A refreshingly high quality service experience…at LAX…Is this possible? Yes, indeed. Gil and I just witnessed this very phenomenon while en route to Miami for the annual iDate conference.
What was it that gave us the surprising opportunity to actually enjoy our pre-flight hour? It was the wide open Admirals Club which American Airlines and American Express provides for the weary, stressed out traveler. Gil and I cozied up on a soft leather couch, sharing newspaper excerpts with each other, savoring warm, toasted bagels and the endless supply of freshly brewed coffee in this peaceful, spacious, sun-drenched lounge. This VIP oasis, above and beyond earshot of the “terminally” loud security announcements, unruly kids, screaming babes and cranky travelers provided for us a heightened service experience. Ahhhhhh.
I so appreciated the separate, private business area where I escaped with my cell phone when it revealed an incoming call from my super busy and oh-so-studly client in Wyoming. It was Billy returning my call, and I’d been trying for weeks to catch him live for a phone chat. He’s a busy attorney and a real live cowboy, tough to catch on the fly by phone, and the quiet business lounge gave me the perfect chance to engage with him about his ongoing dating adventures and to share with him all about his new match with our new client, Lara, who just very well may be…His Girl.
At this moment in time, I’m 30,000 feet above El Paso Texas, making my final edits to the presentation I’ll be giving at the conference. In the room will be matchmakers, dating coaches, and industry execs from the U.S., Canada, and indeed all over the world.
Reflecting back on how appreciative we were of the enriched experience we just had at the airport executive lounge retreat, it occurs to me that the service experience which www.JulieFerman.com intends to create for our clients is very much the same – our mission is to provide for the busy, often confused or tormented single love-seeker a service experience that is far superior to that which they might otherwise have available.
A friendly, supportive ear for post-date reflection, or calming guidance when anxiety creeps in four days after a great first date, when Mr. Guy still hasn’t called. The juggling of schedules to squeeze in a session with my client Randall who’s in love with Rachel, and he’s trying to figure out the perfect way to pop the question…This is the kind of out-of-the-ordinary support and service for which our clients are happy to pay a premium.
Even as our current economic times have us all monitoring our spending habits, there’s not an empty seat to be had in the First Class Cabin in this 767 aircraft. And we just closed the books on our strongest year ever for our personal matchmaking and dating coaching business.
Today’s consumer is savvy and discerning, and there are plenty of travelers and motivated love-seekers who will gladly spring for a higher quality service experience. If we build it they will come, and they do. If we do it well, they will return until they’re happy in relationship, and they eagerly share their experience with their friends, which keeps our phones ringing, our appointment books full, and a steady stream of enthusiastic new clients who are looking for a sweeter journey through the rapid waters of dating and into the safe, warm pool which loving relationship can be.
Mark Brooks’ stats on Thursday will likely reveal that Internet dating revenues are continuing to be strong, despite our troubling economic times. And as that pool of online dating subscribers grows, also more plentiful is the number of hungry, weary love seeking consumers who will naturally gravitate toward the VIP lounge, which personal matchmaking provides.
I’m thankful for two things: For the geniuses at American Airlines and American Express who enriched our travel experience today, and for the opportunity to design, sculpt, and execute a higher level of service for our personal search clients to experience. It’s a great time to be alive and it’s a great time to be continually evolving our service businesses.
p.s. Our 767 just landed and I picked up a text message from Billy – he’s flying Lara in this weekend for a visit to his world – there’s a rodeo happening on Saturday in his town of Cheyenne, and originally from Denver, Lara’s a huge fan of the barrel race…Together, American Airlines, American Express and I made this weekend’s dating adventure happen for them. Very cool.
