Ask an Agency Owner.

[Kevin]

I wanted to give a thread dedication to those who want to ask how does it really work and what does an agency do. I invite any questions and ask other agencies owner to respond also. (please identify yourself as a seeker or agency.)

[Bruno]

I have only one question for you... What was the reason's, motivation's who have make that you have "build" a marriage agency? Since you was happily married, why not stay in USA and enjoy the life? Why take the risk of foreign business ?

Bruno... agency owner and seeker

[Shadow]

I have a simple question with a difficult answer for you.

What do you feel is the added value of an agency above a dating site ? Please answer this both for the men and for the women who are your clients.

[Kevin]

I have only one question for you... What was the reason's, motivation's who have make that you have "build" a marriage agency? Since you was happily married, why not stay in USA and enjoy the life? Why take the risk of foreign business ?

Bruno... agency owner and seeker

 

Bruno
 I spent 2 years traveling Ukriane and Russia using every large tour group and agency. On my 3rd year in Ukraine I decided to buy an apartment to store my stuff and make it my home base. I picked Kherson because of the high number of beautiful ladies.  Again I tried the local agencies and I got scammed good by them. So many false dates and overcharges that I decided to help out some of the ladies that I had meet by introducing them to my friends. I also started to help out my friends by buying a second apartment to rent to them at 1/2 the cost the agencies where chargeing.  The next thing I new was I need some staff to help me because my hobby has grown into a full blown agency.  My orginal plan was to keep the agency open until I found someone then sell it to the next guy.  

Today I keep the agency open for a second reason and that is the street children. The help we are doing is amazing and I wish to continue it.  Also being a honest agency in Kherson has cause the other agencies to clean up there acts or go out of business.

I still volunteer my time and efforts to keep the agency open and to help out others like myself.

Kevin

[Kevin]

Bruno

These things that come to my mind first. 

1. I am involved in the agency and available to anyone if they have questions or problems.

2. I not in this for the money.

3. I treat the ladies and Men equally and will remove either if I feel there is a reason. No matter how beautiful the lady is or how much money the client spends.

4. My goal is too create marriages. I am very competive my nature and I like to win every month with the most marriage. This mean I will elimate any lady that isn't willing to invest the time to respond to ladies and if I catch a lady asking for money or trying to scam she is gone before she nows it.  Only serious ladies are allowed to stay. The same for the clients.

5. Free services,,, All ladies letters are FREE to read. All translations are FREE. Group Video Chats are FREE. Advice on the phone is FREE. I try to offer as many FREE services as I can.

6. We know each lady. Each lady has to personally come into the office to meet us and fill out her documents. Plus we verify each lady by making a photocopy of her Identification paperwork.

7. The most important vaule is what we are doing in Kherson. No longer do the street children go hungry. This is my greatest vaule.

I hope I answer you question.

Thank

Kevin

[Bruno]

Bruno
 I spent 2 years traveling Ukriane and Russia using every large tour group and agency. On my 3rd year in Ukraine I decided to buy an apartment to store my stuff and make it my home base. I picked Kherson because of the high number of beautiful ladies.  Again I tried the local agencies and I got scammed good by them. So many false dates and overcharges that I decided to help out some of the ladies that I had meet by introducing them to my friends. I also started to help out my friends by buying a second apartment to rent to them at 1/2 the cost the agencies where chargeing.  The next thing I new was I need some staff to help me because my hobby has grown into a full blown agency.  My orginal plan was to keep the agency open until I found someone then sell it to the next guy.  

Today I keep the agency open for a second reason and that is the street children. The help we are doing is amazing and I wish to continue it.  Also being a honest agency in Kherson has cause the other agencies to clean up there acts or go out of business.

I still volunteer my time and efforts to keep the agency open and to help out others like myself.

Kevin

Thank for your reply... in some way, i have the same parcours... it was problem with agency who have lead me to build my own site... of course, i have not go so far that you...

And about fight between agency, you don't need be honest for have attack... it seem to be a mode in these business to attack other... break the reputation of one for more customer... unfortunaly, customer are not crazy and become tired of these fight...

About the street children, you make a good work but again, i think that it is more for marketing... in Ukraine, your agency is know outside Kershon because of this... same in Nikolaev, some woman know the "agency in Kherson rulled by a american who help child"...

In anycase, i don't judge your agency, it was only interesting to know the base of the creation of your business... before, i was thinking that it was a idea from your wife... now, i know the history...

EDIT : about the second reply, i think it is more for the question of shadow... but i will add something ... be free don't mean always good service... in some way, if a agency make a perfect work, several are ready to pay the price needed... unfortunaly, the customer is not always able to find the right agency and it is why so forum exist...  for information... be honest is always rewarded in the long term...

[NDOC]

What is the right way of measuring outcomes?  I may be old-school on this subject, but way back in the early-mid 90's when I was first looking for a RW things were different.  I remember the agency that brought me and Natalie together...the guy and his Russian wife made their pitch and the clincher was when the said, "Everyone gets married."  Success was measured by how many of his paying clients got married within six months.  This guy worked his butt off trying to find the right girl for each of his clients.  He got paid when you got married and no one was happier when a couple got married then they were.

Somehow the business model got changed and now it seems it's not about good long-lasting marriages, rather it's about the making the market.  The sites control access to the market by selling contacts whether they be email, addresses, or phone numbers.  There's a built in incentive for the agency to find "rain-makers", i.e. girls whose pictures are going to sell contacts.  The agency no longer has an interest, other then perhaps sentimental, in getting the paying customer (or the girls for that matter) the outcome he desires and that's the problem that seems to come up again and again in the postings I'm reading.  Being a market-maker isn't going to work as a business model as more and more girls get access to chat rooms, messenger, and other markets outside the control of agencies.  Agencies are going to have to provide some value other than being the market.  They are going to have to once again take an active interest in making sure that their clients are having long-term successful marriages if this industry is going to get back its good name.  I think the marriages would last longer and be of a higher quality as well if agencies really worked at finding the right girl for each client and the right client for each girl.

Are there agencies out there that really work to find that special girl and measure their success by successful marriages?

[Kevin]

Ndoc
 Two things have change the way agencies work.  For starters  the men who come today can not afford the 5-10k charges that the old  agencies would charge for a marriage and the current clients tend to  look for the cheapest way to get a bride.

The new automated agencies know that 99 percent of the men never come  so they sell the "dream" of contacts address and letters. Many of these  agencies even sell false letters with the knowledge that if the men get  serious they can just break off the false relationship prior to the men  coming. This is how the large networks are making a fortune these days.

Only the small agencies seem to care enough to keep the agency  bussiness honest. That is why it is important to deal with agencies who  owners are involved in finding you someone and not an agency owner who  hides under a false site or doesn't  reveal himeself.

I would prefer never to sell address, phone number or any contact  information and focus on getting clients and the ladies together. But  unless I allow the men to get the dirrect contact information they will  not trust my agency.  So it is a no win situation most of the time  in my opinon.  Luckly we do still get many engagements every  month..

A lady can only scam once in my agency. But I can't stop a lady from  scamming when she is in direct contact and this is where most scams  occur.

I figure in about 10 years the mom and pop agencies will be gone and  the only thing left will be sites that have automated computer matching  programs.

Kevin
agency owner

[acrzybear]

I figure in about 10 years the mom and pop agencies will be gone and the only thing left will be sites that have automated computer matching programs.

Kevin
agency owner

 

 HHmmmmm, that could be interesting- Wal Mart Russian Bride services-aisle 5:D

Kevin I like yours and Richards approach, know the client and know the ladies.  I'm sure people have had good luck with big agencies, but I don't mind paying a little bit more for the personalized service.  You talk to a person long enough and you get a feel for them (ah yes, that 6th sense has saved my ass too many times to mention) and what they're looking for. 

Yes the small mom & pop agencies need to make money, but there's a certain feeling  you get when you introduce a friend to their other half that money can't buy.

 Even after being in Law enforcement for 10 years I'm still a romantic at heart (I blame my mother for that) 

[Bruno]

If you should find someone you like and make a match then there will be a $300.00 finders service fee.

The wedding gallery from Svetlana :

http://www.svetlanasbrides.com/wedding/wedding.htm

I know a second agency who work almost the same way... located in France and owned by a russian lady... the fee is around 250 euro... pay after the interview if she accept you... after this, no more thing to pay ( except your own trip, marriage, ... )... there is no time limit in the help of the agency... before dating, during dating, before marriage and after marriage... around 90% of the man are married in the first year... around 100 marriage year... the only problem is that she work with a maximum of 25 men in the same time and the waiting list are very long  ... she have explain me that she is not able to take care of more men in the same time, that more men will lower the quality of help and service.

In short, if men take the time for search a good agency, they find it... all is not dirty in these business... not yet :?

[NDOC]

Kevin,

First I appreciate the response, a lot of agency owners would not put themselves out front like you do.  Second, I guess things have changed in the industry.

If you want to tell your buddies you are corresponding with a really hot foreign girl, I suppose the model works.  It's a little creepy to me, but I guess it's a safe way for some guys to get their mothers off their backs or get a little ego stroke.  I can't see how any serious guy wouldn't see the false economy and ineffectiveness, but that's another story.  My guess is the guys that get married would have gotten married regardless because they are commited to the process and focused on the outcome, but that's another discussion.

The tour dating thing works if you want to date hot women, but don't want to bother knowing them very well.  Seriously, how well can you know a girl in a 4-5 days?  I think the success rate would be higher than option #1 but still low.  There's just not enough time to screen all the girls, narrow down your choices, and then find the right one IMHO.

Personally, I don't have the time or the patience for all this screwing around.  If you're going to get married, go get married...be committed to the process until you get the outcome you're looking for.  I'm going to be ending my first RW marriage in the next month or so over a disagreement over test tube children vs. adoption and I have to say it was the best nine years of my life.  Maybe I'm the exception, but I'm willing to pay the extra scratch to find another great marriage and not waste another year of my life in the process.

 

[BC]

NDOC,

Sorry to hear that.  This is the second 'good' marriage mentioned recently that went downhill regarding kids.  Hope you would be willing to start a thread on your experience and this important topic.

  I'm going to be ending my first RW marriage in the next month or so over a disagreement over test tube children vs. adoption and I have to say it was the best nine years of my life.  Maybe I'm the exception, but I'm willing to pay the extra scratch to find another great marriage and not waste another year of my life in the process.  

[NDOC]

BC

I'm not sure it's a thread-worthy as I would be taking a specific case and generalizing about all RWs.  I can say that in my marriage, Natalie is very hung-up on the issue.  Blood relatives are a big deal to her.  She doesn't accpet her mother's second husband as family or her father's second wife and she won't accept another women's child as family.  She adopted two little fluffy dogs which she loves dearly, but even adopting her own countrymen is out of the question.

The doctors have told Natalie she has less than a 1% chance of having her only children and still she persists.  Nat says it has to come out of her body or she won't feel like a mother.  Each attempt costs $20K and a lot of pain and it's just not in my heart to see her go through this again and be crushed when it doesn't work out.  I've told her to go home and pick out the cutiest little girl in the county, but she's not having it.  She'd rather get divorce and continue on then go another route.  I guess I don't understand women.

[RacerX]

Kevin ~ I just wondered what are the biggest changes you have seen in either your business or the agency business in general.  In a previous post you mentioned that men now seem unwilling to spend as much money as before: why?

Is there more/less competition (and I just don't mean more agencies) than when you started?

Has the quality of girls declined? Is it harder to find the better girls now?

Has the rate of scamming increased significantly?  If so, in what ways?

What are the girls looking for today that is different than a few years ago?

[Bruno]

The big change is in the mentality... young women who have become adult after the perestroyka have a other spirit, not far from our western culture ( not more traditional wife )... a man who marry a girl from 18 yo and who think have find a traditional woman is a fool... women from big city have change a lot... the rest have almost not change

Now, you can find a woman very fast and for a low price... but the chance to find the right one is lower... MOB business was like "restaurant" before... with time, they have convert in "fast-food"... one week-wonder is the result of this... people don't wish use time for build a relation what lead to several problem after marriage... scammer don't wish write several month to a men and the actual speed factor is perfect for them... lower internet price in FSU help them too...

[Kevin]

I would mostly agree with Bruno..

It use to cost me $5-6k to go on our tour and today you can spend 10 days in  kherson with a package deal for under 1k that includes just about everything  but food.

There are fewer agencies today then when I started and the prices have come  down. I just found a receipt from 2000 from an agency that I used in  Kherson.  The interpreter was $7hr, Ukraine apartment was $70 a day and  meetings were $35 each.  Today we charge $6hr for interpreter. Ukraine  apartment is $35 day and meetings are $20 each. 

Many of the local agencies could not compete with an honest agency with honest  prices and simply went underground as scam agencies working with the large  networks.

Is there a change in the quality of ladies.  This is a mixed question.  Back in the 90's the ladies were jumping ship and the men could get top pick.  Today the ladies are not standing at the boat docks anymore and are a bit more  selective..  However if you want a model if you can provide the lifestyle  that she is looking for.  I've seen the older ladies starting to join the  agencies again that were missing for a few years.  There are still 1000's  of ladies in agencies.

Scammers have become more educated. The stupid ones still ask for money in the  first letters. But I am seeing more baiting by agencies to get the men over  hear with false letters.  Most of the scammers I meet 5 years ago are now  married so even the scammers settle down.   I believe with honest  agencies it is getting harder for the scammers to operate.  Just put the  word "money" on your delete key and every time you see the word in a  letter just click on it.

The typical lady in our agency is looking for a good husband  with a good  job and personality.  Only the high-end models are looking for the sugar  daddy or great looking guys with money. Typically the ladies are looking at  your character.  Keep in mind that drinking has cause these ladies to  loose hope in finding a good local husband that can support their family. :dude:  Some of my best couples  our middle income.

We still get 5-10 new ladies every week joining. I have close to 2000 ladies  profile and only 40 active members this month.  The odds are still in  favor of the men.

Hope this helps.
    Kevin

[Rvrwind]

If ya'll don't mind I'd like to kick in my 2 cents worth as well. Sorta been lettin' Kevin & bruno handle it & they been doin' an admirable job, I might add. I pretty much agree with all they have said but I'd like to give my take on some of these questions.

Kevin ~ I just wondered what are the biggest changes you have seen in either your business or the agency business in general.  In a previous post you mentioned that men now seem unwilling to spend as much money as before: why?

[/color]I pretty much agree with what Kevin answered to this question but would also add that in my opinion, due to boards like RWD & others the men are also becoming more educated to the way things are in this industry & these countries. They have learned through the experience of those who went before them that they no longer need to pay the big bucks to get the service, that most agencies of the old period were simply milking them because they could. Now with the experience of those who have gone before & more honest agencies to choose from they have found there is no reason to get hosed anymore so are unwilling to spend the big bucks.

Is there more/less competition (and I just don't mean more agencies) than when you started?

On this I am not sure. I know there are fewer BIG agencies but I see a lot more smaller agencies than I used to. I think the smaller more intimate agencies are enjoying more popularity at this time because guys are realizing we know our ladies & can spend the time to know them where the large agencies just want to fill heir websites with pictures hoping that a few will attract attention.

Has the quality of girls declined? Is it harder to find the better girls now?

I wouln't say the quality has declined, in fact I would be more apt to say it has improved. Things have gotten much better here than they were 10-15 years ago, so like Kevin said they are not as quick to jump ship anymore. Most of the ladies I find now that are seriously thinking about marrying a foreigner are very serious & very single minded. They are willing to give up everything to be with the right man, they are no longer willing to take the first warm body that steps off the airplane. Unless they are an outright scammer or GCG, they are very serious about finding the right man to complete them & they will be dedicated to that man. Now had you asked if the quantity had declined I would have to say yes but not to a great degree. There is still a great overabundance of woman as compared to men here & many here are not willing to settle for what a local man has to offer.

Has the rate of scamming increased significantly?  If so, in what ways?

To this I must say YES!!! They have become more bold & more sophisticated in their methods & that goes for agencies as well as the women. The agencies, with the invention of the internet have in my opinion gotten totally out of control. They will do everything they can to steal your money. From spamming, to overcharging to Bait & Switch, they run the gammet of any & all means possible to get you to spend your money with them. As far as the women, well their ways have changed very little. They are pretty much limited to the asking for money, or the vacation or some other feeble excuse but they all boil down to the same thing in the end, separating you from your cash!

What are the girls looking for today that is different than a few years ago?

Like Kevin I find the typical lady in my agency to be looking for a down to earth guy that will treat her well & take reasonably good care of her. I find most do not care if you live in a mansion & own six cars, a motorcycle & a boat. They just want an ordinary life where they can build a family on a foundation of love, caring & mutual respect. Most are starting to learn that when guys are here they appear to be rich because of the exchange of money but 90% are just working stiffs that are middle class or upper middle class back home. I also educate them to that fact. Most are quite willing to accept that, however, you do get the odd one still that wants her millionaire, to them I say good luck, millionaires are few & far between. A few years ago a ticket out of her was all most wanted or needed.

Also like Kevin I am finding a lot more older women coming in. The younger ones are seemingly finding good men here, but our generation 35-50 seems to be lacking greatly in the number of men.

I am also finding that the younger women unlike even 5 years ago are not so willing to bunk up with much older men anymore. Actually much of that is agency hype & the agency telling them to raise the age limit. If you look at the choices for age on my website, as I don't in any way influence or coax thier coices, typicaly there is a ten year spread. There are those who still will go with a much older man, but he better be something special & have much to offer in recompence.

RVR-Canadian Cowboy/Agency Owner

[Bruno]

Also like Kevin I am finding a lot more older women coming in. The younger ones are seemingly finding good men here, but our generation 35-50 seems to be lacking greatly in the number of men.

This fact is enough easy to understand...

In several country, women life a little more long that men but in FSU, the situation is a nightware... the life experancy of FSU women is a little more high that 70 year old... for a FSU men, it is around 54 year old...

Never think that women are fool... same a relative young one around 35 year old wish build a family... if they marry a Russian man only a few year older, let say 40 yo, and have child with these russian man... they become potential widow with child... not really a easy situation in FSU...

In FSU, women outnumber men only after 50 year old... the FSU woman know these fact and early in life they turn to the foreign dating in the hope to find a husband and father who can life enough long for take care of a new family.

Of course, the life experancy of men is only one factor who lead women to choose a foreign man... these factor become important only in case of women over 35 year old... this don't apply for young cutie around 18-20 year old...

take a look at

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/rs/Age_distribution 

[RacerX]

Thanks guys, some great answers.

OK, just a few  more:

How should the owners eliminate the "bad" girls from their agency? 

What's the biggest mistake you've made in the business?

In a perfect world, what would the ideal agency be like and offer to their clients (without a consideration of time or money)?

 

[Bruno]

The ideal agency don't exist... a agency need to try give the best service to customer... in the case of our business, both women and men are customer... and one people is not a other... i don't think that only one agency will be able to give satifaction to all possible customers... it is a little like the food shop... some like little shop with good personal service, other like supermarket with a lot of choice... if you need translator, someone for help you with your trip, or other service, my site is certainly not for you... but if you are able to make all yourself, you can visit our site... the only support i give to my "customer" are my post on these forum
 

Racer, are you journalist ? Do you ready some report over agency ? :cool:

 

[RacerX]

Racer, are you journalist ? Do you ready some report over agency ? :cool:

No, I'm just quite happy being married to a RW, but having never used an agency, I have been fascinated with how they work and the services they offer. OK, more truthfully, I actually know people in the agency business, but I always wondered what the perfect "model" would be for someone doing the same

Now if I could just figure how to “quote” someone, but be able to post below the quote, I would be a happy man.

[Admin]

Now if I could just figure how to “quote” someone, but be able to post below the quote, I would be a happy man.

Racer,

I am going to separate the commands you should look for with a space - so that you can see how to add someone's text into the quotation envelope - as follows:

Start quotation - [ quote ] - simply eliminate the spaces I have added between the open bracket [ and the closed bracket ] and the word 'quote' and the text which follows that command will appear inside the quotation envelope in the display.

Finish quotation - [ / quote ] - simple eliminate the spaces I added in between the bracket and the slashe and the word 'quote', and this signifies where the quotation envelope should stop.

Text which follows the Finish Quotation command appears normal.

If you continue to be confused, let me know and I will show you with the exchange of some text via email.

- Dan

[Photo Guy]

[size="3"][size="2"]RacerX wrote:[/size]
[/size]  Now if I could just figure how to "quote" someone, but be able to post below the quote, I would be a happy man.

[color="blue"][size="3"]Yes the new software has a glitch.
This is an excellent and interesting topic- great to hear from Bruno, Richard and Kevin.  Thanks.  -doug[/size][/color]

(I didn't use the 'quote' feature. I just copied and pasted the above paragraph as a way around the defect)

[Admin]

[user=134]Photo Guy[/user] wrote:

[/i][color="blue"][size="3"]Yes the new software has a glitch.
This is an excellent and interesting topic- great to hear from Bruno, Richard and Kevin. Thanks. -doug[/size][/color]

(I didn't use the 'quote' feature. I just copied and pasted the above paragraph as a way around the defect)

Huh? What "defect"?

- Dan

[BC]

Huh? What "defect"?

- Dan

Photo is maybe using firefox which does not let you place comments below the edited quote (as I did here). Not 100% forefox compatible.