…Moreover, the permitting of a more extended contract until the right person is met allows for a more fruitful partnership. Many messages applaud Michele’s excellent advice and communication skills, describing her as “caring” and “professional” because she gives her opinions genuinely and shows commitment. Clients appreciate the service’s reasonable contract terms and its impressive preconditioning standards which clarify its focus on consumers. Bon Jour’s clients are also drawn by the promptness with which feedback is given to requests or any new individuals offered. The business model of Bon Jour Matchmaking is genuinely customer-centered and trust in its potential to achieve its purpose. For clients who are interested in the service, many reviews say Bon Jour Matchmaking should be the first place they consider.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DATING SERVICES AND MATCHMAKERS
Most people do not know or understand the difference between the two. BIG difference!
DATING SERVICES: Sell you a package of dates (ala dating service). Or they promise a certain number of dates during your contract, which is usually a limited timed contract.
MATCHMAKERS: Really should offer an open-ended contract as you never know when the right person will present themselves in the service. They ONLY match you with the most appropriate people who fit your criteria and you fit theirs. They SHOULD share profiles AND pictures of your prospects with you. Their goal is not to inundate you with matches, but to zero in on the best prospects to help assure success on both sides.
BIGGEST ASPECT OF BON JOUR IS THE COACHING!
My coaching is based on a few factors. One is my own extensive dating experience and what I’ve learned from that. Another is my clients’ dating experiences which further educates me and finally the direct feedback I receive from your match(es).
Some people have a perception of themselves a certain way and that’s how they present themselves to me. In some cases I find their perceptions are incorrect.
There are few if any venues where you can receive direct feedback from a person you are dating…this is one. I even cut and paste the feedback and share it to you, so you know exactly what that person is thinking and don’t have to take my word for it!
YOU CAN COUNT ON BON JOUR MATCHMAKING
You can count on Bon Jour Matchmaking NOT to sell my clients out!
Several times a year I receive either calls or emails from domestic “matchmakers” who took peoples’ money knowing they have no clients to introduce them to. Consequently, they contact matchmakers in those states asking them to “pimp out” their clients to fulfill that matchmaker’s contract!
But the most interesting contact I had recently was a man named “John”, just John, from an area code I’m not familiar with, saying his friend who is in Japan is a “matchmaker” and has Japanese women who want to meet American men. Would I set my male clients up with her women? She doesn’t speak English so how are we supposed to communicate “John”? Well, she’ll find someone to talk for her.
If you don’t have matches for the singles you sign, DON’T TAKE THEIR MONEY…it’s as simple as that! Don’t call me and ask me to pimp out my clients, never having met her, her clients, and she doesn’t know anything about me or my clients. So clearly these two don’t care about safety or quality merely about the bottom line.
If you consider a service other than Bon Jour, please be sure they have clients to set you up with who THEY have interviewed and done a background check on. That they are not contacting other services to find matches they’ve never met.
When singles call me in an age range that I don’t have enough clients to make the investment worthwhile, I suggest they call again in a few months to see whether there are new clients in that age range at that point in time. I DON’T TAKE THEIR MONEY until we both feel there are viable matches for them.
HERE WE GO AGAIN…
New “Matchmakers” Who Solicit From Established Services
Frequently I receive either phone calls or emails from new “matchmakers” either in other states who took money from people without having any clients in Colorado to set them up with or locally…consequently they contact local, established matchmakers looking for us to pimp out our clients to fulfill their contracts! I know nothing about their clients and they know nothing about mine. But they took people’s money regardless and I have to wonder if clients understand what is going on. During our FREE PHONE CONSULTATION if I see that I don’t have enough clients who fit your criteria at that particular time, I will suggest that you call back at a later date to see if I have them then. I don’t just take people to make money…it’s called ETHICS!
Last week I had a new local “matchmaker” call me to “collaborate” because they have no one to set their clients up with but took their money anyway. I have to meet, evaluate, interview and background check anyone who I set my clients up with. I have to have pictures and a full profile! THAT is what my clients are paying for!
That is not what these people are asking from me. They have already charged that person a large fee (even though they have no clients) and want to give me a small pittance to use my clientele. I don’t know these people (the matchmaker or her clients) and I won’t expose my clients to people I know nothing about firsthand!
NOW I TOTALLY GET WHAT CLIENTS REFER TO AS A WASTE OF TIME DATING APPS
I have so many singles call me who have tried many dating apps and express frustration and more. Years ago, I tried the online dating sites myself and found they left something to be desired.
So, I thought I would go on an app now and see exactly what these singles are talking about. OMG!!!
Within seconds of being on there, even though I specified the age range I was interested in, several guys in their 20s contacted me. I also specified location and most of the men who contacted me lived in other countries! WOW, what a waste of time, energy and money (I did the free version). I didn’t even keep the profile on for 24 hours because I was constantly receiving emails of interest from totally inappropriate people, assuming they were legitimate profiles and not fake.
So, now I really get the total frustration, anger and disappointment singles have shared when calling for Bon Jour Matchmaking!
BEWARE…WHEN SEARCHING FOR A MATCHMAKING SERVICE
With 36+ years of experience in the matchmaking profession, I can tell you what types of matchmaking services should be avoided right off the bat.
Services that do not post their fees: There are a few reasons why a service does not post their fees on their website. High priced services; high pressure services that require you to come in to discuss becoming a client; AND waiting to find out what you are worth so that they will increase the fee for you if they perceive you have “money”.
Services with multiple “matchmakers”: If there are several people “matchmaking” they have not met every client in the service. If they don’t know every client, how can they matchmake? They are generally sales people who call matchmakers, who only know the people they themselves have sold.
Fancy Shmancy Websites: Guess who’s paying for that? Many of those are fluff with no real substance, they just look expensive (which they are), but that’s all. All overhead contributes to your fee!
Services with multi plan structures: The least expensive, which are still pricey, offer very little control on the part of the client. Paying more may give you more options, but price has nothing to do with a client’s success.
Services that won’t quote their fees on the phone: These services know they are unreasonably expensive and know that if they quote the fee by phone, the potential client may not pursue. Clearly, they know they are extravagant so they are embarrassed to tell you, especially if you’ve spoken with more reasonable services.
Those are the top red flags to help you assess right off the bat whether the service is worth your time. Remember, I have 36+ years of experience in this business and field and know what I’m talking about. I receive feedback from callers and clients of Bon Jour Matchmaking about other services they’ve called and/or used.
SOMETIMES EVEN AN ETHICAL MATCHMAKER CAN’T WIN
As I’ve explained in several previous posts, I turn many people down if I don’t feel they fit what my clients have set forth for their criteria and preferences. Also, if I find them combative in the FREE phone consultation. My feeling is, if you don’t like my structure, or whatever, don’t call and argue with me, call another service! If I feel that working with you may be more trouble than it’s worth, I will decline.
That’s what happened recently. Michael Piccirillo called me and initially seemed to fit my clients’ preferences. This is exactly why I conduct an extensive telephone consultation…with further discussion it became clear, not only that my clients would not be interested based on the fact that I interview EVERY client, but that he had issues with a couple of questions on the profile that he wanted me to delete. After 36 years of tweaking the profile, removing questions, adding pertinent questions, it is what it is.
So, I sent him an email saying exactly that I didn’t feel that we would make a good partnership and I wish you the best of luck. Soooo, I told him the truth, I didn’t take his money or interview him, and he has had a total meltdown! Has been posting vile 1-star reviews all over the internet. So vile that even Yelp (who never removes a review) not only removed his reviews, but he can no longer post about Bon Jour.
All because I declined to work with him and take his money! This has been going on for 2 weeks. He blew up my phone and email to the point that I had to block him! I made the right call on that one! He’s a nightmare…he won’t quit, I guess it’s his ego, because I did nothing except decline to work together.
Had I accepted him, he would have been impossible to please, would have threatened me, would have written 1- start reviews anyway.
Bottom line…sometimes I can’t win! Even with the highest ethics, I’m being harassed! There have been a few other people who I declined to work with over the years who wrote 1-star reviews because I didn’t work with them. But NONE have gone to these lengths…
BON JOUR MATCHMAKING STILL GOING STRONG
While other local Denver matchmaking and dating services are going under in this economy due to their excessive fees, limited contracts and high overhead, Bon Jour Matchmaking Service in my 36th year of creating lifelong marriages is still going strong!
Regardless of how the economy is all over the place and there are higher fees and bills, I am determined to continue facilitating couples as I’ve done since 1989!
With a reasonable fee, open-ended contract, abundant information on clients including photos and lack of overhead Bon Jour can easily outlast less favorable Denver dating and matchmaking companies.
Clients understand this is not a race. In many cases couples click in short order of joining the service. In other cases it has taken time. But because of the open-ended contract and one-time investment fee, clients have all the time in the world to be patient until the “right” person presents themselves!
LEARN TO BE APPRECIATIVE
In the past 6 months I’ve had many people call for Bon Jour Matchmaking. In many of the cases I had to either turn people down because they did not fit what my clientele is searching for, or because I didn’t feel that I could meet their criteria. In some cases I asked them to call back in a month or two when I might have more clients in the age range they desired.
That equaled THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS that I walked away from because I’M ETHICAL! Believe me, no other Denver matchmaking or dating service would turn down your money regardless of whether they could help you or not!
Many people cop a nasty attitude instead of being appreciative that I didn’t scam them out of their money! WTF????? This is the society we’re living in now…
Rarely do people thank me for being honest. Well, wake up! It’s time to show appreciation for being treated ethically and honestly. Again, this is my only income and every time I feel I need to turn someone down, I make no fee, regardless of how long I consult on the phone with them. How about “thank you for your honesty”?
Bon Jour Matchmaking Service 