The Curvy Coach

I’m not sure if you’ve heard the story or not about the international dating site who outright axed their customers because they gained a few extra pounds during the holidays. I won’t go much into the details about this, you can read it on CNN.com for yourself here.

What I really want to do is speak to the plus-size dating site owners out there. It’s ok if you feel appalled or downright disgusted by such behavior, but as they say “there’s always a silver lining”. Here are 3 great opportunity for you to step up your game and take advantage of this situation to your benefit:

Opportunity #1

If you’re dating site is exclusively designed for those of us with a few extra pounds and more, then NOW is the appropriate time to launch a new campaign to boost your visibility in the online dating circuit. Imagine this. If I were to see an ad today that said “We won’t reject you because of your size, have your cake and eat it too on (insert your dating site here)” – that would be awesome! That’s how you grab the attention of your ideal customers! 

Opportunity #2

Take a stand for your brand. Robert Hintze the founder of BeautifulPeople.com is not apologetic about what his company represents and quite frankly I applaud him for doing just that.

“As a business, we mourn the loss of any member, but the fact remains that our members demand the high standard of beauty be upheld,” said Robert Hintze, founder of BeautifulPeople.com. “Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded.”

He is very clear on who his customers are and what they want. Heck, it’s based on his customers’ votes! You should take notes here and not be afraid to declare that you embrace the curves and cushion of everyday people and you’re proud to help them find dates too.

 Opportunity #3

Would you deny your clients membership if they lost weight? I didn’t think so. Reassure you’re customers that you’re not in the business of calling your customers “ugly”, you’re not about taking a stab at your clients’ self-esteem, your business goes beyond the “traditional” view of what beauty is and helps many to connect, date, and find love.

If you’re business operates on great customer service as it should, NOW is the time to share with your customers how you would treat them differently in situations such as this. Engage your customers and exchange thoughts about how one’s definition of beauty plays a role in dating and finding love within your plus-sized community.

So will you take the stand? What are your thoughts about the online dating industry? Please comment below!