10 Tips to Help You Use Professional Dating Services

For people on a budget, there are free dating sites like plentyoffish and okCupid. For those interested in paying a bit more, there are paid sites like Lavalife and Match.com. And for those who are short on time and willing to pay for the privilege of saving some of that time, there are professional dating services. Designed to be one-stop-shops for people looking for a relationship, professional dating services take care of every aspect of setting up date. They find out what you're looking for in a mate, search for that kind of person, coordinate your schedules, set up the date... and generally coordinate everything so that all you have to do is show up. It's not for everyone, and it's expensive, but it's also very convenient. Over the next few days I'll go over some advice to help you get the most for your money if you choose to seek out a professional dating service.

Tip #1: Take your time and choose wisely.

Dating services stand out as an option for meeting people for many reasons. One of them is the simple fact that they can be pricey. For that reason, take your time and look at all the agencies out there before choosing one and shelling out your hard-earned cash. A reputable agency should take the time to work with you on a one-to-one basis, so you should think about how you'd like to work and choose a provider accordingly. For example, do you prefer lunch dates during the week, or weekend dinner dates? Also, you should think about the kind of person you're looking for. Agencies have a certain clientele, so make sure that your needs match what they can offer. Spending a lot of time considering these factors upfront will save you a lot of headaches - and money - in the long run.

Tip #2: Set yourself a budget before starting.

Once you've chosen some dating services that you think are a good fit, starting comparing prices. While you shouldn't shy away from a interesting option just because it's a bit more expensive than the others, you definitely want to have a budget in mind. This budget should be a kind of "experimentation" budget. In other words, ask yourself how much you're willing to "lose" in order to experiment with a dating service. While you should never assume the worst, you have to assume that you're going to have to spend some money before you find your soulmate. By setting yourself a budget, you'll become more comfortable with spending a bit of cash on a dating service, and you'll also set yourself a point at which you'll stop if it just isn't working for you.

Tip #3: Write down a description of what you're looking for in a soulmate.

The first step of a starting with a dating service is an interview where you'll be asked questions about yourself, and what you're looking for. You want to make the most of the interview, because that's how the dating service will search for singles for you. So it's a good idea to write down what you're looking for before you begin. By taking the time to really think about what your ideal date would be like, and then writing it down, you're going to paint a clearer picture of what you actually want in a soulmate. The better this picture is - and the closer it is to what you NEED in partner, and not what you WANT in one - the better your dates will be.

Tip #4: Get some quality face-time with a prospective service provider.

One of the great things about dating services is that you get something which is getting very rare these days: quality face-to-face time with someone (or at least, phone-to-phone time). This face-to-face time usually takes the form of an "interview," where the dating service gets to know what you're looking for. Make sure to squeeze all you can from this interview. Personalized service is great, so don't let yourself be rushed at any point. Answer all the questions they have for you truthfully, but also, ask them anything you want. Take your time. Get their advice. You never know what you may learn, and the more they know about you, the better your matches will be.

Tip #5: You're the boss, so make sure they do the work for you.

A dating service is just that: a service. You're paying someone to look for potential matches for you - so make sure they look hard. Don't be afraid to ask questions, to be critical of matches they've made, to give them constructive feedback, and to do anything else that you feel will help them find great dates for you... and that will make your life a little easier. Remember, a dating service can be a great time saver if you put the onus on them to work hard for you. And they're not just there to listen: so don't forget to ask questions. Pick their brains and squeeze them for everything they've got... it's one of the nice perks of hiring a dating service.

Tip #6: Be upfront about the fact that you're using a dating service.

Don't be shy about the fact that you're using a dating service, either with the people you meet on that service, or with your friends or family. Instead, be proud of the fact that you're taking matters into your own hands, and taking a very proactive approach to meeting people. By taking this position, you'll come across as being confident, instead of being insecure. This will help you on the dates you get through your service: by being upfront and confident about the fact that you're using a dating service, you'll put your date (who may be insecure about it) at ease, and instantly break the ice. Have fun with it. Laugh about it. It'll make your date that much more pleasant.

Tip #7: Make sure your behavior on a date is in line with your dating service.

Make sure your behavior on a date is in line with your dating service. What does that mean? Quite simply this: if you decide to go with a dating service designed for young business professionals, don't show to up to a date you got with your service dressed in ripped jeans and an old t-shirt. Remember that by definition, a dating service is matching you up with other members of that service, which means that you're joining a group of like-minded individuals. This is one of the big advantages of going with a service, because you have a pretty good idea of what kind of people you're going to be matched with. So make sure that you fit in to that group.

Tip #8: provide feedback to your service provider after a date.

Don't be afraid to provide your dating service with feedback. Their job is to match you with suitable people, and while they should be good at that (it is, after all, their livelihood), one thing they can't do is read minds. That means that if you go on a date, and the person you were matched up with just wasn't your type, you have to tell your dating service. Tell them exactly why the fit wasn't good: give as many examples as you can. The better your service knows your tastes, the better they'll be at getting you on dates with potential soulmates.

Tip #9: Don't be afraid to ask for a credit or refund.

It'll take some time, and a lot of constructive criticism in order for your dating service to get to know what you're looking for. So expect a couple dates that just won't work out, because the person just isn't right for you. That's perfectly normal. But if you go on several dates, and they're all with people who just aren't right for you, and you've given what you feel is a fair a mount of feedback, then don't be afraid to ask for something back. It's fair to ask for a credit, or even a refund. If the service is a professional one, they should give it to you, because the last thing they want is a disgruntled customer.

Tip #10: if it didn't work for you, try another one.

If your dating service helped you find your soulmate, then give them a big thank you. But if they weren't able to find you someone, then evaluate your experience before giving up on the idea of a dating service. If you you were happy with the process, then try another one. There are many different kinds of services out there which cater to different demographics. Each has a different group of members, and one of those members could be your soulmate. So try another one, ideally with a different philosophy. For example, if you tried a business-oriented service like It's Just Lunch then try a more generic service to see what it does for you.

Mitch Conway is the author of The Go-Getter's Guide To Finding Your Soulmate, the first dating guide designed to help singles save time and become more proactive at meeting people. To find out more, visit http://www.gogettersguides.com.

Mitch Conway is the author of The Go-Getter's Guide to Finding Your Soulmate, the first installment in the Go-Getter's Guides series. Mr. Conway describes himself as having been an "average single guy" who decided to take a pragmatic and structured approach to finding his soulmate. His techniques and advice were put together over a period of three years into what is now The Go-Getter's Guide to Finding Your Soulmate.

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Kick Start Your Business With a Professional Answering Service

Professional answering services are a great resource for companies that are either starting from scratch or expanding into new territory. Outsourcing to a professional telecommunications and contact support service ensures that your company's customer service is second to none. Contracting with a great answering service satisfies customers and boosts your ratings. Conversely, contracting with a poor choice could be a catalyst initiating disaster.

So how can a company tell that their answering service is the right one for them? There are many traits of an excellent support provider that a company can watch out for. An answering service, one that values customer service and treats a client's business matters professionally, is a company that has these following features:

Extensive, up-to-date training. Great contact centers don't let a live operator near a phone without extensive, up-to-date training. Superior vendors know that not only should a live operator get over 40 hours of training, they should also constantly have updates to that training, ensuring that the live operators always provide efficient, professional service. These answering services also update training each time a company contracts with them, making sure each company gets service that suits them.

Tailored services. Each company is different with what they value and what they desire as far as services. The finest answering services are able to find out exactly which services a company needs and deliver, whether they require specific scripts, certain hours of operation, or a particular type of accent or voice. The best providers will keep tweaking the services until the client is 100% satisfied.

More than typical service options. Choice answering services will not only have the customary call answering and forwarding services, but will also have seen the need for more varied and niche services. Premium answering services will offer services like order-taking, voice-mail and message alerts, and faxing services.

Choosing a professional service helps companies forge a path to success, allowing customers to see them in a pleasant light. Professional answering services rise above the industry standard to ensure that companies get a consistent level of satisfaction and excellence.

Robert Porter is the President and CEO of 1-800 We Answer Answering Service, a full service telecommunications company providing a complete range of answering service, call center, voice mail, fax, mail receiving, ordertaking, telemarketing and phone system services to businesses and individuals.

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I Am a Service Professional

The term "service professional" is universal. It is just as applicable to the hotel industry as it is to the healthcare industry and to the taxi industry. Businesses are set up to satisfy a want or a need for current and prospective customers, which means that all organizations are in the service business...whether they care to admit it or not. It is quite easy for me to tell if a company is truly service oriented. I simply listen and observe how the employees interact with each other. Companies often pull out their mission statements, vision statements, and policies to prove that they are, in fact, service-centric. Those things are important to integrate service into the daily culture, but the true evidence of a service culture comes from what your employees do everyday. Are they acknowledging all customers all the time? Are they annoyed when customers ask them questions? Do they smile and look for opportunities to anticipate customers' needs?

This article is about service professionals. If you already consider yourself a service professional, then the rest of this article will reinforce what you already do. If you're not sure if you are a service professional, then use this as a self-assessment. Lastly, if you would like to become a service-professional, then read on. Being a service-professional is not about what you do, it is about who you are. The specific job is almost irrelevant because true service professionals will find ways to serve their customers under any circumstance.

Service professionals...

o Are proud of what they have to offer and it shows

o Make each of their customers feel valued and appreciated

o Ensure that every customer they serve will remember them because of exceptional service

o Personalize their service by giving eye contact (when appropriate) and using the customer's preferred name

o Take personal ownership of customer complaints and follow through with the resolution until the customer is completely satisfied

o Take time to research who they will be serving and learn about their preferences

o Always are thinking of ways to not only meet, but exceed their customer's expectations

o Always offer additional assistance

Being a service professional is more about a mindset than it is about the specific job. Years ago, I used to shop for music in one particular store. One of the attendants would always let me know about new music being released in the upcoming weeks. Specifically, one store attendant was a true service professional. He embodied the steps I laid out above. In addition to providing excellent service while I was in the store, he would send an email to me with upcoming releases. This went above and beyond his job requirements and certainly was more than I expected. Did I ask for the emails? No. Did he allow the parameters of his job to prevent him from engaging the customer? No.

I was on the phone with an insurance agent not too long ago. In addition to being thorough and very pleasant, she told me that her goal was too earn my loyalty by providing exemplary service. In case you are wondering, this apparently is not a company standard, because no one else says it when I call. At one point, the phone attendant needed to transfer me to another department to better take care of my specific request. She not only told me she would need to transfer me, but she asked for my permission to be placed on hold, and then waited for an answer. After I replied "yes", she put me on hold, and when she returned less than a minute later, she had the other department on the line, and had already explained to them what I needed. Then, she cordially introduced me to the person whom I would be dealing with. The whole transfer transaction took less than two minutes, and it won my loyalty. Did she allow the parameters of her job prevent her from engaging the customer? No.

A colleague recently told me about a phenomenal service professional she met on a business trip last month. This service professional happened to be a taxi driver, and clearly made a memorable impression. My colleague just finished a meeting and caught a taxi to take her back to the airport. On the way to the airport, she realized that her cell phone needed to charge, and she had forgotten her battery charger at home. For any business traveler, this is a major issue, and when the driver noticed her frustration, he inquired if he may be of assistance. When she asked him to stop at the nearest electronics store so she can purchase a charger, he happily pulled out a neat box that contained a universal battery charger that could be plugged into the car's cigarette adapter. The driver said that his personal mission was to ensure that every customer received a stress-free drive so he proactively thinks of what his customers may want...even if they don't know it yet. That was a perfect example of the Double-Platinum Rule. Did the driver let the typical expectations of a taxi ride prevent him from engaging the customer? No.

The common theme amongst all three examples is they all contained service professionals. They all understood that their ultimate role was to provide memorable service, and the greatest tool was their passion for serving others.

As a manager, the best thing you can do to develop a team full of service professionals is to be very clear on exactly what you expect. Everyone has a different understanding of what it means to provide engaging service...just like everyone has a different understanding of what "clean" is. Be clear. Observe the current service professionals on your team and take note of how they engage their customers. Share those examples with the rest of the team. Be sure that the standard is set very high, reward excellence when you see it, and address mediocrity promptly. Service professionals cringe when they see their manager tolerate mediocrity from co-workers.

True service professionals are a company's biggest asset, and many customers will become loyal because of them. They will spend more money because of them, and they will refer their family and friends because of them. Commit to becoming a company that a service professional would want to work for in the first place. Let 2008 be the year that you focus on attracting, hiring, orienting, training, appraising, and recognizing a legion of service professionals to deliver engaging service.

Be sure to order your copy of "EngageMe...the Voice of Customer" at http://www.engagemenow.com This short video and attractive poster have been getting rave reviews worldwide. They are being used in settings like customer service training and department meetings.

Find more articles relating to service excellence at http://www.bwenterprise.net Also on the website, you can subscribe to the official B.Williams Enterprise emailing list. You will receive announcements, newsletters and other excellent resources.

About the Author

Bryan K. Williams is the Chief Service Officer of B. Williams Enterprise, LLC. He is a seasoned service expert, who has facilitated workshops and delivered keynotes all over the world for various companies. Bryan speaks on a variety of topics related to service excellence, employee engagement, and organizational improvement. As a consultant he works closely with companies to design, develop, and implement sustainable service strategies.

About B.Williams Enterprise, LLC

B.Williams Enterprise, LLC is a consulting and auditing company which focuses on service excellence. The goal is to assist organizations to enhance their levels of customer service to world-class levels. This can only be achieved by focusing on service excellence as a way of doing business, rather than an "initiative of the month". Service excellence must be weaved throughout the organization...at every level.

-We exist to serve others so they may better serve the world.-

Email: info@bwenterprise.net

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Professional Online Dating Services Are Crucial For Meeting Your Match

Choosing the best online dating site is quite difficult. It is like looking for a needle in haystack. This is because not one online dating service could really make claim to the best online dating site. Choosing the best online dating site will depend on a number of factors and on the person casting the vote. Plus the fact that there are thousands of online dating services all over the net, it is definitely hard to compare them one by one.

Online dating services are traditional dating companies that have moved and expanded to the online service of providing dating services to the public via the internet. These online dating service providers allow for a database of potential relationships with like minded people to grow.

Professional online dating service is done via real time chat, emailing, profiling and telephone access dependant on the clients' choices. In order to access this service, the potential client must have access to the Internet via an Internet service provider, over the age of 18 and have registered with their chosen dating service provider.

Professional online dating service allows people to meet online. These services allow you to search thousands of singles and discover the best matches for yourself. Posting a profile on the dating sites is the best method of introduction. Profiling allows users to limit their search to include those matching the criteria that are absolutely vital in their future partner. Criteria such as location, age, etc. can be accurately limited. The schedules and geography are no limitations for professional online dating service.

Many professional online dating services provide the facility of limiting searches to a specific location. People have the advantage of having variety of ways to interact in professional online dating service. The various professional online dating service sites provide a wide range of services and features chat rooms. Some of the services also have advanced features like voice/video greeting. With features like these you stand a far better chance of finding that special someone than you would by placing a 5 line letter in newspaper personals or in the social parties.

The online dating offers unrestricted conversation with one person. Keep interested in several people and get to know them via email before committing to that first phone conversation, or first date. The relative cost of meeting someone online versus those of more conventional methods is numerous. Most of the professional online dating services provide free membership to begin with. In general, many professional online dating service sites will offer the following services for free after you sign-up:

1. Profile Posting including age, height, hair color, eye color, body type, hobbies, activities, etc.

2. Photo submission of up to four personal shots

3. Database Search of potential partners to meet

4. Instant Messaging to send/reply (depending on the site) to member messages

5. Event Invitations about singles events in your area where you can meet new people

Membership fees for professional online dating service sites vary and some sites are completely free. However, most professional online dating service sites offer basic services for free and then additional services for paid members.

Some free online dating services will let you instant message or post on a forum with your fellow daters. However, this is where free online dating services draw the line. If you want to avail of more benefits then you need to subscribe.

Dean Shainin is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Dating.MyWisdomBase.com For more articles, and valuable resources for getting effective dating tips and services, visit his site at: best dating services

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5 Steps to a Professional eBay Business

Setting your eBay business up as described in this article will give you a professional presence on eBay that will instill confidence in your potential customers making them more inclined to do business with you than your less professional competition ...

1. Open an eBay Business Account

If you already have a personal eBay account which you use to buy and sell personal stuff, I recommend opening a separate BUSINESS account. Remember potential customers can view your other auctions and can also see what you have bought by clicking on the links in your feedback. If you are buying and selling personal stuff using the same account as you use to run your business, you will look less professional and less credible which may affect potential buyers' confidence in buying from you.

You will appear more professional and credible to your customers if your business account only has business related transactions. There are other advantages to having a business account:

When selling on eBay, "Business Seller" will be displayed in the Seller Information Box of your listing, identifying you as a professional.

As a business seller, you can register with your business name on eBay which enhances your credibility ("AntiqueBookStore" is a much more professional ID than "JohnSmith267")

Your business name will be displayed in all communications with the buyer, such as invoices, which again enhances your professional image and credibility.

As a business seller you can register for VAT and provide eBay with your VAT identification number and receive invoices net of VAT on your eBay fees.

To set up a separate business eBay account in addition to your personal eBay account you will need to choose a separate ID and have a separate email address.

If you don't already have a separate email address that you can use for your eBay business, don't let this hold you up. Get your business started using your personal eBay account but change your ID to your business name.

But I recommend that you sort out a separate business account as soon as possible so you can have separate personal and business eBay accounts. In the meantime you can upgrade your personal eBay account to a business account.

2. How To Choose An eBay User ID

As far as your eBay customers are concerned, your eBay User ID is your business name. You should choose your eBay business User ID carefully to ensure that it appears professional which will give customers more confidence to transact business with you. Your User ID needs to be memorable so customers can easily find you if they want to come back to you to do repeat business with you.

Ideally your eBay business User ID should be linked to your product line. So if you sell ebooks, your User ID could be ebooksgalore or ebookseller. You can also use your User ID to advertise your offline business if you have one. Obviously eBay doesn't want to encourage anyone to do business with you not through eBay, as they won't earn their fees. So you can't blatantly advertise your non-eBay business by using a URL (such as ebooksgalore.com) as your User ID. But you could use ebooksgalore as your User ID and it would be very easy for someone on eBay to find your non-eBay website if they wanted to (by guessing that it is ebooksgalore.com).

3. Get A Business Email Address

You should also have a separate business email address because johnsmith @ WidgetsRUs, or info @ WidgetsRUs or support @ WidgetsRUs are much more professional and will instil more confidence in prospective customers than johnsmith @ hotmail.

Also, you can put your email address in your eBay listing which can drive traffic from your listing to your non eBay website if you have one. If you add "For further information, send me an email at info @ WidgetsRUs" to your listing, visitors to your listing will realise that you have a website at WidgetsRUs .com and might visit your site.

If you already have a commercial website, you probably already have a business email. If you don't, you first need to get a domain name and then use that as your email address. Again, if this seems daunting, don't let it hold you up. Get started using your existing email but I recommend you get a business email address as soon as possible.

4. Get A Business 'Phone Number

Ideally you should have a separate business telephone number rather than using the same number that you use socially. This ensures that your business calls are always answered professionally in the name of your business. This is particularly important if your existing number gets answered by other people that you live with. You can have a separate line to your home but this will incur installation and line rental charges. You can use a separate mobile just for business calls but having a mobile number as your only business number will not instil confidence in your customers who will not see you as a proper business.

Alternatively you can use a call answering service. This will enable you to advertise your business with a proper telephone number that is answered professionally in your business name 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This will enhance your business image.

The way it works is the call answering service provider allocates a 'phone number that is unique to your business. When someone dials your number, the operator's computer knows the caller is trying to contact your business and the computer screen tells the operator what company name they need to answer the call with and how they should answer the call, depending on your instructions. The operator will then explain to the caller that you are unavailable to take the call, take a message and email it to you so that you can respond as and when you like.

If you set up your business properly, you shouldn't get too many 'phone calls so this service can be set up on a pay as you go basis so that you only pay for each call received. If you do receive a large number of calls, you can switch to a monthly tariff that is likely to be cheaper.

Again, I recommend that you have a separate business 'phone number but if you don't want to set this up just yet, do not let this delay the start of your eBay business.

5. Open A Business PayPal Account

Most people want to pay by credit card online. If you don't accept credit card payments, your business will not seem professional and you WILL lose sales. In the past, to accept credit card payments, you had to have a merchant account. These could be costly and difficult to get. PayPal enables you to accept credit card payments without having a merchant account.

PayPal is a service that allows buyers to send payments SECURELY online to sellers WITHOUT having to disclose their bank account or credit card details. The small percentage that you have to pay PayPal per transaction is a business expense that is well worth paying. PayPal is owned by eBay and it is now compulsory for you to have a PayPal account to sell on eBay.

When paying by PayPal, buyers can pay from their PayPal account balance, direct from their bank account or via credit cards - whichever suits them. So a PayPal account enables you to accept credit card payments WITHOUT having to open a merchant account which can be difficult and expensive. PayPal also enables you to get paid INSTANTLY without having to wait for a cheque to arrive and clear.

When buyers pay you by PayPal, their payment goes into your PayPal account. You can leave it there to use when you buy things on the internet via PayPal or transfer the money in your PayPal account into your bank account.

Again, ideally you should have a business PayPal account that is SEPARATE from your personal PayPal account so that business transactions are done in your business name, not your personal name. PayPal allows you to have separate business and personal accounts as long as each account is linked to a different email address, bank account and credit card.

Having a PayPal account also entitles you to PayPal's Seller Protection policy.

Setting your eBay business up as described above will give you a professional presence on eBay that will instil confidence in your potential customers making them more inclined to do business with you than your less professional competition.

Martyn Boaden is the Author of "The Lazy Way To Wealth On eBay" and Founder of The Online Auction Resource Centre. You will find all the resources that you will ever need to set up and run your SUCCESSFUL and PROFITABLE eBay business, including his very popular FREE eBay Business Box, at =>
http://www.TheOnlineAuctionResourceCentre.com

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