Playboy Magazine about a gigolo from our escortservice

On August 1st Playboy Magazine published a large article about the gigolos of our escortservice. In the article, Marike, owner of Society Service, explains how she came up with the idea of also offering gigolos at her high class escortservice. In addition, two of our gigolos tell about their work as a luxury male escort. The article was published in Dutch but below you can find a translation in English:

Suddenly you've got it, you'll become a gigolo

The summer vacation is a wonderful time to orientate yourself in a new career. Maybe becoming a gigolo is something for you? Successful women hire them more often. But beware, not everyone can do it. "Many businesswomen want a man who dares to take the lead in bed."

Two years ago Marike van der Velden started to notice something. As the owner of the escort agency Society Service, she saw that the demand for male prostitutes was increasing. Couples who wanted to have a man in addition to a female escort. Women who wanted to experiment with other forms of sex. But especially highly educated, successful women who were tired of dating. Van der Velden: "I heard that on the phone. "I just want to have a nice evening without the hassle." Then they meant the hassle in the pub, but more importantly: preventing disappointment. Does he know how to behave? Can he evoke a certain feeling with me? And the question what to do after you have slept together once. What are the obligations and what does it do with your image?" Many of the requests came from the business community. Women who are partners or run their own business shouldn't have a problem finding a sexual partner. Van der Velden: "Many studies indicate that a highly educated woman in a managerial position have more trouble finding a partner than a woman in a lower position. Because men are not necessarily looking for a partner who poses an intellectual challenge. Highly educated men are not necessarily looking for intelligent women, while smart women almost always want an intelligent partner. There is a mismatch there, which I can take advantage of." Marike van der Velden invites me at a neutrally decorated apartment, her Amsterdam office address, where the color red is noticeably missing. More clichés are refuted during our conversation. The business is one hundred percent legal. The sex workers have a cooperation agreement with Van der Velden, nobody is employed. None of the escorts work full time. It is not intended that someone is financially dependent on bookings, the work must remain a nice additional income.

Van der Velden is a down to earth blonde in her thirties with a good story. Female escorts are called "ladies", sex is euphemistically "having a good time". Towards the end of her studies in business administration, Marike joined forces with a woman who wanted to start an escort agency for the higher market segment. In 2006 Society Service started as one of the first companies in the Netherlands for escorts in the higher segment. Customers can choose from forty escort ladies and twelve men, within a wide range of "experiences". There is a Virgin Experience, a Pornstar Experience and the Escort Experience lets women indulge in their secret prostitution fantasy.

Requirements for a male high class escort

Van der Velden began to realize that Society Service should structurally offer gigolos. She asked men who had once applied to apply again, hired an assistant and waited. "There were 2,000 responses. We have made a selection based on variety, age, appearance and background. All letters with spelling mistakes were immediately denied. Just like men who started flirting with me during the introduction interview: then you obviously didn't get it. I am your mediator, flirting is counterproductive. Men who are only sexually motivated did not get through either. If you want to do this work because you want sex all day, you are only concerned with yourself. Your pleasure is pretty important, but it shouldn't be the most important thing." Everyone can come up with most of the characteristics of a good gigolo. Well-groomed appearance, civilized behavior, considerable sexual experience and a gym body are included in the standard package. Van der Velden emphatically adds: being able to emotionally connect with the client. "As a gigolo, you must be able to listen, be patient and understanding, but also seductive. It is still difficult for a man to find a balance in that, I have found. Certain taboos, blockades or frustrations are more common with women than with men. A 45-year-old woman who has never experienced an orgasm, books a gigolo and expects him to make that happen in tow hours. That's a lot of pressure for the gigolo."

Gigolo Daniel (30) knows such insecure clients. In fact, his very first booking was with one. "The client had drunk a lot of wine beforehand, I felt that she was very tense. I wanted to put her at ease, so I thought I'd take a shower with her first. Then you already have that intimacy and you get more used to each other. She didn't want that, and she didn't want a massage either. Then I started to light candles in the bathroom, turned off the light and took her to the bathroom in a very romantic way. She liked that, and that is how we ended up in the shower."

Daniël is described on his web profile as a gigolo with many different sides. Large and muscular, but also caring and genuinely interested. He talks softer than you would expect from a professional soldier of almost two meters with impressive tattoos. It is his soft side that makes the difference with difficult customers. "I am a sweet person by nature, although it may not seem so because of my appearance. I apply that during my bookings and I notice that women respond very well to that. That first time I was very tense myself. But from the moment the front door opened, everything went so smoothly and naturally that I knew immediately afterwards that I am suitable for working as a gigolo."

For Mason (28, coach / therapist) the world of escorts was a childhood dream. "I then fantasized what my fairy-tale life would look like. What if I could do something that would allow me to have contact with women, make them happy, and that would involve sex? That seemed great." He was not disappointed. "Before my first booking I had already heard experiences from colleagues. So I was under the assumption that we would first take our time to get to know each other. But she was already in her lingerie and I had to work straight away: wham bam, thank you ma'am, haha! It was a couple. Super nervous, but I was able to put them at ease."

Mason also does not come across as the classic player type. He looks smart and formulates thoughtfully. "If a girl used to tell me she liked me, I was the type of boy who thought: hey, me? Is that possible?" Daniel recognizes this. "I used to be very shy, I couldn't even talk to women normally. Then I ended up as a professional soldier and was able to transform myself into the person I am today. I totally lost that uncertain feeling of the past."

How a gigolo connects with a client

Marike thinks that a good gigolo, just like an escort lady, is not a player. "If you feel very self-satisfied that your good looks are enough, you will discover that it doesn't work that way. That also applies to a man. You are more than just your appearance and you don't get there with just smooth talk. You really have to be able to empathize, make a real connection. If you start faking things the other person will immediately notice. And you are fooling yourself just as much."

Once a gigolo has been selected, he will have the opportunity to improve his skills. Society Service organizes massage and resilience courses. A flirt coach helps them to put socially less skilled clients at ease. Van der Velden: "As an escort you need to find a balance between honesty and being courteous. You should not tell a bigger lady she is slim, that's a lie and she knows it. In stead you should focus on something you genuine find attractive on your client, that is much more genuine. Or you tell something about your own uncertainties. If a client hears from a self-confident person that he or she is unsure about something, that can help enormously." Sometimes a little life experience is also needed, when a client's nerves collapse. Daniel: "A woman had booked me for a Virgin Experience. She had some sexual experience, but never had full sex or an orgasm. As a result, she was blocked vaginally. So I asked if she had ever had an unpleasant experience. She became very emotional and told about her divorce and how badly her husband had treated her. At such a moment I can only be myself and remain kind to her. I tried to comfort her as well as possible. That apparently worked because she booked me an hour longer."

Fifty shades; naughty requests at the escortservice

To be sure, Marike has put some tips for the less experienced bookster on the website. Caressing balls: fine. Pinching them, rather not. Take an enema if you have booked for anal sex. Do not suck so hard that you are about to remove the blood from the penis. Extreme requests hardly ever occur in practice. "Everyone always asks escorts what the most extreme is that they have experienced, but that very extreme at all. A threesome, well, well. We really do not have many bookings with extreme preferences." People with harder S&M preferences go to a specialist, Marike explains. They do not end up with an expensive escort service. "With us, it goes no further than a bit of spanking, and saying, "What a naughty girl you are!"

The telephone rings. Van der Velden gestures to turn off the recorder and has a conversation with a client. An exotic location is being discussed, Society Service will arrange airline tickets and a luxury hotel. The client immediately ties in a second destination even further away. Afterwards, Marike explains that for long journeys, the client and escort fly separately. Not so much because it is uncomfortable, but because she always wants the escorts to be in perfect condition with the client. Jet lag is simply not sexy, so the escort often leaves the day before. The price also counts. After all, the clock starts running as soon as a client and an escort are together. That would make a five-hour flight an expensive flight.

Realitycheck, a luxury escortservice comes at a price

A private visit of a gigolo costs 500 euros for two hours, 200 euros per extra hour. Payment can be made cash on arrival, but can also be done in advance. Perhaps not so romantic, but necessary, Van der Velden explains. "I don't want to hide that it's a commercial agreement between two people. There is a chance that a client will fall in love. Then you need a reality check that paying for the time you spend together is part of the package. As soon as you start to pretend that the payment moment does not exist, things can go wrong.” The conversation returns to the reason why socially successful women want to spend so much money at all for something that can be found free of charge at Friday afternoon drinks with little effort: a man for sex without obligations. Daniël understands. "Many businesswomen are the boss at work. They are looking for redemption in their private lives. They want a confident man who dares to take the lead in bed. Such women also want someone to tell them what to do. They are looking for a balance in those two opposites." Perhaps it is going too far to call Society Service a company like any other. Is the oldest profession in the world no longer taboo? Daniel: "Not in principle. I like being as honest as possible about it with my immediate environment. You don't have to be open to it, but everyone should do what he or she wants. But I'm not going to tell my parents." Mason nods. "I'm not going to tell my parents either, even though they have their suspicions." So it is a bit of a naughty job after all.