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Looking for love on the Internet? You can't be serious, says Beatrice Gruss, the self-styled Buckhead maven of romance.

For 25 years, Gruss has been in the business of personal matchmaking. Her company, Traditional Matchmakers, has established a solid track record by doing things the old-fashioned way.

Alexander Acosta/aacosta@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Beatrice Gruss, who runs Traditional Matchmakers, says her work has led to hundreds of weddings -- a success rate that depends in part on her keen understanding of the human psyche.

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Just how solid that record is remains top secret. Gruss won't divulge numbers or give out names of satisfied customers, so it's her word that the process is working. But she insists it is, with "hundreds of weddings" resulting from her efforts and 62 percent of her clients making a connection with just five introductions.

"My clients could afford the $40 a month to go online, but they're more committed," said Gruss. "They don't want to waste their time and they're not using the computer to make friends."

Those clients fit into a profile that includes being physically fit and honest about what they want in a mate or date. They're financially solvent and willing to pay an average of $675 for five introductions. And they're willing to trust Gruss' instinct.

"It's all about listening very well and having a visual sense of who goes with whom," said Gruss, a happily married grandmother. "People who are executive searchers do the same thing. They use facts such as, what do you do and how long have you done it? My facts are, have you been married, how many times and do you have children?"

Gruss has perfected her techniques during the last quarter century, borrowing ideas from her youth in Romania, where matchmaking was a traditional way of meeting a mate; her love of literature; and a keen understanding of the human psyche.

"When I started, people thought I was crazy," admits Gruss. "But I knew I'd be good at it."

Though the process relies heavily on one-on-one sessions with Gruss, it actually can start online.

Eight years ago, when Internet dating sites were drawing thousands of customers, Gruss realized it was time to enter the 21st century. She recruited her two tech-savvy sons, now in their mid-30s, to create a Web site that allows potential clients to fill out a questionnaire and send in a photo to get the ball rolling.

"From there, I talk to them on the phone and see if we can work together," said Gruss. "When I have a possibility for them, I can send info and a photo. But no one can peruse our database."

Gruss has also adapted her attitude toward the age ranges of clients she'll take on. At one time, her guidelines were a good deal stricter; today, her clients' ages range from the late 20s into the 60s.

"I used not to interview men under 28, though I've always interviewed women as young as they want to come," said Gruss. "And I used to take women only into their early 50s; now, it's into the 60s. But my main client pool is in their 30s to 60s."

Gruss says her success is based on not just offering a high-end service, but on finding a match tailor-made for the client. It's a service that she doesn't see going out of style anytime soon.

"The Internet is proof that there is a need for this service," she said. "Face it — this is happiness. I'm sure there's no end in sight for that. If I had the stamina, I'd grow [the business] even bigger. As it is, I'm waiting for one of my sons to take over. But I'm not about to quit yet."