The Real World

Q. I appreciate the compatibility matching process, but I don’t just want to send e-mail all day. I want to meet people!...

by Dr. Neil Clark Warren, Clinical Psychologist and eHarmony Founder

Question

Dear Dr. Warren, I appreciate the compatibility matching process. eHarmony is clearly superior in matching people who really get along, but I don’t just want to send e-mail all day. I want to meet people! How can I speed up the process so that I can go on more dates?

Thanks,

Carl in Orlando, Florida

Dear Carl,

Thanks for your excellent question. I understand your eagerness to speed up the communication process, especially if you’ve been using the service for some time. eHarmony has a feature called "FastTrack" which lets you bypass the standard communication process and begin emailing anonymously. When you receive a match you ask if they want to FastTrack; and if they agree, you’re on your way. (There are more details below about this feature.)

Carl, it is important to point out that the eHarmony Guided Communication process was designed with a purpose. It gives you a chance to start a dialogue and learn a great deal of information about each other before making the decision to meet. First meetings are often a little awkward and really knowing something about the person seems to help. Our success story couples often say, "It was like we knew each other for a long time when we met for the first time."

The communication process also helps in a more practical way. By exchanging these rounds of communication you can often eliminate people who don’t suit you. If you have a special interest, you can determine if that area is something that your match shares. This extra screening process lets you avoid the expense and effort of dates that most likely won’t be fruitful.

I wish you the very best,

Dr. Neil Clark Warren