Everybody needs the company of other people.

However, many people are too busy to meet people.

A dating site has been started for such people in Việt Nam.

It is not for people who wish to cheat on their husbands or wives.

The organisers make sure that only the right kind of people join.

By Thiên Hương

Dating has never been easy for some people. However, it’s easier today with a dozen dating services operating throughout the country.

Rudicaf (“rủ đi cà phê” in Vietnamese, roughly translated into English as "invite someone to have coffee together") is a new dating service in Việt Nam.

Yet unlike other services, which mostly aim to make profits, Rudicaf has higher criteria for selecting its customers.

“We cater to single people, we don’t accept customers who are married. Their profiles are examined carefully before customers are allowed to be members,” said Vũ Nguyệt Ánh, CEO of the company.

“We don’t facilitate extra-marital relationships. Besides this rule, customers must have a steady income of at least VNĐ12 million (US$530) per month for men and VNĐ8 million for women.”

Established in November 2016, the company has already drawn a membership of 200 Vietnamese people, 42 per cent of whom are graduate students from developed countries, 27 per cent are graduates

from top universities in Việt Nam, and 18 per cent are people who have taken up important posts in companies and groups.

According to the company’s figures, female customers are of 22-30 ages while male are of 24-45.

Customers must first submit their CV and show proof of income. They are invited for a face-to-face interview to make sure that their profiles are genuine, and they are well-mannered. Further, if the customers are qualified, they can pay the fee package they choose, before being given accounts on a mobile app and passwords to be able to book a date with the members they are interested in. The packages are ranged from US$500 to 1,000 per year.

The mobile app does not allow users to chat or offer gifts online; it only facilitates members to book a date with other members they like.

"Many men that women dream of, such as those with high-paid jobs, good education, and having cars and houses, are hardly interested in finding lovers, as they are busy pursuing hobbies like golf or travelling and have no time to attend to their lovers," Ánh said.

"However, sometimes they need someone to talk to and accompany them for dinners. Following their dates, they return to their happy independent lives and hobbies," the CEO added.

“Though we try to select our members carefully, there might be some risks,” she said. “So, we encourage members to meet face to face to understand the people they date. We want to change gradually people’s conservative mindset about dating; many think only those who cannot find partners go for dating services or that dating is just to find a husband or a wife.”

The company offers many other services to connect people to help them broaden their social relationships at work, consultancy to resolve problems in relationships, besides consultancy and help to present gifts on anniversaries, and organising events for couples.

Ánh had started the service earlier in 2010, when there were around 10 companies working in the same field. She had to give it up a year later, as she was burdened with a huge loan. She then had to work as an employee for other companies to pay the debt, before she decided to restart the company.

“At that time, there were various kinds of dating services operating in the country, but the society still lacked a suitable one. The ones that existed were not appropriate,” she said, while recalling why she decided to set up a high-profile dating service company.

“I know that many companies with the same services have met with similar obstacles,” she said. “I think I should be patient and pursue my passion with a kind heart to avoid being lured by profits, involving my company in social evil (extra-marital relationships).

“The most challenging thing is to change the people’s perception," she added.

“After operating for six months, we do not dare announce that we are successful, but we can confirm that we have created a certain prestige,” she said. “It brings both pride and pressure to develop sustainably while sticking to our values.”

Phạm Minh Đức, CEO of vicare.vn, commented that the app was alluring.

“It’s suitable for people like me who have to put in a lot of time into work and consequently, have no time for dating,” he said.

Võ Phương Thảo, marketing manager of Paradise Vietnam Group, said it’s the first time she had found a suitable app having members with high profiles.

“I think dating is becoming more and more difficult in society. The app will help me save time and find interesting people to make friends with, some of whom could be my lover in the future,” said Phạm Quang Huy, a Shaper at Global Shapers.

However, according to Nguyễn Thanh An, an office clerk with low salary, the fee is too high.

“I cannot afford the membership fee,” she said. “Also, I find the profile requirements to be too strict. I think the service caters to only a limited number of customers, not for the majority of young people.

“If the profiles are genuine, then the members are those whom anyone would dream of dating,” she said, admitting the service had high-profile members. 

The company was ranked fourth among the most favourite 20 starts up in the country, while Ánh won a prize in the Female Start-Up category in the same contest, entitled Khát Vọng Tiên Phong (Desire to be Pioneers), hosted by the Vietnam Television and the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2016. — VNS

GLOSSARY

Yet unlike other services, which mostly aim to make profits, Rudicaf has higher criteria for selecting its customers.

The money made when you sell something, minus what it cost you to produce it, is the profit.

Criteria are standards by which things are measured.

Selecting means choosing.

“Their profiles are examined carefully before customers are allowed to be members,” said Vũ Nguyệt Ánh, CEO of the company.

A profile on a dating site is a post that introduces someone to visitors of the site and tells them who they are and what they are about.

“We don’t facilitate extra-marital relationships. Besides this rule, customers must have a steady income of at least VNĐ12 million (US$530) per month for men and VNĐ8 million for women.”

To facilitate something means to make it possible for it to happen.

An extra-marital relationship is one where at least one of the partners is married and should not be in another relationship.

Established in November 2016, the company has already drawn a membership of 200 Vietnamese people, 42 per cent of whom are graduate students from developed countries, 27 per cent are graduates from top universities in Việt Nam, and 18 per cent are people who have taken up important posts in companies and groups.

Graduates are people who have university degrees or similar qualifications.

Customers must first submit their CV and show proof of income.

To submit something means to hand it in.

CV stands for Curriculum Vitae. It is a document that explains where you have worked and what you did during your working career, which people need to hand in when they are looking for jobs.

Proof means evidence.

Your income is the money you earn.

 They are invited for a face-to-face interview to make sure that their profiles are genuine, and they are well-mannered.

An interview is a one-on-one meeting with someone to hear what they have to say and to find out about them.

Genuine means “for real”.

To be well-mannered means to behave in a civilised way that involves treating other people with respect.

 Further, if the customers are qualified, they can pay the fee package they choose, before being given accounts on a mobile app and passwords to be able to book a date with the members they are interested in.

To be qualified means to have passed a certain test in order to be acceptable.

A fee package is a special arrangement that involves a certain price being paid for a certain product or service.

A mobile app is an application that you can read and use on a mobile phone.

"Many men that women dream of, such as those with high-paid jobs, good education, and having cars and houses, are hardly interested in finding lovers, as they are busy pursuing hobbies like golf or travelling and have no time to attend to their lovers," Ánh said.

Hobbies are activities people do for fun. To pursue a hobby means to start one and keep doing it.

"Following their dates, they return to their happy independent lives and hobbies," the CEO added.

An independent life is one that a person lives, not needing anyone else to help him or her survive.

“We want to change gradually people’s conservative mindset about dating; many think only those who cannot find partners go for dating services or that dating is just to find a husband or a wife.”

Gradually means slowly and a little bit at a time.

A conservative mindset is a way of thinking that is traditional. People with conservative mindsets are not interested in taking in new ways of thinking and doing things.

Ánh had started the service earlier in 2010, when there were around 10 companies working in the same field. She had to give it up a year later, as she was burdened with a huge loan.

To be burdened means to be loaded with a lot to carry.

A loan is an arrangement that involves borrowing money and then having to pay it back.

“I know that many companies with the same services have met with similar obstacles,” she said.

Obstacles are problems that get in your way when you are trying to achieve something.

“I think I should be patient and pursue my passion with a kind heart to avoid being lured by profits, involving my company in social evil (extra-marital relationships).

To be lured by profits means to be attracted by profits.

“The most challenging thing is to change the people’s perception," she added.

Perceptions are what people think of you.

“After operating for six months, we do not dare announce that we are successful, but we can confirm that we have created a certain prestige,” she said.

Prestige means a way people see you that appears to be very smart. 

“It brings both pride and pressure to develop sustainably while sticking to our values.”

Sustainably means being able to survive by making as much money as you spend.

Phạm Minh Đức, CEO of vicare.vn, commented that the app was alluring.

Alluring means attractive and fascinating.

“It’s suitable for people like me who have to put in a lot of time into work and consequently, have no time for dating,” he said.

Consequently means “as a result”.

WORKSHEET

State whether the following sentences are true, or false:

1. The dating site was established in November last year.
2. Married people are welcome to join the web site.
3. According to the company’s figures, female customers are of 24-45 ages while male are 22-30.
4. Phạm Minh Đức is the marketing manager of Paradise Vietnam Group.
5. When Vũ Nguyệt Ánh started her company in 2010, there were ten others doing the same business.

ANSWERS:

© Duncan Guy/Learn the News/ Viet Nam News 2017

1. True; 2. False; 3. False; 4. False; 5. True.