want to make your own business cards and such as well, to hand out and promote the houses.) Just a suggestion! Things like this can also benefit Ladies coming to work who may fall on the Hard of Hearing spectrum. These are just little things that can really help business and show just how good the Hof brand is at accommodating as many different customers as possible. The Handicappers are here to help!
Great suggestions, and you're a sweet gal for offering them. (In fact, you can't hear me right now, but I'm applauding you!)
Being someone who is extremely hard of hearing, I approve this message lol....this is a great and wonderful post Kitti. Thank you on behalf of us deaf guys
2 other well known board moderators are hard of hearing, but over the years have managed to enjoy themselves at the ranches. Even some of the ladies can have hearing problems. Someone might have better hearing on either their left side or right side so you might want to sit and talk to them on that side. I'm getting older too and have some problems hearing and understanding. Sometimes someone talks too fast for me to understand them fully, especially if there is a lot of ambient noise. Mumbling doesn't help either. Sometimes I have to ask my sons to repeat themselves, most of the time that is because they are talking too fast for me to hear 100% of what they are saying to me. Have you even been at any large store or venue where someone is talking too fast over the public address system to fully understand them, and their message sounds garbled? I have sat next to a hard of hearing brothel guest to "translate" or clarify what someone has said to him, often at the brothel events. If some ladies feel inclined to help and they aren't too busy, maybe they can help the hard of hearing brothel visitor in the same way. Think of it being similar to a foreign language guide or translator. At Dennis' brothels I have seen some unselfish ladies translate (mostly Spanish) for guys talking to different ladies even though they didn't party with those guys during that visit. If a person feels welcome, maybe he will come again? DCT, thanks for responding here. Is there anything you can add to what Kitti said that might help you to feel more comfortable in the brothels?
Not really sure I can, Kitti pretty much nailed everything right on the head. However, I think about the other side of the coin and wonder if Dennis ever had a hear of hearing girl working for him. I remember seeing a thread somewhere some time ago asking how things would work for her and I remember someone mentioning having a flashing light in her room to let her know there was someone there and things like that.
I know a lady at Dennis' houses that is hard of hearing, but not totally deaf. No doubt he has hired some before or will eventually. I have met at his ranches some courtesans that are blind, even listened in to some of the ladies talking about how they should help her. There was a courtesan that needed to use an electric wheelchair at the ranch for mobility that I met. All of those courtesans were at Sagebrush when I saw them.
Perhaps a few rock solid thoughts on this topic. First - pen and paper. Heck, pull out your phone and switch to the notes/notepad and type back and forth. Delete the conversation afterwards. Of the two, phone chatting might be the easiest. Know your quiet spots in the parlor - or a spot you can take them to that's quiet. Background noise/conversation is hell for the hearing impaired. Deaf folks won't care about noise, but will appreciate an effective means of communication. Line ups? They might not hear your or any names and signing takes too long. I personally would say let them pick and figure out the name/introductions later. Physical cues - if someone is talking to you and wants to switch places or walk on the other side of you - it's possibly related to a good/bad ear issue. If a person is twisting all the way around to listen - it might be to bring a good ear into play. International women - yes your accent is sexy and exotic. But when talking to a hard of hearing person who is having a hard time understanding you - if the accent is on purpose - lose it. Communication is key to a good party, accents are just a fun extra. Resist the urge to excessively raise your voice. Work with them if possible to find that comfortable range. If someone is deliberately raising their voice and goes a bit overboard, it can frequently be annoying. It's tolerated because communication is the goal, but it's still an itch on the person's mind. Lastly, be patient. Sound is not language. Hard of hearing people frequently hear the majority of a sentence, but are missing 1-2 words that define the sentence. Asking for repeats means listening to the entire sentence again for that word. It's frustrating for both sides. Some hard of hearing will 'fake' it and end up responding incorrect or worse inappropriately. They frequently wonder 'did I just hear that right' and at the ranches it's even worse - it's likely the person just did say that.
Have girls learn to sign their names when they first start and take a few minutes every day to practice. I can sign "My name is (then spell "KITTI")" in the time it takes me to say it if not less. It's not difficult at all.
Accents can be very hard to understand. I know I sometimes have trouble making out a little of what Jade says but it's through no fault of her own. It's just the way it is but she's been good and patient with me and repeating whatever it is I'm not understanding. I do tend to make sure the ladies are on my right side...I hear a little better on that side.
Dreams - a suggestion if I may be so bold. When sitting at the parlor/bar, preemptively attempt to control the seating arrangement so the lady has nowhere to sit but on your right side.
sometimes it's not the easiest thing to do everytime but more times than not, the lady is on the right side so it's all good
