FAQs

FAQ's about speed dating

Registration, eligibility and payment

Are there any specific requirements to sign up?

You just need to be single and have an email address.

Why do I need to book in advance?

We need to ensure a balance of men and women and we also want to provide you with ‘dates’ who are roughly your own age.

Can I just turn up on the day?

No, you can’t just turn up on the day – you will not have a unique ID and without this our system won’t know who you are. This will mean that you will not be able to match with anyone who is speed dating.

How do I register for the speed dating event?

You must register on line through our booking process – this is essential for obtaining a unique ID without which you will not be able to speed date.

What if I don't want to pay by credit card?

Please send a cheque or postal order for £10 made out to ‘friends1st’ and enclose all the details you see on the registration form.
Send it to:-

friendsfirst ,
PO Box 8377,
Birmingham,
B17 9TE.

Please mark your correspondence CRE Speed dating.

My credit card has been rejected by your payment system. Why?

There may be a number of reasons why your card has not been accepted. These include:
* You may simply have entered an invalid card number. The most likely reasons for this are that you have mistyped the card number or missed some of the digits, or you have not entered the card number we need. Please try again, checking your typing carefully.
* The card type you have specified (e.g. Visa, Debit) does not appear to match the card number supplied. Please go back and check that the card type selected is correct.
* Your bank has declined to authorize payment for this amount – you may have exceeded your credit limit.
* Your card may be of the type that requires the cardholder to be present, and is therefore not suitable for telephone/Internet bookings.

I can't remember my username and password. What should I do?

Click the 'Forgotten password?' button below the login form, and follow the instructions. Your username and password will then be emailed to you.

I’ve changed my mind about coming speed dating – can I have a refund?

No, once you have paid, no refunds will be given for the speed dating. This is because the cost of the event is so low that it does not make it feasible to process refunds. However please let us know if you can’t make it – your place could be given to someone else. What’s more, if you don’t turn up on the night you will be spoiling the event for the people we had planned for you to meet, so please let us know!

I'm not single, can I still come to this event?

This event is for people who are single. Everyone attending have told us they are single and looking to make new friends/possibly date other singles. If you are already in a relationship then you are not eligible to attend – it would not be fair or right on your partner or the people you’ll meet on the night.

About the event itself

How many dates will I get at the event?

We aim to provide you with at least 14 dates on the day. It may be a few more or a few less

How long will the whole speed dating event last?

The whole speed dating event will last up to 2 hours from the moment the doors open to the moment they close. It’s a short time but it’s going to be action packed and great fun.

How do I prepare to come speed dating?

Before you arrive to speed date, spend some time thinking about what you will wear and what impression you will give someone who hasn’t met you before. Think about your appearance, including your hair, and general cleanliness. Think about the things you’d like to get across to people – it might be things like your interests, sports you play, university or college you are at, where you come from etc. Also think about questions you’d like to ask people you are meeting. Think about your listening skills and what qualities you are looking for in someone else.

How should I dress for speed dating?

Wear what you feel comfortable in. Don't forget that in speed dating first impressions count. Make sure you're well-groomed and stylishly dressed, treat all your dates with respect and be yourself.

Is it a good idea to prepare a list of questions to ask people?

It's a good idea to have a few questions up your sleeve in case you run out of things to say. However it's a very bad idea to have a scripted list of questions as it kills the spontaneity of a three-minute date.

What should I say to each of my dates?

Relax and be yourself – everyone is in the same boat at a speed dating evening. 90% of people form an opinion within 10-40 seconds of meeting somebody else, so first impressions really count.

We make 23-27 subconscious decisions on somebody when we meet them. This initial judgment can be broken down in the following way:

55% Visual Impact (what you see)
7% Content (what you say)
38% Auditory Impact (what you hear)

Auditory impact is not necessarily about your accent - it is more to do with volume, speed, pitch, clarity and use of expression (or conversely monotony). The honest answer based on the findings of this research appear to be that it doesn't really matter! It's how you say it and how you look.

Matching

I don't seem to have any matches but I'm sure x ticked me?

You will only get matches if you have first made your own selections of the people you have met at the speed dating event. If you have already done this, please note that not all matches will be displayed until everyone else has entered their responses. Check again in a couple of days by which time most people should have entered their speed date feedback.

I got few or no ticks/matches. How many do people normally get?

The number is very variable. However in general men tend to tick more people than women do. We've also established that men tend to overestimate the number of women who have ticked them and women tend to underestimate how many men have ticked them.

How will I know if I have any matches?

After the event you will be able to log back into this website and enter your responses and then check your matches. If you have matches you will see the first name and unique ID of the people you match with and their email address

I ticked someone for dating but only have a friendship match with them. Why?

You only receive a 'dating' match if both people select dating. If one person chooses dating and the other chooses friendship it comes up as a 'friendship' match. If both people choose friendship it is also a friendship match.

Can I change my responses after I've entered them?

You can add extra ticks at any time. However you cannot untick people you have already ticked.

Will my email address be revealed to someone who has ticked me but whom I have said No to?

No, your email address will only be revealed to other people you have met on the condition that you have ticked them as a Yes or Friend. If you have ticked No to them then it makes no difference what they have ticked for you, your email address will not be revealed to them.

Can I get the details of somebody that didn't choose me as a match?

No, as frustrating as this may be, we will only provide you with the contact details of your matches. If someone you have ticked didn't tick you, then we have to respect their wishes.

What information is given to my matches?

The only contact information given to matches is the first name and email address of the people they have matched with. Under no circumstances do we provide any other contact details.

I have attended an event and lost my scorecard, what do I do?

This is really bad news so avoid it at all costs! If you ring us, we may be able to help you by letting you know the unique IDs of the people in your group, but we can’t guarantee this and you shouldn’t rely on it.

General

Is three minutes per date long enough?

In our experience three minutes is long enough to decide whether you're prepared to invest a couple of hours in a follow-up date. Moreover, three minutes can seem like a very long time with someone you don't like!

I can't make it. Can I send a friend instead?

Yes, provided your friend is the same sex. Please call us to on 0121 427 1286 so that we can register your friend. If your friend is of the opposite sex to you we may still be able to help you. Please call us to check.

About friendsfirst

What sort of company are friendfirst?

friendsfirst is a Christian company that was established in 1999 to help single Christians meet and make friendships with other single Christians. It is run exclusively by Christians for Christians and has a lot of experience of putting single people in touch with other single people. For more information about the company click here

I would like to continue meeting other Christians after the event – how can I do this?

Obviously you’ll be able to meet up with anyone whose email address you get as a result of success at the speed dating event (i.e. those people you have ticked as a friend or date who have also ticked you for friend or date). However, if you would like to continue to meet other Christians, friendsfirst can help you. If you would like further information about becoming a friendsfirst member, please click here.