Professional MatchMaking Services Checklist

So you are single and fed up with the hit and miss of online dating sites. You’re not a “bar person”, you’re too busy to play games or get dressed up every weekend to find someone and all your friends and family are married or coupled off. You’ve come to the realization that every online dating site you’ve tried in the hopes that it will be different and give you different results; doesn’t. You’ve joined a few clubs, did the occasional blind date, cruised the grocery stores and felt enough fruit that you’re starting to smell like one so now you’re ready to dive into the world of personal matchmaking.

Choosing to go from all of your hopeless and fruitless alternatives to a professional matchmaking service is a bit nerve-wracking for you. You may have already invested quite a lot of time and money into all your other failed attempts at finding the right one. You know that a professional matchmaking service is an “upgrade” and this also means you are aware that it will be a greater investment as well. It’s true that in the case of  dating “online” and “offline”, you generally “get what you pay for”!

So what’s the next step? How do I know what matchmaking service is right for me? What are the questions that I need to ask in order to determine what service is the best service that may have the right type of person for me? Having been in the matchmaking industry for the last 19 yrs, I will give you the information you need in order to make the best choice for your personal situation.

Professional Matchmaking Services Checklist: Questions to Consider

How long have you been in business?

The answer to this question will give you a lot of information about the credibility, financial stability and potential reputation of the company. There are literally hundreds of matchmaking services or “mom and pop” dating services that don’t last for more than a calendar year. A matchmaking and dating company that has been in business for over 10 yrs should give you a great deal of confidence in their staying power and ability to provide service to their clients. Especially in the world of personal matchmaking, a bad reputation  and poor service spreads like wild-fire. This would include companies that demand a lot

How many offices do you have?

The size of a matchmaking company is also a great indicator to the financial strength of the business and the size of its membership base. If the matchmaking service only has one office than you are also limited to the membership pool of singles that join in that location. A matchmaking company with multiple office locations will provide you with an even greater pool of qualified singles that you would never have had an opportunity to meet on your own. There are many clients that I have dealt with that place no limits on finding love in outside cities. They have the means and the interest in dating border free and do not wish to be limited in selection because the company has one location.

What are the guarantees?

There are some matchmaking companies that offer a guarantee on their services. Some even offer a Relationship Goal Guarantee with some of their membership programs which means that they will work with a member until they have achieved their relationship goals. This is a major benefit of using a matchmaking service.

What are your service business hours?

It’s important to know if the business hours of the service meet and match with your working hours. It’s difficult to provide service and communicate effectively if they do not operate during the times you are available. I have had clients in the past who work odd shifts and travel extensively where communication was an issue and challenging.

How do you find your clients? What ways do you advertise your business?

If the only way you heard about the matchmaking service is a tiny ad in the Penny Saver or local newspaper then I would be concerned about the size of their membership and the financial stability of the company. Knowing that companies of this type do not survive due to lack of experience and lack of clients, the advertising a matchmaking company utilizes is a very big indicator of their reach of singles. The first and obvious way to determine the success and size of the company is to do a Google search and see where the company ranks. Do they have a strong presence online? Are they advertising on television, radio or major National newspapers? Some company even advertising using direct mail through the post which is a major expense. This indicates that the membership revenue is being put back into helping find and attract new singles to the company to keep the flow of new singles fresh and diverse.

How do you do the matching and determine compatibility?

It obviously extremely important to understand how matches are being determined and what criteria is being used to determine compatibility. Are they using compatibility tests to also match personalities? How do they match base on physical criteria? How are matches introduced to one another? These are the questions I would want answered to determine my comfort level and ability of the service to match me appropriately.

What is the interview process like?

A personal a professional matchmaking company will typically conduct and interview one on one with a potential client in order to screen and qualify that person. If an interview is being done outside of an office I would be concerned about the service not having a physical location where they operate or having enough clients if there is just one person spending time interviewing and screening, I would see that as a limit to the number of clients that can be interviewed in a day or week which would limit my opportunity to meet a greater number of singles. If an interview is done only by telephone, then I would submit that they are NOT a personal professional matchmaking company. In order to have accuracy and up to date information, a face to face interview is mandatory along with  proof of identification.

What is your website address?

You should always visit the matchmaking company website. The website should provide you with clear and basic information about the company, it’s history, locations, contact information and general overall process description. A personal matchmaking service without a website is one I would NEVER consider.