SINGLE – The Matchmake Experience – Step One

As the 30 Dates blog grows in popularity I’ve been approached by more and more websites to trial their products, and review their events.  It’s a cool position to be in.  Whilst I might not be a Relationship Expert, I am quickly becoming rather knowledgable about how to make the most of being Single!  And the more sites I trial, the more of an objective position I can take comparing what works to what doesn’t.

Until now, my only experience of Matchmaking was watching the trashy American TV show ‘Millionaire Matchmaker’  – a series revolving around money-driven women, matching up with looks-driven millionaires.  All with a few dating morals thrown in for good measure!

So I was really interested to be asked by new dating company Simplicity3 to test out their matchmaking service.

Simplicity3 gets its name from the brand’s threefold moto – Live, Laugh, Love, and is the brain-child of matchmaker Tracey Hill.  Whilst the company offers an online dating site, Simplicty3’s focus is on the services it can offer its members, ranging from photo selection, to profile creation, and personal matching.

There are three tiers of membership – Basic, Premium and Executive – the latter being the service I would be trialling.  As well as access to the Simplicity3 website, the Executive package includes profile creation and set-up, a meeting with a Dating Consultant, and one to two match referrals per month.

In a world where a number of online dating sites rely on shared, purchased information, and where dating site scams appear more and more frequently, the Simplicity3 brand prides itself on security, applying rigorous identity checks on daters to ensure they are who they say they are.

Keen to find out more about the site, and the Personal Dating Consultancy services it offers, I arranged to meet Tracey this afternoon, and run through the first steps of the matching process – an interview.

In an aim to get to know their clients, Tracey and her fellow consultants would normally meet daters face-to-face, however thanks to our busy schedules, a virtual meeting over Skype seemed the easiest option.  Conducted from the comfort of both our homes.

On first impression, Tracey was younger than I expected.  Having spoken briefly to her over the phone (to reassure her that, despite my serial-dating tendencies, I’m still keen to find an actual match!), I had assumed she was in her late forties, however she was only a few years older than me.  She told me a little about her background, and some of her matchmaking successes to date, and then began asking me some questions about me, and the kind of men I’m attracted to.

I was asked the standard ‘dating website’ questions – age, education, religion, relationship status, and whether I have any children.  I was asked about the importance of a partner’s salary, my previous relationships and how I would describe myself.  When we moved to talking about my ideal man, Tracey’s focus was more on personality traits than looks.  We discussed a target age range, and I talked candidly about the things I believe I need from a partner, and the things I’ve realised I’m happy to compromise on.

The interview was quicker than I expected.  Tracey explained that a key part of her job is profiling clients – not everyone is aware of what their ideal match should be like.  So it’s not simply a matter of having a client create lists of ideals.

As I explained certain characteristics, Tracey’s face lit up with recognition, and she began suggesting another client.  Keen to properly experience matchmaking, I agreed to share my details with this potential ‘match’.  For clients less willing to give out their personal details (something I couldn’t really object to, having given 30 complete strangers my phone number this summer!) the company offers various ways of communicating with matches.

Our ‘interview’ lasted around an hour, and I hung up the call excited by Tracey’s enthusiasm for the potential matches she was considering for me.

Step One complete … Now to ‘Meet my Match’ and find out how accurate the matchmaker’s profiling skills really are … 🙂

Miss Twenty-Nine xxx