I cannot emphasize how important punctuality is on first dates.

It seems like such a simple thing. And many people will go… “Ah but then?” But you be amazed by the percentage of people who are late on their first dates.

Last Saturday, 2 dates did not materialize because the guys were late.

The first guy is more forgivable I suppose as he actually went to the wrong branch of the restaurant. Instead of going to Suntec City, he went to Orchard instead. But by the time he arrived at the restaurant, the lady was already terribly worked up. They met at the entrance of the restaurant. And the lady was fuming. If I am not mistaken, he was 40 minutes late by then. They did not say much to each other as the guy figured that there was no point staying on if the lady was SO angry.

The second guy. He was late because he was waiting for a delivery at home. He was 30 minutes late. And by then, the lady has already left the restaurant.

Well, of course, under such circumstances, the most innocent victims are my poor dating consultants as they are the one at the brunt of the anger. 🙁 I feel sorry for my consultants, because they have done everything from arranging the date to reminding them of the date a day before. It is really out of their control if one party decides to be late. Or the other party decides to storm off after waiting too long. The perils of the job I guess…

Ok, here are some easily-applicable-pointers to help you be punctual on your first date.

ONE: Choose the right time. Choose to meet at a time you are most relaxed. Do not choose time in-between appointments. Do not arrange for home deliveries on the day you are going on a date. Allow yourself at least 2 hours prior to the date so that you can have time to prepare as well as calm those nerves.

TWO: Do your research. If it is an arranged date, find out at least a day before where the restaurant is. Use your street directory or you could always Google it up on the Internet. Or if you are the one choosing the venue, choose somewhere where you do not need to battle the traffic.

THREE: Plan your route in advance. If you know it usually takes 30 minutes to get there, leave your house/office 45-50 minutes prior to your date. Allocate time for unexpected traffic conditions, time to find a parking space. If you are early, you can always go to the washroom to freshen up or browse the bookstore.

FOUR: Set up a reminder structure. If you are one of those people who can be so engrossed  in something that you forget all about the time. Use your mobile phone’s alarm/appointment function to remind you about your appointment. And for goodness sake, do not put it on ‘snooze’ mode once your alarm beeps!

At the end of the day, first dates are all about first impressions. If you are late, your date might think you do not respect him/her. Or you are irresponsible. Or you have no control over your time. The conclusions they can draw are endless.

In the case of the first and second guy in the above scenarios, they are missing out on a chance to get to know their dates. The lady could have been someone they would have wanted to get to know better. By being late, they have sabotaged their chances.

So, the first step to a successful first date… be punctual! 🙂

What are your thoughts? If you were the lady, would you have stormed off? What was the longest time you have waited for your date? How long would you wait for your date before leaving? Do you think we are always late because we assume the other party will be late too? Has it become part of our culture?

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,