bespoke dating

Choosing a Matchmaking Agency

I really encourage people to do their research when choosing a matchmaking agency, as I am so confident in what we are able to offer our clients that I actually tell them to check out the competition.

These are just some of the questions I suggest you ask when choosing a matchmaking agency:

What areas do they cover and have they sufficient clients in those areas? 

I have taken calls from people who tell me they paid well in excess of a thousand pounds to a matchmaking agency professing to be in their area only to find that their dates were in Birmingham, Scotland and even Northern Ireland.

We cover Sussex, Surrey, West Kent and parts of Hampshire.  We always check with you what distance you’re willing to travel when meeting someone.  If you live in Sussex then your matches will be based in Sussex or surrounding areas.  I introduced a couple who lived over an hour away from one another.  It’s not something I usually do however, I just knew they had to meet despite the distance and so made the introduction.  I am pleased to say they have now moved in together.

What guarantees do they offer? 

Now, no agency can ever guarantee you will sail off into the sunset with the love of your life and live happily ever after.  What they should be able to do is provide the means for you to meet eligible single people who may become a life partner.  So ask the agency you are considering taking out a membership with, what they guarantee for the money you pay.

We guarantee to match our members with eligible singles who have the qualities and values they tell us they are seeking.

Ask how many matches are you likely to get? 

The answer is likely to vary from four in one year, yes once a quarter just like a utility bill and in some cases no guaranteed amount whatsoever.  There may well be a limit on those matches offered to you so once you receive your quota that’s it, so it’s pay up or no more matches.

Now, we offer a minimum amount of matches over your membership period and there is no upper limit, after all our objective is to find you a life partner so why would we limit you and stop you from meeting someone who could be just right for you.  We regularly over deliver matches to our clients and in some cases we’ve managed to get it spot on with the first match we select.  We have a 65% match success rate, so for every ten couples we introduce on a weekly basis more than half continue dating long term.

You should not get too hung up on numbers though as you must remember that matchmaking is a bespoke service where your match is hand selected based on shared qualities, values, where you are in your lives as well as other criteria. We don’t allow double dating, meeting several dates a week.  It is not a numbers game where you meet a string of low quality dates. We’re more about quality.   After matching hundreds of clients to date experience has shown that most people can fit in about two dates a month as everyone, even single people, lead very busy lives and schedules can be hectic especially in summer time and at Christmas.  Compared to some other agencies where you receive one a month or one a quarter, that’s a pretty good service.

Ask them to explain their pricing structure and whether there are hidden charges?

They are also likely to have some convoluted pricing structure whereby if you take the lowest membership, which could still be thousands of pounds, you’re still likely to be so low down the pecking order you won’t meet any new members that join up.  As I mentioned above some matchmaking agencies will limit the number of matches you receive and charge you for more once you have had your quota.

Our pricing structure is simple, four months or six months with a minimum number of matches guaranteed and no limit on the number you actually receive.

Are their matchmakers trained and are they a member of any professional body?      

The matchmaking industry is unregulated and so there are a number of bodies and professional networks that we choose to subscribe to and adhere to their guidelines.  For a start we took the decision to become trained and certified through the Matchmaker Academy which is run by dating expert and Best Matchmaker Award winner both here in the UK and internationally, Caroline Brealey.  Through the Matchmaker Academy we subscribe to a Code of Ethics..

We are also members of the Dating Industry Professional Network whose members, like us, provide some of the highest quality services in the dating industry.

Our reputation and ethics are paramount to us hence we choose the above associations for their professionalism, innovative approach and highly regarded longevity as dating industry leaders.

I hope this helps you when choosing a matchmaking agency.