PR NEWSWIRE – H4M Matchmaking's survey shows 44% of LGBTQ+ singles are concerned with AI in dating, with 45% having been deceived by AI or chatbots. Additionally, 58% find it harder to make genuine connections online, and 57% feel online dating has become more stressful. Despite 75% not using AI in dating apps, there's an openness to AI if it could lead to real-life dates, with 49% willing to try it. However, 45% have experienced deception, like catfishing, on dating apps, underscoring the need for safer online dating environments.
Category: H4M
Match Introduces Human Matchmaking
WALL STREET JOURNAL – For $4.99 a week Match dating experts will go through a user's answers to four questions and pair them. A 50-member team, trained as dating coaches, will select two profiles for participating members each week, drawing from the same algorithm-generated pool Match provides. Questions include, what a person would change about their dating life, and what sort of person a user gravitates toward. "The company created the feature because, for some singles, the pandemic has added a degree of urgency to finding a long-term relationship," said Amarnath Thombre, CEO of Match Group Americas. "People have had enough time to reflect," "Traditional matchmaking services are costly, starting in the thousands of dollars for just a few months. But these services are worth it to customers who don't have the time to sort through candidates on apps," said Tammy Shaklee, founder/matchmaker of H4M, an LGBTQ matchmaking service.
by Ann-Marie Alcántara
See full article at Wall Street Journal
Mark Brooks (owner of matchmaker.com): Fascinating stuff, but I think calling this matchmaking is an offense to the matchmaking industry. $5 a week may well be a scalable price-point, but I don't think this service does justice to the humanity of the service matchmakers provide. The whole point of (quality) matchmaking is to get deep into the person, council and coach them, and provide custom advice to the individuals, with occasional appropriately sugar-coated but tough feedback. Match's service appears to be a commitment vehicle. I don't quite see how this service quite passes muster as matchmaking, even as a minimum effective dose. Let's see. Looks like the opposite end of the spectrum to the matchmaking service eHarmony introduced and experimented with years ago.
He’s For Me – Offline Matchmaking For Professional Lesbian Women
PRESS RELEASE – Mar 30 – He's For Me (H4M) is an offline matchmaking service designed exclusively for gay professionals seeking long-term relationships. The service was started by Austin businesswoman and certified matchmaker, Tammy Shaklee. Her matchmaking service is available in Texas, as well as Boston and Chicago.
“He’s For Me” – Matchmaking In The Gay Marriage Era
HUFFINGTON POST – June 26 – In the past, gay men had few options for meeting, hooking up and dating. Now, in 2015, they've got Grindr, Growlr, A4A, Scruff, Manhunt and others. Some guys are turning away from modern technology and going old-school, opting for a traditional matchmaker. One such intermediary is He's For Me, a Texas-based gay matchmaking service founded by Tammy Shaklee, a straight woman who met her husband through a similar company. She was shocked to learn that the matchmaker she used didn't serve gay men. To fill the void, she started H4M. H4M conducts lengthy interviews with clients, offers coaching on how to date, and sets up initial matches, along with second dates.