THE ONLY DENVER MATCHMAKER WHO SHARES CLIENTS’ PHOTOS

For 33 years Bon Jour Matchmaking has always shared pictures of clients along with the 6-page profile to prospective matches. I have always felt that the more information you have to make the decision of your interest level, the better…to a point. Stopping short of getting into sexual, health or financial information.

And consistently, for 33 years, clients get more anxious about their pictures than anything else. My motto at Bon Jour is “this isn’t the internet or apps”. The pictures have to present you as you are at that point in time (and updated when changes occur), be snapshots and be a minimum of 6 pictures. Enough to allow a prospect to see different styles and personality to assist in their decision.

Soooo, even professional models take hundreds of pictures to get just a very few of the best. It’s THAT simple. Take lots of pictures and send me the best ones.

I always share with new matchmaking clients some examples of current clients who have pictures that have good feedback and success so that they know exactly the types of pictures that will benefit them.

For the most part it’s one time endeavor at the beginning of our partnership with updates as things change. It’s NO BIG DEAL…

MAKING A RECORD…JUST IN CASE…TRUST YOUR GUT

In 2021 I hired a guy (maybe a Denver CPA, now I’m not sure) to do my annual taxes. I noticed from the very first call that something was off with him but was trying not to be too judgey and give him a chance. Initially he appeared to be responsive both through emails and phone calls.

His office is in his very small, old, quite unkept apartment off of Colfax. I noticed that the lock on the door was very flimsy, your typical apartment lock and became more and more concerned about security. He has a huge conference table in the livingroom which takes up most of the room. Everyone’s personal papers were sitting out all over the room. The whole scene made me uncomfortable but again I was trying not to be too judgey. I should have trusted my gut feeling about the whole deal. Once when I went there for a meeting he was basically in his undershorts and undershirt. It was summer and pretty hot…also his apartment is very hot in the summer in that crammed space.

Once tax season started he stopped returning emails, calls and texts. He had all of my information months in advance and the banking and investment tax records at least a month in advance of April 18th. I tried to reach him to find out whether he was filing my taxes on time, whether I owed money and whether I was getting a refund. That’s ALL I wanted to know. He would not respond! Finally 3 days before the 18th he called (he wouldn’t put it in writing because then I would have evidence) and said he was filing an extension and when I asked if I owed money he said, “probably not since I paid quarterly tax”. PROBABLY NOT???? 3 days before it’s due you don’t know for sure? You get a penalty charge if you don’t pay at the time of the extension!

There really was nothing I could do at that point. I tried repeatedly to get him to put in writing that he had filed an extension and that I didn’t owe anything and he wouldn’t. Finally he wrote in capitol letters that he filed an extension and called me a psycho! I have no proof either from him or the IRS that an extension was filed. Again, penalty fee for not filing an extension.

Greg Guarnero became extremely abusive. When I finally could get ahold of him, he would say he’s got 400 returns to do and he’s not returning calls or emails and that he’s up from 5am to midnight every day. Well, then he shouldn’t have accepted me as a client! My return is simple and should have been done way in advance, yet I’m quite sure he didn’t even file an extension. He started yelling at me and calling me names. He wrote to me calling me names.

I am writing this as a record in case this guy does something to my home, my confidential information or to me. This is my record as he is extremely unstable and pops off at the drop of a hat. The bottom line…TRUST YOUR GUT!

I RECEIVED THIS A WHILE AGO FROM SOMEONE WHO VISITED MY MATCHMAKING WEBSITE

Somehow I missed this when it was posted…

BM Jun 19, 2018

I used Caliber Match’s services about 4 years ago and it was absolutely the worst experience customer service wise that I have ever had, business or personal. Emily Hellman is the owner and I can say she flat out lied to me to get me to sign a contract, but once under contract I called her out asking when things aren’t going the way she explained in my consultation meeting and she started to ignore me and only give partial answers to my questions. Basically she held me to the terms of the contract even though she didn’t follow the contract herself. My attorney told me on one hand, her lies are the only reason I signed the contract to begin with (I agree, hence why I went to him), but on the other hand, the contract is “proof” in her favor and judges like things in writing. So legal pursuit unfortunately, the risk outweighed the reward in trying to win in court for a refund.

Good to see not just a customer, but another matchmaker turned her away. Since I am 100% comfortable calling her a liar, I will say she is a borderline scam artist, while doing it in a “legal” way (i.e. getting people to sign a contract).

LIAR, LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!

So, first thing this morning, this chiropractor calls me from Santa Fe, NM lamenting that the dating situation there is lousy. Although it was obvious by his message that he hadn’t even gone to my website, I do like to try to help people so they avoid getting scammed and taken advantage of.

I called him back and informed him that my clients are only interested in local (Colorado) matches. He had contacted another service and had some questions, so I shared that I really didn’t know anything about them as no one I’ve spoken to has used that Denver dating service. He said their fee starts at $10,000.

He shared that he’s 47 years old, etc., etc. He only had an interest in meeting women in their thirties because he looks so young and is so athletic, etc., etc. I shared with him about a guy called me a year ago, who was 62 who had never been married or had kids who now wants to have a family. I declined to work with him. He fought tooth and nail for this guy and guys that age, so much so it was odd. I ended the call and did a background check on him.

HE TOTALLY LIED!!! HE’S 62!!!! He had stated early in the conversation that the dating apps don’t work. I guess if you go on there lying about your age to that degree NO, NOTHING IS GOING TO WORK!

Don’t lie to me…I’ll catch you and it won’t be pretty!

OMG, NOW THE OUT OF STATE “MATCHMAKERS” ARE CALLING INDIVIDUALS

I have a new client who called me the other day and wanted to know why a “matchmaking service” from Arizona was calling to set her up with one of their clients who lives in Denver.

She said she didn’t know the service, hadn’t spoken with them prior and wondered how they found her. Beats me! She did contact 2 out of state national services and share her contact info, so it may be through them.

She was totally turned off. They know nothing about her, never met her, probably never met their “client” in Denver either yet they proclaim they would make a good match. Well, somebody (the guy probably) paid this service a lot of money and they lied to him about having clients in Denver. Read prior post.

So now, they’re not just calling matchmakers to pimp out their clients, they are calling people directly who just called them for info that they know nothing about! So, my new client is VERY happy to have chosen Bon Jour Matchmaking Service in the city of Denver where she resides!

MATCHMAKING, COACHING, LISTENING AND LEARNING AT THIS DENVER MATCHMAKING SERVICE

Hiring a matchmaking service is a lot like hiring a financial adviser to direct you in the stock market.  You invest your money hoping for a large return; you have patience because the market can go up and down and you are basically making an educated decision about this form of investment.  Likewise in a matchmaking service your investment is in the hopes that you will meet people who you’ve been searching for up to this point; you are directed by the matchmaker which candidates (like stocks) will give you the best return; it can take time to meet the most appropriate matches and they may be successful or not.  It’s an investment in the process.  Again, patience is key.  With my open-ended contract you have the best opportunity to meet the “right” person when they present themselves.

Bon Jour Matchmaking Service not only matches you with an abundance of information and photos of each client but also includes coaching.   The important and valuable thing about the dating coaching aspect is that I am objective and receiving feedback on both sides of the match.  That way I can follow if you have a trend of doing something that undermines potential relationships and am able to share that with you and hopefully correct it.  That has come up a lot recently with many of my clients.

Although they are very well educated, accomplished and outstanding individuals they tend to make the same mistakes with each match as I learn from the feedback.  Consequently we have to address this so that they will be more successful in the future.  I can set you up with terrific people, but if you keep undermining the process you will get the same results…I can lead a horse to water but I can’t make it drink out of a glass.

The first suggestion I would make to anyone considering working with a Denver matchmaker is that rather than say, this is the type of person I usually date or this is my type and this isn’t you keep an open mind.  If this is the “type” you usually date it isn’t working and perhaps you should consider being more open minded rather than repeating a “type” that hasn’t been working out.  In my 40 year dating “career”, although there were certain looks I was most attracted to I also made room for other things about a person that I found attractive.  We all know couples who, on paper, don’t seem to match up very much or look odd together, but low and behold they have long and happy marriages because the very most important attributes such as values, morals, some level of attraction and goals are a match.

If what you’ve been doing in selecting the people you date and/or behaving the same way on dates has not been working (and I presume that’s why you are on here reading this), doesn’t it make sense to try another approach?  That’s not to say that you can’t and won’t meet people you find attractive in all ways (that’s your decision to make after reading their profile and viewing their photos as well as my input), I’m just saying rather than being more narrow when you hire a matchmaker, be more open.

BEWARE OF MATCH 101

As usual I received a call this morning from a “matchmaker” in Chicago with Match 101. First of all, there is barely any info on that service in Google searches. I saw one listing and it claimed to be in Denver.

So, what they apparently do is sign people up and clearly lie to them about having clients in their area. Then they call local matchmakers who they’ve never met, never interviewed their clients and want the local matchmaker to pimp out their clientele to fulfill the contract for the money they took.

I get these several times a year from out-of-state services who take people’s money when they have NO clients for them and then expect other matchmakers to pimp out their clientele! I have also received calls and emails from clients who have used those services who were VERY angry!

Bottom line…ONLY JOIN SERVICES THAT ARE BASED IN THE CITY WHERE YOU LIVE, as this happens constantly! The woman’s name is Lisa from Match 101 in Chicago, IL. No info on Google about this particular service.

SINGLES, YOU MUST BE BETTER CONSUMERS WITH DENVER MATCHMAKING SERVICES

I am hearing from Denver singles on a regular basis how disappointed they are in the local matchmaking services they’ve chosen.  It is always the same reasons…too expensive, no information or photos of prospective matches, matches who are not even close to the criteria set forth initially/ongoing and a lack of interaction with the owner/matchmaker once they are a client.  Don’t work with “matchmakers” who really have no experience in this field and have been educated and working in some other vocation but thought matchmaking would be fun.  It’s too serious to you and too much money to “play” matchmaker.

If you are the type of person who wants to see a questionnaire and pictures of prospects why are you letting someone talk you into eliminating that to do it their way.  Especially, in certain instances, when the owner/matchmakers haven’t been doing this business for very long.

Also, don’t join a service that doesn’t fit for you because you liked the owner.  That is ridiculous!  You should be taking a good look at the structure, what information and services you are paying this fee for and how long the person has been matchmaking.  Obviously the longer someone has been matchmaking (and I don’t mean for other companies who did it differently) makes a HUGE difference in your success and experience in their service.  I’m not saying to ignore your interaction with the owner, however after 33 years in Denver matchmaking I can tell you that even with a client that was not the best partnership for me, that had nothing to do with my interest or success in reaching their romantic goal.  It is one component but should NEVER be the entire reason to ignore all of the other features.

Rather than make a large investment in services that don’t fit for you, shop through a Google or Bing search Denver matchmakers, Denver matchmaking, matchmaking in Denver and call them, then compare.  If you are willing to spend thousands of dollars then you should be willing to do your homework prior to spending it.

I recently had a new client say she called another service and did a zoom call with a guy who proceeded to hit on her. She went out with him once and he wouldn’t stop calling and texting her. She was totally turned off (The Social: Modern Matchmaking).

Last, but not least, services that have limited contracts and/or limited matches (where you purchase a specific package of dates) are a waste of your emotion, time and financial resources.  They have their own agenda and it is all about the money, not you.   As I’ve said several times on this site, a service that won’t quote you their rate on the phone and interviews you in coffee shops or hotels (anywhere outside of a private office) should be avoided!  If you follow this advice it will save you a lot of frustration and money.

WHY CLIENTS SAY THEY CHOSE BON JOUR MATCHMAKING SERVICE

Bon Jour is the only service that connects people who really want a relationship. Sloan D.

I had confidence in the level of detail on the website. Michele Fields is no nonsense and direct and she has a serious and sincere clientele. Matt E.

Open ended contract, fair investment, lots of information. Justin B.

After speaking with Michele I felt confident that she was skilled at her profession. Dr. D

She seemed more sincere. Not a money mill! Brad K.

The personal attention. With It’s Just Lunch I felt as if they didn’t even look at my profile. Daren, Esq.

The reviews and Michele’s interaction with the clients. Patrick A.

I think Michele works hard to find someone who is a good fit. Dave A.

I was impressed with the length of time that Michele has spent in business in the Denver area-it’s clear that this is her calling. I also thought that the open-ended contract was unique and shows that she’s really committed to finding the right match for people, not just limiting your matches to who is immediately available. Taylor H.

I was impressed by Michele’s personalized and localized approach. I appreciate that she meets with each and every one of her clients. Kate D., Phd

I want to find someone to share my life with and appreciate the hands on, personal approach. Julie C.

Because it feels very personalized and isn’t a sales pitch to take your money. Nicole B.

WHY CHOOSE BON JOUR MATCHMAKING SERVICE?

People constantly ask me whether matchmaking is lucrative and how much money I make. They seem to want to judge this vocation by monetary success rather than what the basis of my chosen vocation is which is how many people working with me have reached their life goal of finding a mate. The reason I don’t charge the types of fees other “matchmakers” charge is because that is not what it is about for me. The success of my clients is the yard stick with which I measure my success! NOT everything is about money…this is not my “job”, it is my calling which has little to do with the superficiality of wealth accumulation. But rather the satisfaction of achieving an elusive life dream for my fellow human beings.

NOTE:  If your mentality is that it’s a numbers game and you wish to meet someone every week…this is NOT the service for you.  This is a MATCHMAKING service NOT a dating service.  It is VERY specific in introducing you ONLY to people who fit your criteria and preferences, and of course, you fit theirs.  THAT is why it is so successful!

Starting with some demographics and statistics Denver is comprised of 50.4% men and 49.6% women.  Surprised?  Of that population (according to the Denver Demographics and Statistics Bureau) 25.3% have never married, 13.2% are divorced and 9.3% are widowed.  So 47.8% of the Front Range population is comprised of singles in those three categories.

It is no wonder why dating services and matchmakers have popped up here like cockroaches licking their chops for a slice of the proverbial pie.  Bon Jour Matchmaking Service was created in 1989.  What I did was, as a single myself, looked at another service at the time and structured Bon Jour to be the total opposite.  Meaning…eliminate as much overhead as possible, be the sole Matchmaker who has interviewed every client, have current photos with extensive profiles, offer an open-ended contract and charge a reasonable fee.  That is how Bon Jour has stayed for the past 30+ years.  There have been tweaks to the questionnaire/profile, specials, the way I share client photos and fee structure. But other than those updates there is always one Matchmaker who interviews and knows all of the clients, low overhead, straight Matchmaking through collaboration between Client and Matchmaker.  There have been more than 300 marriages and one new engagement to either the first or second person those clients met.  Those 300+ marriages equate to 600+ Front Range singles who have found their mate!

There has always been and will always be an open-ended contract for every client keeping in mind that timing and fate play a major role in this endeavor.  Fees are geared towards your particular situation taking into consideration your location, age and the age range you wish to date.  A one-time filing fee that is good for the duration of the time you are in the service.  Coaching during the interview and before and after introductions based on mutual feedback as well as hours that fit anyone’s schedule.  Bon Jour is open 7 days a week from 9am to 7pm and all holidays.  Your calls are always returned within 2-5 hours (unless there is an emergency situation and I am unable).  One of the points that seems to turn up in reviews of other Denver matchmaking services is that the owner and/or matchmakers working with clients don’t return their calls or respond to their e-mails.  There is a major frustration with that in other local services.  Also that they do not pay attention to the clients’ criteria making the huge investment in those services for nothing.

So for all of the above reasons Bon Jour Matchmaking Service IS the wisest choice in the Front Range for matchmaking.  And BTW I have a percentage of clients who are not necessarily interested in marriage.  They want a lifelong companion whether it be with or without marriage so you needn’t feel that you must want marriage to consider a Matchmaker.