Sometimes I wonder just what the founding fathers of our country would think about how their vision of a free country has progressed since the founding of our country. Would they be proud of our progression of their concept, or would they wish they would have spent more time hammering out the Constitution to insure that certain liberties weren't perverted as they sometimes have been? I'll have to admit that I sometimes think that they must be rolling over in their graves...such as in regards to the removal of "The Ten Commandments" (TTC) from public places, and the prohibiting of our children expressing their spiritual beliefs to their friends at school in any sort of a formal way.
I believe that the core premise of founding our free country was to insure that it's people could believe and worship God, or their Creator, as they saw fit...each according to their own conscience, through the free exchange of ideas and beliefs.
Because our founding fathers were themselves not angels by any means (as has been revealed over and over again along the years), but had learned from their own shortcomings, they held to the premise that every human being should have the choice of how to morally live their lives. They seemed to mostly hold to the dictates of "The Ten Commandments" as a rule of thumb for morality, yet they clearly did not always measure up to the standard themselves. TTC was a standard to ASPIRE to, and each of our personal life journeys would show us the wisdom of holding to it, and the folly of going against it...learning from our mistakes, and becoming ultimately better for it.
A perfect example of this is the story of the Prodigal Son told in the Bible. The son insisted on receiving his inheritance and doing with it what he would (against the wise advice of his father), and yet eventually he came full circle and realized the error of his ways. He returned home with obedience and humility in his heart...choosing the right path, after all was said and done, because he WANTED to. And I believe that our predecessors took that leap of faith about the future citizens of our country...believing that, even if we screwed up, we would find our way back to what was right and decent. The thought being that, it does no good to force people to be moral and obedient to their Creator if their HEART isn't in it...as it is the condition of the mind and heart that is most important to our Deity. And those that choose NOT to turn from their sins do so of their own free will, and not because they weren't given the freedom to choose the path they took. After all, the whole basic premise of salvation is to willingly surrender your sinful nature and choose obedience to God...it must come from the heart, and not be forced upon anyone. That's very difficult to do if you don't live in a free environment.
Indeed, what good does it do to force someone to behave a certain way in society if they don't do it for the right reasons? As human psychology has shown us, to force a human being to do anything other than the dictates of their heart is to instill resentment and rebellion of the very concepts that are being enforced...and a longing for the freedom to choose to do the opposite of what is being enforced. And the bottom line of this whole train of thought is, that if any of us truly ONLY have to answer to our Creator for our actions and thoughts, we should be able to choose what those actions and thoughts will be...answering only to our God for our shortcomings, failures, and sins...and not to any MAN, such as a monarch or dictator...or even a particular religious sect. If free thought, the free exchange of ideas, and the freedom to seek "the truth" is stifled, then how are we to grow into the human beings that the Creator intended us to be?
I think that this whole concept of freedom totally escapes our fellow human beings in other parts of the world. And I believe that it is archaic to force human beings to live and think one particular way. Those that enforce such policies might have just as well crawled out from under a rock during the Stone Age, in my opinion. They are stunting the growth of their own people, and preventing them from becoming the wise and spiritual beings that the Creator intended. Those like the terrorists abroad, who think we Americans are evil and a blight on humanity, are only trying to CONTROL their own people for their own personal means of satisfaction...which IS EVIL. Those that have lived in that type of controlled environment, and then have tasted the sweet taste of FREEDOM, know that this is true. And for those who have not tasted freedom, we must continue to carry on "the good fight" to spread freedom across the globe. Hopefully, one day ALL will grow from the freedom of choice...which is one big step closer to peace.
Much love and respect,
~Lady*Liberty~
Please take a few moments and view this inspiring tribute to all the brave souls that have fought and died for our freedom...The Spirit of America
Related Links:
The US Constitution
Enchanted Learning
Early America
Wikipedia
The Ten Commandments
Wikipedia
Religious Tolerance
For Kids: Top Marks
911 Tribute Links ~ Let us NEVER forget...
Coping.org
Remember the Blood of Heroes
America Attacked 9/11
NOTE: Visit the "other" Lady Liberty site (not mine, or me), that has been around much longer on the web than I have. Although we are both from the mid-West, we don't know (or have ever met) each other. Still, I'm amazed that our views (on some topics) are so similar. There are great links on the site related to this post, and I will most likely refer to articles at this site in the future...especially in posts regarding government.
The related link for this post is:
"The Truth, So Help Me God"
And Lady Liberty's home page is:
Lady Liberty's Constitution Clearing House
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
A Guide to participating (or NOT) in Phone Surveys
It is high time that someone wrote a guide about phone surveys for the American (and Canadian) public. Now I am going to do just that, and I'm sure you'll find this guide informative and enlightening. You may even want to thank me for it on down the road, so pull up a seat and read-up.
Nowadays, no one goes unscathed when it comes to calls from people asking your opinion. And even with all the new-fangled Privacy Managers and Caller ID boxes, there's still a call or two that slips through to YOU. Some of you hang up, some of you politely decline to participate, some of you yell into the phone or have some sort of rude message intended to intimidate telemarketers, some of you put your kid on the phone to screen your calls, some of you lie and say you've moved or you aren't there, some of you let Mom or Dad handle the call, some of you say you don't have the time, some of you try to invoke the "Don't Call List Rule" (which doesn't apply to Market Research at all, by the way, because they're not selling anything), some of you give the market research company calling you the run-a-round and keep rescheduling the call with no intention of taking it, and some of you simply say you're not interested and hang up before you even know what it's about. And for all of you, I'm going to explain why you are doing exactly the wrong thing, and why it might just be in your best interest to take a little time and DO the interview. But for those of you that just can't stand to be interviewed, well, no market research company out there wants anyone to give their opinion with a bad attitude...and for you, I will explain just HOW to get those phone calls to stop. It will save you, and the market research company calling you, tons of wasted time and aggravation.
Have you wondered just WHY certain companies keep calling you to ask about what radio stations you like, what grocery store you shop at, which phone book you use, etc? They are calling because some company out there (that you most likely do business with, or is in your neighborhood) has paid a ton of money for them to do it....literally thousands and sometimes millions to find out what YOU think about a certain product, store, song, car, hospital, movie, TV program...the list goes on and on. And the only reason why any one company pays for this research, and your valuable opinion, is to get a grip on what the consumers around them want and need, and then cater to those wants and needs. They are trying to find out the best way to acquire YOUR business/money, and the only way to do that is to poll the public and get it straight from the consumer. The job of the market research company is to collect the opinions of the public, and then condense the information into figures that are easy for the client to understand, so that they can take the appropriate measures to gain you as a customer, or keep you if you're an existing one. Consumer research is the meat and potatoes of commercial innovation, as the public opinion is constantly changing, and smart providers know they must cater to their clients in order to stay in business. FOR THAT REASON ALONE, you should participate in surveys that have ANY relevance to your interests and life.
Survey Do's and Dont's
The Do's...
Do stay on the line long enough to find out exactly what the interviewer is wanting to interview you about. There's a few reasons for this. One, you may actually be able to give direct input on a subject, store, or product that is a part of your everyday life. Two, many research companies will simply automatically schedule you to be called again if you don't stay on the line long enough to find out the purpose of the interview. Market research companies in general have rules for preserving their database numbers that may have potential for future successful interviews. If you hang up or cut the interviewer off before the mission statement (which is usually in the first couple of sentences of their script), they'll assume that perhaps the next time someone more amenable to the interview might answer, and they will call you back. If you refuse AFTER the mission statement, and have assessed that you don't want to do the interview, politely tell the interviewer that you are not interested in that topic. Then ask them to permanently remove you "from their company's database", if you don't want them to call you again. In some instances, you may have to ask to speak to a supervisor to get removed. Simply saying that you want to be removed from their "list" is not good enough. If you are not VERY specific about being removed "from their company's database", you will most likely be called again in a week or two. Asking to be permanently removed from a specific company's database is the ONLY sure way to NOT be called by them again.
NOTE: There are a few companies out there that have a different philosophy about number removals. I do applaud those companies that realize that "NO" means "NO", and won't call a respondent back if they say they're not interested, don't have time, take me off the list, or when whoever answers the phone hangs up before the mission statement is finished. However, since theses companies choose NOT to be pushy, you may miss your opportunity to participate in an interview (that you would prefer to do) if the person that answers the call is negative or uncooperative about participating in the interview...or about giving information about when a good time is to call back. These are usually larger companies that have a huge database of numbers. They simply don't want to waste time and money re-calling a seemingly uncooperative respondent. That is especially true when conducting Customer Satisfaction interviews. A Customer Satisfaction interview is one in where a company, that you actually do business with, has hired the market research company to call you and find out what you like or dislike about your business association with them. In those interviews, the market research company IS allowed to say who they are conducting the surveys for, and most likely will give you that information in the first two lines of the interview screening script. Above all interviews, these are the ones that are going to have the most relevance to your life, and I stongly advise you to participate whenever possible. If you have "issues" with the company or service, then you most certainly should give your input.
If you decide that you want to do interviews with a market research company, BE VERY SPECIFIC as to how often you wish to be called by them...if it is the type of interview that is recurring...for example: Music or Radio Interviews. Many market research computer software programs have a "notes field" where the interviewer can make a note about the frequency that you wish to be called by them. In most cases, they will do their best to abide by your request in order to retain you as a long-term interviewee. Sometimes they might accidentally call you sooner, as some of the software programs kick numbers back into the system after a set amount of time (say, after 1 month or two), but for the most part the calls will remain within your given parameters. If the interviewer tells you that they have no way to leave such a note (as some companies do not utilize the notes field provided in their software), then you may have to request database removal in order not to be called.
In case you didn't know, some interviews actually PAY MONEY. It could be $5, $10, $15, $20, $25, or sometimes even more. This totally depends on the company, the client paying for the market research, and the subject matter. In most cases, payment will be received within 4-6 weeks of the conclusion date of that particular study. Companies that pay will usually give you their toll free number to call them back if there's a problem in receiving payment. If a company says it pays for your opinions, always make sure you get their number, the research study number, and record the date that you participated in the study...along with the name of the interviewer. Reputable companies will pay you as promised, because they will want to call you again, and they know you won't participate again if you're upset about not getting paid the previous time.
DO take the time to understand the questions asked of you, and give your most truthful answer. The answers you give may contribute to lowering the prices at your local grocery store, the next car you're buying, your cable service, etc. Or, your answers may contribute to improved personal services at a particular store, your optician, a car dealership, your local hospital or doctor's office, or whatever business the study was about. Basically, participating in a market research interview is like voting or participating in a poll...and it's your opportunity to have a say in what changes or innovations take place regarding the topic.
DO give an accurate callback time if you can't do the interview right then and there. Most market research companies will ask you when would be a better or more convenient time to call you back for the interview, and they WILL call you back at that time...it's like making an appointment for the interview. They do realize that sometimes life is unpredictable, and don't have a problem rescheduling again. However, any time that you don't participate right away, or decline your appointment, you run the risk of not having any say at all. Once all the study quotas are filled, the study will be over and you'll be left out. Most often, rescheduling for a week away or more is a sure guarantee that you will miss the study deadline. Instruct family members when you DO want to participate in a certain study, and what date and time, so that they can relay the correct message to the interviewer when they call back.
DO give permission to ex-room mates, family members, etc. to give a forwarding number if you've moved to another location since the intial contact of the market research company. If you move to another place in the same area, the market research company will do a number change and call you at your new residence. You'll get to do the interview, and the reserach company won't be calling and bugging your family or ex-room mate asking for you at the old number. If you've moved to another city, they'll most likely remove you from their database altogether, as the calls are placed according to location or region. And if the intial contact was on your cell phone, and you don't wish to be called on your cell, they will be happy to do a number change to a landline phone for you as well.
DO listen to the instructions that the interviewer gives you in regards to answering the questions during the interview. The instructions are designed to make the interview go faster. Also, don't interrupt the interviewer while they are in the middle of reading their script. Interviewers are required to deliver the interview in a certain way, and are instructed to make sure you hear all the information and choices before answering the questions. This is done to prevent bias and corrupted data. If an interviewer is reading a multiple choice list, for instance, let them finish before answering. If you don't let them finish, they'll just inform you that they must read all questions and choices before accepting an answer...and you will have just wasted time, instead of moving along in a timely manner. The only time you should interrupt is when you don't understand the question, and then the interviewer is limited on whether or not they can offer an explanation. Most of the time, the interviewer is to read their script VERBATIM ONLY. If you don't understand a term or phrase, that is also part of the data collection, and is marked as a DK (Don't Know) in the interview.
Do keep a list of the market research companies that you interview with, and the corresponding phone number from the caller ID. That way when they call you back, you'll know exactly WHO is calling you. If you don't have caller ID, then just keep a company name list for reference (and notes from previous interviews) to refresh your memory about how the interviews went, and whether you want to interview with them again. Having that information at your fingertips (like on a notepad near the phone) will assist you in how to handle the next phone call, and prevent you from declining an interview that you DO want to participate in.
The Dont's...
DON'T use a "gatekeeper" to screen your calls. The term "gatekeeper" is used to refer to anyone in your household who seems to be screening your calls...be it a child, parent, grandparent, sibling, room mate, or mate. "Gatekeeper" calls ALWAYS get called back (with the possible exception of Customer Satisfaction interviews, or calls from a company with a large database of numbers), sometimes the very next day. If you've participated in a study with a company before, they are going to assume that the "gatekeeper" is screening your calls without your knowledge or permission. They will make a "gatekeeper note", and reschedule the call for a day and time when they think that the gatekeeper may not answer. If you don't wish to be called by a market research company again, get on the phone YOURSELF and tell them so. Many market research companies won't remove you from their database unless YOU personally tell them to, and they pay NO attention to gatekeeper instructions...except when the gatekeeper is cooperative and gives them a callback time.
DON'T have a child answer your phone, or act as a gatekeeper. I can't begin to tell you how many kids have answered the phone, when I've worked as an interviewer, and told me that their parents weren't at home...a staggering number. NO CHILD should ever tell a stranger that their parents aren't at home, or indicate that they are at home alone...even if it's not true. Although market research companies do screen their employees before hiring, it's not an infallible process. The market research interviewer has access to your phone number, and could look it up on the internet and actually find out the location of your home. Even though I've never heard of this happening, there is always the possibility that a pedophile could be on the other end of that phone...and knows that you sometimes leave your child at home alone. The "Jeffrey Dahmers" of the world should be reason enough to not allow your child to act as your "gatekeeper" on the telephone. Be an adult, and answer your own phone calls. At the very least, instruct your child on how to answer phone calls coming into your home...and NOT to give out personal information over the phone to strangers.
DON'T say: "I'm not interested", "Take me off the list", or "I don't have time". These instructions may be clear to you, but to a market research company it is only an indication that they may need to wait a week before they call you back. Many times it is much sooner than a week...sometimes only a couple of days. As I stated before, YOU must personally get on the phone with the interviewer and instruct them to remove your phone number from their company's phone list database. Anything else, and you'll get called back.
DON'T yell at the interviewer or be abusive. Although this may insure that you are permanently removed from the database (as most market research companies don't expect their employees to tolerate abuse), there is always the off-chance that the interviewer may PURPOSELY make sure you get called back because you pissed them off. They're not supposed to, and will be reprimanded if caught, but the companies don't always catch isolated incidences. Besides, it's just plain rude and bad manners to do such a thing...you're better than that, aren't you? You may be yelling at a really nice person who is just trying to make an honest living. If you were doing that kind of work, how would YOU feel about such behavior being directed towards you?
DON'T start an interview if you don't have time to see it through to the end. If you don't finish an interview, most likely the whole thing will be tossed (if it isn't completed to a certain point), and all the time you did spend on it will be for nothing. You and the interviewer will have wasted the time you both spent on the interview. If an emergency (or some other reason) prevents you from finishing the interview, the interviewer most times can SUSPEND the interview and call you back to finish it at the point where you stopped. Just be sure to finish it fairly soon (before the study ends), and give an accurate callback time to finish it. NOTE: It has been my experience that most market research companies are not exactly honest about how long an interview will take. The longer the interview, the less likely they are to be honest. (This is something that I always hated in this line of work, because I don't like being dishonest with people.) The only reason this happens is that the market research companies are afraid that if you perceive the study to be too long, you will decline to participate. Moreover, they prohibit the actual interviewer from varying from the script to give you the real-time of the interview. The interviewer isn't lying to you, the company they work for is...the interviewer is just the deliverer of the interview script given to them.
DON'T ask the interviewer what client they are calling for. Sometimes they are told who, and sometimes they are not. But most importantly, all interviewers are instructed to not reveal that information to the interviewee. The reasoning for this is that giving you that information may bias you in some way, or cause you to answer the interview questions in a non-true slant...causing the collected data to be impure or corrupted. You won't get an answer to the question, so don't bother badgering the interviewer into revealing that information...they're simply NOT allowed to do it for fear of their job. Biasing or corrupting an interview in ANY WAY is a terminable offense in ANY market research company.
Lastly, I want to reiterate that Market Research companies are NOT in ANY WAY governed by the National "DO NOT CALL LIST". That list is specifically designed to govern TELEMARKETERS, NOT SURVEYS. Most market research companies don't call any time zone after 9 PM...as a courtesy, but they are not legally bound in any way by the national telemarketing law. In some states, there is a state law that prohibits any commercial calls after 9 PM. You will need to check your individual state's law to see if this is the case in your state. There are also some laws regarding interviewing minors. Some states don't allow it without parental consent, and some do....and sometimes it is "subject specific". If your child is receiving calls for unwanted interviews, check your state law before sticking your foot in your mouth about the subject. No market research company would be asking to speak with your minor child by name unless they had at least completed a "screening interview" and had qualified to be called back. If you don't want your child participating in interviews, then you need to speak with them about it BEFORE you start being inundated with phone calls.
And for those of you that wonder why an interviewer wants your age, income range, education level, and ethnicity...well, that's how the studies are broken down and analyzed. All market research companies collect data from a wide range of age groups, locations, income levels, education levels, and ethnicities in order to be fair to and accurately represent all groups. That's the ONLY reason they ask you those questions, and they never share the information you give them with anyone. The information is used for data grouping purposes only.
I may add to this article later on, as new information and ideas come to the fore. But for now, this should give you plenty of helpful information to consider and utilize. I WILL be posting a guide on participating in ONLINE surveys as a follow-up to this article in the future.
Happy interviewing! (Or NOT!)
Love and respect,
~Lady*Liberty~
Related Links:
ManagementHelp.org
Wikipedia: Definition
Wikipedia: Expanded definition and types
KnowThis.com: Focus on Market Research
Marketing Research Association
Industry news, new code, new bylaws
Inc.com: Market Research How-To Guide
HowStuffWorks.com
"How Market Research Works"
ResearchInfo.com
Free Marketing Research Resources
Nowadays, no one goes unscathed when it comes to calls from people asking your opinion. And even with all the new-fangled Privacy Managers and Caller ID boxes, there's still a call or two that slips through to YOU. Some of you hang up, some of you politely decline to participate, some of you yell into the phone or have some sort of rude message intended to intimidate telemarketers, some of you put your kid on the phone to screen your calls, some of you lie and say you've moved or you aren't there, some of you let Mom or Dad handle the call, some of you say you don't have the time, some of you try to invoke the "Don't Call List Rule" (which doesn't apply to Market Research at all, by the way, because they're not selling anything), some of you give the market research company calling you the run-a-round and keep rescheduling the call with no intention of taking it, and some of you simply say you're not interested and hang up before you even know what it's about. And for all of you, I'm going to explain why you are doing exactly the wrong thing, and why it might just be in your best interest to take a little time and DO the interview. But for those of you that just can't stand to be interviewed, well, no market research company out there wants anyone to give their opinion with a bad attitude...and for you, I will explain just HOW to get those phone calls to stop. It will save you, and the market research company calling you, tons of wasted time and aggravation.
Have you wondered just WHY certain companies keep calling you to ask about what radio stations you like, what grocery store you shop at, which phone book you use, etc? They are calling because some company out there (that you most likely do business with, or is in your neighborhood) has paid a ton of money for them to do it....literally thousands and sometimes millions to find out what YOU think about a certain product, store, song, car, hospital, movie, TV program...the list goes on and on. And the only reason why any one company pays for this research, and your valuable opinion, is to get a grip on what the consumers around them want and need, and then cater to those wants and needs. They are trying to find out the best way to acquire YOUR business/money, and the only way to do that is to poll the public and get it straight from the consumer. The job of the market research company is to collect the opinions of the public, and then condense the information into figures that are easy for the client to understand, so that they can take the appropriate measures to gain you as a customer, or keep you if you're an existing one. Consumer research is the meat and potatoes of commercial innovation, as the public opinion is constantly changing, and smart providers know they must cater to their clients in order to stay in business. FOR THAT REASON ALONE, you should participate in surveys that have ANY relevance to your interests and life.
Survey Do's and Dont's
The Do's...
Do stay on the line long enough to find out exactly what the interviewer is wanting to interview you about. There's a few reasons for this. One, you may actually be able to give direct input on a subject, store, or product that is a part of your everyday life. Two, many research companies will simply automatically schedule you to be called again if you don't stay on the line long enough to find out the purpose of the interview. Market research companies in general have rules for preserving their database numbers that may have potential for future successful interviews. If you hang up or cut the interviewer off before the mission statement (which is usually in the first couple of sentences of their script), they'll assume that perhaps the next time someone more amenable to the interview might answer, and they will call you back. If you refuse AFTER the mission statement, and have assessed that you don't want to do the interview, politely tell the interviewer that you are not interested in that topic. Then ask them to permanently remove you "from their company's database", if you don't want them to call you again. In some instances, you may have to ask to speak to a supervisor to get removed. Simply saying that you want to be removed from their "list" is not good enough. If you are not VERY specific about being removed "from their company's database", you will most likely be called again in a week or two. Asking to be permanently removed from a specific company's database is the ONLY sure way to NOT be called by them again.
NOTE: There are a few companies out there that have a different philosophy about number removals. I do applaud those companies that realize that "NO" means "NO", and won't call a respondent back if they say they're not interested, don't have time, take me off the list, or when whoever answers the phone hangs up before the mission statement is finished. However, since theses companies choose NOT to be pushy, you may miss your opportunity to participate in an interview (that you would prefer to do) if the person that answers the call is negative or uncooperative about participating in the interview...or about giving information about when a good time is to call back. These are usually larger companies that have a huge database of numbers. They simply don't want to waste time and money re-calling a seemingly uncooperative respondent. That is especially true when conducting Customer Satisfaction interviews. A Customer Satisfaction interview is one in where a company, that you actually do business with, has hired the market research company to call you and find out what you like or dislike about your business association with them. In those interviews, the market research company IS allowed to say who they are conducting the surveys for, and most likely will give you that information in the first two lines of the interview screening script. Above all interviews, these are the ones that are going to have the most relevance to your life, and I stongly advise you to participate whenever possible. If you have "issues" with the company or service, then you most certainly should give your input.
If you decide that you want to do interviews with a market research company, BE VERY SPECIFIC as to how often you wish to be called by them...if it is the type of interview that is recurring...for example: Music or Radio Interviews. Many market research computer software programs have a "notes field" where the interviewer can make a note about the frequency that you wish to be called by them. In most cases, they will do their best to abide by your request in order to retain you as a long-term interviewee. Sometimes they might accidentally call you sooner, as some of the software programs kick numbers back into the system after a set amount of time (say, after 1 month or two), but for the most part the calls will remain within your given parameters. If the interviewer tells you that they have no way to leave such a note (as some companies do not utilize the notes field provided in their software), then you may have to request database removal in order not to be called.
In case you didn't know, some interviews actually PAY MONEY. It could be $5, $10, $15, $20, $25, or sometimes even more. This totally depends on the company, the client paying for the market research, and the subject matter. In most cases, payment will be received within 4-6 weeks of the conclusion date of that particular study. Companies that pay will usually give you their toll free number to call them back if there's a problem in receiving payment. If a company says it pays for your opinions, always make sure you get their number, the research study number, and record the date that you participated in the study...along with the name of the interviewer. Reputable companies will pay you as promised, because they will want to call you again, and they know you won't participate again if you're upset about not getting paid the previous time.
DO take the time to understand the questions asked of you, and give your most truthful answer. The answers you give may contribute to lowering the prices at your local grocery store, the next car you're buying, your cable service, etc. Or, your answers may contribute to improved personal services at a particular store, your optician, a car dealership, your local hospital or doctor's office, or whatever business the study was about. Basically, participating in a market research interview is like voting or participating in a poll...and it's your opportunity to have a say in what changes or innovations take place regarding the topic.
DO give an accurate callback time if you can't do the interview right then and there. Most market research companies will ask you when would be a better or more convenient time to call you back for the interview, and they WILL call you back at that time...it's like making an appointment for the interview. They do realize that sometimes life is unpredictable, and don't have a problem rescheduling again. However, any time that you don't participate right away, or decline your appointment, you run the risk of not having any say at all. Once all the study quotas are filled, the study will be over and you'll be left out. Most often, rescheduling for a week away or more is a sure guarantee that you will miss the study deadline. Instruct family members when you DO want to participate in a certain study, and what date and time, so that they can relay the correct message to the interviewer when they call back.
DO give permission to ex-room mates, family members, etc. to give a forwarding number if you've moved to another location since the intial contact of the market research company. If you move to another place in the same area, the market research company will do a number change and call you at your new residence. You'll get to do the interview, and the reserach company won't be calling and bugging your family or ex-room mate asking for you at the old number. If you've moved to another city, they'll most likely remove you from their database altogether, as the calls are placed according to location or region. And if the intial contact was on your cell phone, and you don't wish to be called on your cell, they will be happy to do a number change to a landline phone for you as well.
DO listen to the instructions that the interviewer gives you in regards to answering the questions during the interview. The instructions are designed to make the interview go faster. Also, don't interrupt the interviewer while they are in the middle of reading their script. Interviewers are required to deliver the interview in a certain way, and are instructed to make sure you hear all the information and choices before answering the questions. This is done to prevent bias and corrupted data. If an interviewer is reading a multiple choice list, for instance, let them finish before answering. If you don't let them finish, they'll just inform you that they must read all questions and choices before accepting an answer...and you will have just wasted time, instead of moving along in a timely manner. The only time you should interrupt is when you don't understand the question, and then the interviewer is limited on whether or not they can offer an explanation. Most of the time, the interviewer is to read their script VERBATIM ONLY. If you don't understand a term or phrase, that is also part of the data collection, and is marked as a DK (Don't Know) in the interview.
Do keep a list of the market research companies that you interview with, and the corresponding phone number from the caller ID. That way when they call you back, you'll know exactly WHO is calling you. If you don't have caller ID, then just keep a company name list for reference (and notes from previous interviews) to refresh your memory about how the interviews went, and whether you want to interview with them again. Having that information at your fingertips (like on a notepad near the phone) will assist you in how to handle the next phone call, and prevent you from declining an interview that you DO want to participate in.
The Dont's...
DON'T use a "gatekeeper" to screen your calls. The term "gatekeeper" is used to refer to anyone in your household who seems to be screening your calls...be it a child, parent, grandparent, sibling, room mate, or mate. "Gatekeeper" calls ALWAYS get called back (with the possible exception of Customer Satisfaction interviews, or calls from a company with a large database of numbers), sometimes the very next day. If you've participated in a study with a company before, they are going to assume that the "gatekeeper" is screening your calls without your knowledge or permission. They will make a "gatekeeper note", and reschedule the call for a day and time when they think that the gatekeeper may not answer. If you don't wish to be called by a market research company again, get on the phone YOURSELF and tell them so. Many market research companies won't remove you from their database unless YOU personally tell them to, and they pay NO attention to gatekeeper instructions...except when the gatekeeper is cooperative and gives them a callback time.
DON'T have a child answer your phone, or act as a gatekeeper. I can't begin to tell you how many kids have answered the phone, when I've worked as an interviewer, and told me that their parents weren't at home...a staggering number. NO CHILD should ever tell a stranger that their parents aren't at home, or indicate that they are at home alone...even if it's not true. Although market research companies do screen their employees before hiring, it's not an infallible process. The market research interviewer has access to your phone number, and could look it up on the internet and actually find out the location of your home. Even though I've never heard of this happening, there is always the possibility that a pedophile could be on the other end of that phone...and knows that you sometimes leave your child at home alone. The "Jeffrey Dahmers" of the world should be reason enough to not allow your child to act as your "gatekeeper" on the telephone. Be an adult, and answer your own phone calls. At the very least, instruct your child on how to answer phone calls coming into your home...and NOT to give out personal information over the phone to strangers.
DON'T say: "I'm not interested", "Take me off the list", or "I don't have time". These instructions may be clear to you, but to a market research company it is only an indication that they may need to wait a week before they call you back. Many times it is much sooner than a week...sometimes only a couple of days. As I stated before, YOU must personally get on the phone with the interviewer and instruct them to remove your phone number from their company's phone list database. Anything else, and you'll get called back.
DON'T yell at the interviewer or be abusive. Although this may insure that you are permanently removed from the database (as most market research companies don't expect their employees to tolerate abuse), there is always the off-chance that the interviewer may PURPOSELY make sure you get called back because you pissed them off. They're not supposed to, and will be reprimanded if caught, but the companies don't always catch isolated incidences. Besides, it's just plain rude and bad manners to do such a thing...you're better than that, aren't you? You may be yelling at a really nice person who is just trying to make an honest living. If you were doing that kind of work, how would YOU feel about such behavior being directed towards you?
DON'T start an interview if you don't have time to see it through to the end. If you don't finish an interview, most likely the whole thing will be tossed (if it isn't completed to a certain point), and all the time you did spend on it will be for nothing. You and the interviewer will have wasted the time you both spent on the interview. If an emergency (or some other reason) prevents you from finishing the interview, the interviewer most times can SUSPEND the interview and call you back to finish it at the point where you stopped. Just be sure to finish it fairly soon (before the study ends), and give an accurate callback time to finish it. NOTE: It has been my experience that most market research companies are not exactly honest about how long an interview will take. The longer the interview, the less likely they are to be honest. (This is something that I always hated in this line of work, because I don't like being dishonest with people.) The only reason this happens is that the market research companies are afraid that if you perceive the study to be too long, you will decline to participate. Moreover, they prohibit the actual interviewer from varying from the script to give you the real-time of the interview. The interviewer isn't lying to you, the company they work for is...the interviewer is just the deliverer of the interview script given to them.
DON'T ask the interviewer what client they are calling for. Sometimes they are told who, and sometimes they are not. But most importantly, all interviewers are instructed to not reveal that information to the interviewee. The reasoning for this is that giving you that information may bias you in some way, or cause you to answer the interview questions in a non-true slant...causing the collected data to be impure or corrupted. You won't get an answer to the question, so don't bother badgering the interviewer into revealing that information...they're simply NOT allowed to do it for fear of their job. Biasing or corrupting an interview in ANY WAY is a terminable offense in ANY market research company.
Lastly, I want to reiterate that Market Research companies are NOT in ANY WAY governed by the National "DO NOT CALL LIST". That list is specifically designed to govern TELEMARKETERS, NOT SURVEYS. Most market research companies don't call any time zone after 9 PM...as a courtesy, but they are not legally bound in any way by the national telemarketing law. In some states, there is a state law that prohibits any commercial calls after 9 PM. You will need to check your individual state's law to see if this is the case in your state. There are also some laws regarding interviewing minors. Some states don't allow it without parental consent, and some do....and sometimes it is "subject specific". If your child is receiving calls for unwanted interviews, check your state law before sticking your foot in your mouth about the subject. No market research company would be asking to speak with your minor child by name unless they had at least completed a "screening interview" and had qualified to be called back. If you don't want your child participating in interviews, then you need to speak with them about it BEFORE you start being inundated with phone calls.
And for those of you that wonder why an interviewer wants your age, income range, education level, and ethnicity...well, that's how the studies are broken down and analyzed. All market research companies collect data from a wide range of age groups, locations, income levels, education levels, and ethnicities in order to be fair to and accurately represent all groups. That's the ONLY reason they ask you those questions, and they never share the information you give them with anyone. The information is used for data grouping purposes only.
I may add to this article later on, as new information and ideas come to the fore. But for now, this should give you plenty of helpful information to consider and utilize. I WILL be posting a guide on participating in ONLINE surveys as a follow-up to this article in the future.
Happy interviewing! (Or NOT!)
Love and respect,
~Lady*Liberty~
Related Links:
ManagementHelp.org
Wikipedia: Definition
Wikipedia: Expanded definition and types
KnowThis.com: Focus on Market Research
Marketing Research Association
Industry news, new code, new bylaws
Inc.com: Market Research How-To Guide
HowStuffWorks.com
"How Market Research Works"
ResearchInfo.com
Free Marketing Research Resources
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
