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Lunch Works offers a secure and friendly environment to meet other quality singles. It’s also a great place to build long and trusting friendships and companionships, which in turn can lead to lasting relationships. Whether you decide to correspond online or meet offline, please use sound judgment and maturity and be responsible for your conduct. In both the virtual and real worlds, common sense and logic are your best and most effective safety tools.
Thousands of people have met, dated and eventually married as a result of their online dating experience. However, it is still vitally important when using online dating services, that you exercise caution.
To help you, Lunch Works has some tips and ideas regarding dating and safety in both the online and offline worlds.
GETTING TO KNOW SOMEONE ONLINE
MEETING OFFLINE
SOME GENERAL TIPS
OTHER SAFETY
WHO SHOULD PAY
GETTING TO KNOW SOMEONE ONLINE
1. Never include your last name, email address, home address, phone number, place of work or any other identifying information in your Lunch Works profile or initial messages, or at least until you’re ready to do so. When corresponding with another member, turn off your email signature file and senders name. Stop communicating with anyone who pressures you for personal information or attempts in any way to trick you into revealing it. Take as much time as you need. If you do wish to message and correspond with members using email, Lunch Works strongly recommends that you register an anonymous email address separate from your normal or personal one. And make sure you avoid using your work email.
2. Trust what your instincts are telling you. Generally our gut feelings end up being right – so make sure you trust yours. If somebody seems or appears way too good to be true, or maybe they seem to be lying about themselves, go with what you’re instincts are telling you.
3. Exercise some caution and common sense by not expecting love to be found (if that’s what you’re looking for) at the click of a mouse. And here in lies the great value with Lunch Works – we are more of a social and community type of website that allows its members to find and establish great new friendships and/or companionships before anything serious may start to happen. But hey, love does usually strike when we least expect it, and at times it can all happen very quickly. Just exercise caution and go with what you feel.
4. If somebody initiates contact with you via icebreaker or message, PLEASE REPLY to them. It’s about common courtesy and decency, and treating people with the same amount of respect you would expect and appreciate from them. When replying to icebreakers, be upfront and honest so that members do not waste money on upgrading if you do not actually want to speak with them.
5. If you start corresponding with another member online and are yet to see their appearance, requesting a photo is a great idea to help establish if maybe there is a gut feeling, and at least gives you some idea of who you are communicating with. If you continually get excuses from members as to why they don’t have any photos to show you, there’s a decent chance they have something to hide, and this in turn could very well mean they have been untruthful about themselves. Considering the fact that we will also scan members photos for free if they wish to send us them, there really is no excuse not to have one on your profile, either displayed or hidden.
6. Try using all the features offered by Lunch Works in getting to know a member as best you can, and when you feel comfortable, why not use email or phone. In using a phone though, it’s definitely better to be with a mobile. And you can learn so much about a person during a phone conversation, such as their mannerisms and their social and communication skills.
7. In taking your meeting offline, please be comfortable and as close to 100% sure that you’re ready to meet before doing so. Gradually build up your own profile of the person as best you can using all relevant means offered by Lunch Works, and this will give you an idea as to if you want to pursue the relationship offline. Don’t ever feel obligated to meet anyone either, and it’s always ok to change your mind if you so wish.
8. Always tell a friend or work colleague when you are going out to meet someone and when you are likely to be back. If you can, leave some information about your meeting with your friend such as the member name, where they work, and be sure your friend has your own mobile phone number. We also recommend that you get to the venue or meeting by yourself, and never accept an offer to be picked up from your work or home. When the meeting is over, leave on your own and don’t accept a lift back to either work or home. Your safety is for both of us the number one priority.
9. When you decide to meet someone, pick a safe location like a restaurant for lunch. That way, not only are you in a public place during daylight hours, but it’s also likely there will be plenty of other people around. Also try and pick a place or area that you are familiar with.
10. It’s in your own interests to understand the searching and browsing features which are there to help you narrow down the search to those people who closely match the criteria you specify.
11. Always be updating your profile on a regular basis.
12. Do not send multiple messages to someone if they haven’t replied.
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MEETING OFFLINE
1. Lunch Works is not about sending its members on blind dates, so always make sure you have seen some photos of the person before ever meeting them.
2. Agree on a Lunch Works Preferred Venue that you visit during daylight hours such as a restaurant for lunch, and always take your mobile phone with you. By also agreeing to a time limit for your meeting, if for whatever reason the meeting is not proceeding well (you feel uncomfortable or threatened) and you wish to end it, either get the attention of others nearby, call a friend, or find another means like excusing yourself to go to the toilet as a possible way to exit the scene.
3. Wear conservative clothing to your first meeting, similar to that worn by white-collar workers. Neat and clean casual or business attire is perfect and presents well. Also take care of the vital essentials to a tidy appearance – things like brushing your hair, cleaning your teeth, deodorant, washing your face if you can’t have a shower, etc.
4. Always tell a friend or work colleague when you are going out to meet someone and when you are likely to be back. If you can, leave some information about your meeting with your friend, such as the members name and phone number, etc. We also recommend that you get to the venue or meeting by yourself, and never accept an offer to be picked up from your work or home. When the meeting is over, leave on your own and don’t accept a lift back to work or home. Your safety is for both of us the number one priority.
5. Use the time to verify any information you may already have about this person. When the timing is appropriate, thank them for getting together and say goodbye. After the first meeting, don’t ever feel pressured in having to meet the person a second time either. Once you have left the initial meeting, if one member wishes for it to end, then the other party shall respect their wishes and will cease further contact.
6. If you get a bad vibe, maybe it’s time to end the meeting. Like we’ve said before, common sense and gut feel is your best safeguard, so don’t do anything you are unsure about. If you feel you are in real danger, call the police straight away. Your safety is the biggest concern here and you should never worry what others may think.
7. After your first meeting, take some time before contacting the person, either back through the site or via other means like email. This will give you an opportunity to be sure about everything you want to say and talk about.
8. If information a member provided was untrue, or if they make contact by any means you deem inappropriate, please inform Lunch Works immediately through our Contact Us facility.
9. Be careful and mindful of how much alcohol you consume when meeting other members. Keep it at a safe level and stay in control of the situation.
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SOME GENERAL TIPS
1. Always have confidence and try to be as fun and social as possible.
2. Give yourself ample time to arrive at your destination, so be sure to leave for your meeting a little earlier.
3. A first meeting is about getting to know each other enough to see if either person leaves an impression on the other, so try and make the first meeting as short as possible and not let it go on for longer than it needs to.
4. When talking, always maintain eye contact with the other person and speak calmly and quietly. And try not to talk about any ex’s.
6. Make sure you are well groomed and presented, and wear appropriate clothing.
7. Most of all, don’t go in with too many expectations, and don’t rush it. Take your time, go with the flow, trust your instincts all the way, and enjoy it.
8. No system of dating is totally safe, including the Lunch Works site. While we continually strive to enhance our security systems and measures to bring you an even safer and more secure service of online dating, YOU HAVE THE FINAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY.
9. Take the time to complete your entire profile, otherwise others may think you really couldn’t be bothered.
10. Go light with your alcohol consumption for the first couple of meetings with someone.
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OTHER SAFETY
Whilst we would like to believe that our site is above, beyond, and certainly not deserving of any type of bad behaviour from its members, we do understand that sometimes peoples intent for joining the site and corresponding with members may not be entirely true to the overall Lunch Works dating concept.
To help avoid being caught up in any scams or other unwanted circumstances, you need to be able to identify the intent of the person whom you are contacting.
Avoid people who mention anything to do with their financial circumstances (difficult or otherwise), and most certainly avoid them if they ask you the details of your financial position. Also avoid those who ask for financial assistance of any kind, and don’t go sending anyone money.
Unfortunately, it’s a simple fact that some people will provide false information in their profile. Just be smart and aware, and always listen to your instincts and never let your guard down.
If you come across any of these types of scams, please use our Contact Us facility and report it immediately.
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WHO SHOULD PAY
No doubt a curly one, we really aren’t going to offer any tips as such. Eventually Lunch Works will be adding an extra field on every profile so people can let others know their opinions on this very topic.
There’s the old chivalrous angle that a guy should always pay (or at least offer), or there are those who will say it’s more a 50/50 thing these days. Some would also say that the person who did the initial search should be the one who covers the costs. Does it not seem equal and reasonable to simply split the bill on the first meeting? Then you can argue about it on your second date…..
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