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From: ornstein@fdcv09.DEC (Ian Ornstein PK03/2-28C DTN 223-9145)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Sucessful Singles Inc., Introduction Service
Message-ID: <437@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Feb-85 12:16:57 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.437
Posted: Fri Feb  1 12:16:57 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Feb-85 05:35:26 EST
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	This is my first contribution to net.singles. 

About two weeks ago I received a mass mailing announcing a "new" singles
service called "Sucessful Singles Inc."  The fold-over brochure had a 
preference test with about 5 levels and 20 questions which I completed and
mailed.

    Then the phone calls started. It was a type of high-pressure sales call
to get me to take the interview.  They actually wanted to come to my home
for the interview.  I thought about it and decided to go to their office.
I did ask on the phone "how much" and the answer was "it varies."  I asked
for an upper and lower figure and they said from 100 to 1000.  One of the
questions on the brochure that I sent in was how much do you earn; I left it
blank.

Last night I went and this is my reaction. I was led into an office that
looked like a "sting" set up: there was an enormous wooden desk with a high
backed chair and two wooden arm chairs, carpeting on the floor and a copy of
People magazine on the desk.  There was neither a phone in the room nor any
pictures on the walls.  It was stark.  I was asked if I wanted coffee, tea
water or anything else. I replied no, I wanted to get on with it.  After some
waiting, someone brought another of those personality inventory tests like the
original brochure and said that after I filled it out my interviewer would be
in.  More waiting.  I opened the door to indicate that I was done and someone
came to get the test and "score it."  When the guy finally came in he
explained that the test determines five personality traits and explained
where I was on each of the scales.  He said that finding a match with similar
scores would be a good match (or something like this). He then went into a 
psych 101 lecture about each of the attributes.  After the second trait
I interrupted him and told him that I had had acouple of psyche course in
college and that he need not continue to describe the test further. 

	Then the BULL started flying.  He explained that they have to be
selective and he may NOT be able to recommend me... part of what I was doing
was being evaluated.  He explained that there would be a much longer
personality inventory test and emphasized that it would detect *lying*.
There was another Q & A book and an application.  First he wanted me to 
describe the person I wanted to meet. In going through the process it was
very drawn out and I kept asking him to move on.  I really did not get some
of these questions; in fact, to one of the questions ( sorry I can't remember
it) I told him I didn't have an answer.  He started to argue that it must have
an answer and I replied with the  existential reason "What is the sound
of one hand clapping" and "If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one
there to hear it, does it make a sound". I'm sure he put something down but
it was very slow going.  After two hours of this, I asked "how much does this
cost" and he replied "we will get to it." 

Then he said that I would have to agree to an "investigation" and asked to see
my driver's license and proceded to copy down the license number.  Imagine
that!

The last thing he did was to try to get me to fill out the answers to three
goal type questions: sort of what do I expect them to do for me and would I
be happy with a close fit or something like that. I looked over the
application that would have to be returned at a second interview and mixed in
with the sex questions  again was  the question "how much do I make?"
I said I was uncomfortable with that question and asked would I be excluded
from the program if I refused to answer it. He replied that "He didn't know.
He doesn't do second interviews." I suggested he find out. He said first 
answer the 3 questions. At that point I got up to leave.

	He said that they have to go by "procedure."  Fine, but he can do his
procedure without me.  Then he started insulting me with comments like
"Good luck, you are going to need it."

	The whole process reminded me of an interview with Bernard Haldane
Associates (career counselors) where I had to sit thorough having a guy read
to me out his {procedure | sales pitch manual}. The method is insulting and
I am the consumer.  During the interview I commented on my resistance to being
manipulated and I that was trying to separate methodology from sales pitch.

	On the way out I spoke to another client. "Did you sign up?" I asked.
He said all but the deposit. Oh I asked how much did they want? His answer was
$975. Now it seems that they have a sliding scale to get all they can get for
a fee and since I have no idea if they actually can deliver the matches that
they claim, I want to emphasize that whether it works or not the high pressure
sales pitch/high fee services should be exposed for their methods.

Draw your own conclusions.  I am interested in hearing of others experience
with this outfit.
				- Ian -