March/04:
Phone Actress Hustle
Category: Sexuality
Posted by: Patricia Lee
By Jean Knowlton
(All names have been changed for the sake of confidentiality)
I talked to several women who worked as phone actresses, also called PSOs (phone sex operators). Gloria said she got this job because there were no other jobs to be had in the area where she lived and she liked that she could work from home and tailor her hours to her own schedule. The women disclosed that many of the calls had nothing whatsoever to do with sex but more with a sense of disconnectedness, loneliness or boredom. Most guys are happy to chat about everything else under the sun and enjoy just having someone to flirt with a little bit. A lot of calls were from guys in the military far away from home who just wanted to hear a friendly voice. Leslie stated, “I don't have any moral objections to flirtatious adult conversation and entertainment. Some people do and if they knew what I was doing they would be very surprised. I feel I am actually helping to ease stress and tension and that is a very healthy and positive thing to do. I try to be caring and kind to my callers.”
“Of course, there are some who call in as if they are making an old-fashioned obscene phone call where they blurt out their measurement and give instructions as to its care and handling,” said Marcia. Most of the women just say something to try to stall them. Gloria said she would just quote from an old song (sarcastically) saying, “Words of love so soft and tender don't win a girl's heart anymore.” It pretty much did not matter what she would say to that type of caller, because they were more interested in what they wanted her to hear from them. “I've just learned to observe and not absorb,” Leslie commented. “Sometimes I'll get someone who is a lot of fun to talk with and I just spend the whole time laughing. It's like meeting an old friend.”
I asked if they had learned any new techniques they could use with their husband or boyfriend, and Marcia said, “I did, but not really from the callers. I did some research before I began working so I would know what to expect. I read Nancy Friday's books about men's fantasies, Herotica, by Susie Bright and Joani Blank and some other books by Lonnie Barbach about sexuality. I learned a lot from that, and I am able to pass on some of the techniques.” I asked her to explain, and she said she liked to use special aroma therapy for her husband including scents spiked with pheromones, and really set the scene with candles and wine “and the kids staying at their grandma's for the weekend.” Gloria commented, “The conversation doesn't go to technique that often. More often it is just a guy wanting to picture the usual, oral sex and a few different positions, nothing acrobatic.”
The thing about this business I found to be rather disturbing, from a working woman's point of view, is that most of these companies pay according to what they call “hold” time, meaning how long the caller stays on the line. Then the operator's pay is determined by talk time minute at a higher rate if they end the week with the higher average. For example, they would get ten cents a minute for a low hold time average and thirty cents a minute for a high average (usually 7 to 10 minutes or more). “I find some weeks I get $6 an hour and others I've made as much as $24 an hour,” one exclaimed. Several of the women commented that the first week or so they worked, they had an extremely high hold time. Then after that, suddenly they started getting several two and three minute calls and they would come one right after another. Leslie stated, “I had worked one day and all my calls were at least 25 minutes. A couple days later, I logged in and all the calls were super short, and I was not doing anything any differently. I used all the tricks in the book to keep callers on the line. I would have made more money that week if I had not logged in again after the first day.”
The thing is, the company gets paid the same rate per minute no matter how long the call lasts. There also is no way to prove one way or the other if they manipulate the situation and possibly hire people to call in and hang up after two minutes in order to lower their costs. When I asked about that, Leslie said, “I'm pretty darn sure that does happen all the time.” It would be a lot more fair to simply pay an hourly rate with bonuses for longer calls. The women agreed they would likely be willing to work more if they could be assured they would receive decent pay for it. Gloria stated, “I cleared over $1,000 a week several years ago doing the same job part time. I was shocked to see how little I earned when I returned to it after my husband and I began struggling to make ends meet. We had so many unexpected expenses and we want the kids to be able to participate in whatever they want to do. It's tough to tell a child they can't join a team because we couldn't afford the equipment.” The reasons for the decrease in pay include the increased competition from internet web sites and chat rooms, as well as the hold time method of pay.
I asked the women if they would consider starting or joining a union in order to assure better pay. Marcia and Leslie commented it would just be another fee to pay. Gloria mentioned that she preferred that others not know what she did for a living, so she would hesitate to join a union. She paid her taxes filing a 1099, but the company she works for hires operators for customer service positions in sales as well so no one could tell from which part of the company she is in. There is no outside regulation to assure fair pay for workers in this field. The only law affecting it is that they must not accept calls from minors. Leslie commented that most of the operators had good radar detection for youngsters and would not become explicit if they believed the caller was under age. “Every now and then a curious teenager will get their father's credit card and slip through, but most of us are pretty vigilant about it and if we even suspect the caller is under age, we will simply chat with them about sports and the weather.”
I asked what they did to keep callers interested, and they all had a method of their own. Leslie would ask the caller questions about what they did, whether they had any hobbies, what team they hoped would win the world series. Then if the caller started to become explicit, just suddenly ask a question on one of those topics as if it just occurred to her, and she just wanted to know before she got back to what they were talking about. Marcia believed flattery was the best way to get a man to talk. “They all love to talk about themselves and like to feel appreciated.” Gloria said, “I am actually up front about it. I've told them that if I get too explicit too early my company won't be happy with me and they'll cut my pay in half.” Leslie injected, “If I did that, I'd get fired. They specifically tell us not to mention anything about our pay. The way I've gotten a guy to stick around is to tell him I really don't feel comfortable having phone sex with a guy unless I've had a few minutes to chat with him to make sure we're both on the same page. Sometimes I'll joke and say something like, 'who knows? You could be a republican ' Just mentioning the words 'phone sex' keeps him on the line for a couple of minutes because I've let him know I know that's what he wants.”
Some companies will offer coaching and materials to help the women keep the conversation going. Marcia said she had been working with her company for several years and found that she did very well most weeks. “Sure, I'd have some off days, but then I'd just log out for an hour or so and try again. You have to keep it interesting, so I'm always reinventing my character and coming up with a new story. One week I'll be a cheerleader in high school, the next I'll be a Mrs. Robinson and try to lure innocent young men into my web. It really keeps my creativity and imagination flowing.”
Finally, I asked the women if they have ever had actual phone sex while working or if it really is all acting. They laughed and Gloria winked at me, acting as spokeswoman for the group, saying, “We'll never tell.”
About the Author
Jean Knowlton is a freelance feature writer in Michigan. Her work has appeared in the Lansing State Journal and the Detroit Free Press.
Did you like this article?(All names have been changed for the sake of confidentiality)
I talked to several women who worked as phone actresses, also called PSOs (phone sex operators). Gloria said she got this job because there were no other jobs to be had in the area where she lived and she liked that she could work from home and tailor her hours to her own schedule. The women disclosed that many of the calls had nothing whatsoever to do with sex but more with a sense of disconnectedness, loneliness or boredom. Most guys are happy to chat about everything else under the sun and enjoy just having someone to flirt with a little bit. A lot of calls were from guys in the military far away from home who just wanted to hear a friendly voice. Leslie stated, “I don't have any moral objections to flirtatious adult conversation and entertainment. Some people do and if they knew what I was doing they would be very surprised. I feel I am actually helping to ease stress and tension and that is a very healthy and positive thing to do. I try to be caring and kind to my callers.”
“Of course, there are some who call in as if they are making an old-fashioned obscene phone call where they blurt out their measurement and give instructions as to its care and handling,” said Marcia. Most of the women just say something to try to stall them. Gloria said she would just quote from an old song (sarcastically) saying, “Words of love so soft and tender don't win a girl's heart anymore.” It pretty much did not matter what she would say to that type of caller, because they were more interested in what they wanted her to hear from them. “I've just learned to observe and not absorb,” Leslie commented. “Sometimes I'll get someone who is a lot of fun to talk with and I just spend the whole time laughing. It's like meeting an old friend.”
I asked if they had learned any new techniques they could use with their husband or boyfriend, and Marcia said, “I did, but not really from the callers. I did some research before I began working so I would know what to expect. I read Nancy Friday's books about men's fantasies, Herotica, by Susie Bright and Joani Blank and some other books by Lonnie Barbach about sexuality. I learned a lot from that, and I am able to pass on some of the techniques.” I asked her to explain, and she said she liked to use special aroma therapy for her husband including scents spiked with pheromones, and really set the scene with candles and wine “and the kids staying at their grandma's for the weekend.” Gloria commented, “The conversation doesn't go to technique that often. More often it is just a guy wanting to picture the usual, oral sex and a few different positions, nothing acrobatic.”
The thing about this business I found to be rather disturbing, from a working woman's point of view, is that most of these companies pay according to what they call “hold” time, meaning how long the caller stays on the line. Then the operator's pay is determined by talk time minute at a higher rate if they end the week with the higher average. For example, they would get ten cents a minute for a low hold time average and thirty cents a minute for a high average (usually 7 to 10 minutes or more). “I find some weeks I get $6 an hour and others I've made as much as $24 an hour,” one exclaimed. Several of the women commented that the first week or so they worked, they had an extremely high hold time. Then after that, suddenly they started getting several two and three minute calls and they would come one right after another. Leslie stated, “I had worked one day and all my calls were at least 25 minutes. A couple days later, I logged in and all the calls were super short, and I was not doing anything any differently. I used all the tricks in the book to keep callers on the line. I would have made more money that week if I had not logged in again after the first day.”
The thing is, the company gets paid the same rate per minute no matter how long the call lasts. There also is no way to prove one way or the other if they manipulate the situation and possibly hire people to call in and hang up after two minutes in order to lower their costs. When I asked about that, Leslie said, “I'm pretty darn sure that does happen all the time.” It would be a lot more fair to simply pay an hourly rate with bonuses for longer calls. The women agreed they would likely be willing to work more if they could be assured they would receive decent pay for it. Gloria stated, “I cleared over $1,000 a week several years ago doing the same job part time. I was shocked to see how little I earned when I returned to it after my husband and I began struggling to make ends meet. We had so many unexpected expenses and we want the kids to be able to participate in whatever they want to do. It's tough to tell a child they can't join a team because we couldn't afford the equipment.” The reasons for the decrease in pay include the increased competition from internet web sites and chat rooms, as well as the hold time method of pay.
I asked the women if they would consider starting or joining a union in order to assure better pay. Marcia and Leslie commented it would just be another fee to pay. Gloria mentioned that she preferred that others not know what she did for a living, so she would hesitate to join a union. She paid her taxes filing a 1099, but the company she works for hires operators for customer service positions in sales as well so no one could tell from which part of the company she is in. There is no outside regulation to assure fair pay for workers in this field. The only law affecting it is that they must not accept calls from minors. Leslie commented that most of the operators had good radar detection for youngsters and would not become explicit if they believed the caller was under age. “Every now and then a curious teenager will get their father's credit card and slip through, but most of us are pretty vigilant about it and if we even suspect the caller is under age, we will simply chat with them about sports and the weather.”
I asked what they did to keep callers interested, and they all had a method of their own. Leslie would ask the caller questions about what they did, whether they had any hobbies, what team they hoped would win the world series. Then if the caller started to become explicit, just suddenly ask a question on one of those topics as if it just occurred to her, and she just wanted to know before she got back to what they were talking about. Marcia believed flattery was the best way to get a man to talk. “They all love to talk about themselves and like to feel appreciated.” Gloria said, “I am actually up front about it. I've told them that if I get too explicit too early my company won't be happy with me and they'll cut my pay in half.” Leslie injected, “If I did that, I'd get fired. They specifically tell us not to mention anything about our pay. The way I've gotten a guy to stick around is to tell him I really don't feel comfortable having phone sex with a guy unless I've had a few minutes to chat with him to make sure we're both on the same page. Sometimes I'll joke and say something like, 'who knows? You could be a republican ' Just mentioning the words 'phone sex' keeps him on the line for a couple of minutes because I've let him know I know that's what he wants.”
Some companies will offer coaching and materials to help the women keep the conversation going. Marcia said she had been working with her company for several years and found that she did very well most weeks. “Sure, I'd have some off days, but then I'd just log out for an hour or so and try again. You have to keep it interesting, so I'm always reinventing my character and coming up with a new story. One week I'll be a cheerleader in high school, the next I'll be a Mrs. Robinson and try to lure innocent young men into my web. It really keeps my creativity and imagination flowing.”
Finally, I asked the women if they have ever had actual phone sex while working or if it really is all acting. They laughed and Gloria winked at me, acting as spokeswoman for the group, saying, “We'll never tell.”
About the Author
Jean Knowlton is a freelance feature writer in Michigan. Her work has appeared in the Lansing State Journal and the Detroit Free Press.
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