# Ask the person who calls people--telephone surveys **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 17, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056 "2012-10-17T20:07:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/81 "2012-10-18T14:38:57Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > \ \ Are you a moderator? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/82 "2012-10-18T14:44:50Z")
[Apparently **Flyer** doesn’t like people calling _him,_ either](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15472242&postcount=20), but in an odd sort of way: > [@Flyer](#): > > … I hate receiving texts. A phone is for CALLING people. An acquaintance once sent me a text, and I flat-out told him “Don’t do that again.” > > When I become Dictator of the World, I will ban the sale of cell phones that can do anything other than making and receiving calls. If you want to do something other than a phone call, you shouldn’t be using a phone. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/83 "2012-10-18T14:51:35Z")
I believe the OP can sum this thread up with a response to himself: > [@Encouraging Greed](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encouraging-greed/634948/1): > > You are very lucky that stupidity is not a crime, because if it were, you would be tortured to death as punishment. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/84 "2012-10-18T14:53:17Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Are you a moderator? That’s a joke right? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/85 "2012-10-18T14:55:16Z")
That’s what \*she \*said! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/86 "2012-10-18T14:56:04Z")
> [@al27052](#): > > For all of you who hate surveys, how are companies supposed to improve their products and services without surveys? By trying things out, doing more of the ones that work, and abandoning the ones that don’t. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/87 "2012-10-18T14:59:57Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Actually, **Flyer** DID suggest a useful magic incantation. I’d suggest a useful magic incantation for phone spammers, but _Avada kedavra_ doesn’t work in the real world. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/88 "2012-10-18T15:00:06Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > You know, if I’m ever in charge of hiring people and I have two candidates who are otherwise even as far as qualifications and suitability but one worked as any kind of telemarketer or phone surveyor, that would be a good enough reason to not employ them. In other words, you want somebody who will break down crying the first time a customer gets really nasty. I’ve seen that happen more than once in low-paying jobs. As evidenced by this thread, a lot of people can be really unpleasant to someone else, merely because of the type of job that person has. I can take it just fine, and I can respond in kind when I feel it’s appropriate, but a lot of people can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/89 "2012-10-18T15:05:26Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > That’s what \*she \*said! Did you verify she was a she? ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/90 "2012-10-18T15:06:12Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Flyer - I was specifically asking if your collecting data on behalf of another company results in the establishment of a business relationship between the consumer and that company, not with **your** polling company. Sorry about the misunderstanding. In a lot of cases, we’re not even told who sponsors the survey, to avoid any possibility of biasing the results. However, sometimes other polling firms contract out work to us, and those surveys state the name of the company in question. Based on that, and other little indications that I’ve picked up over time, I’m fairly certain that we do little or no work for “commercial” companies. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/91 "2012-10-18T15:09:17Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > In other words, you want somebody who will break down crying the first time a customer gets really nasty. > > I’ve seen that happen more than once in low-paying jobs. As evidenced by this thread, a lot of people can be really unpleasant to someone else, merely because of the type of job that person has. I can take it just fine, and I can respond in kind when I feel it’s appropriate, but a lot of people can’t. Since you’re being paid the fabulous sum of nearly nine bucks an hour don’t you think the people you call/annoy/harrass should also be paid? Why do you think they should give you their time for free? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/92 "2012-10-18T15:10:24Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > a lot of people can be really unpleasant to someone else, merely because of the type of job that person has Did you crib that from the closing defense argument at one of the Nuremburg trials? ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/93 "2012-10-18T15:17:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > **Flyer** , Does a legitimate number that I can block show up when you call? > If I ask for your company’s name and a call-back number, will you give it to me? I have no idea what specifically shows on the caller ID. However, I’ve had a couple of people say something about the number on the caller ID being a Colorado number, so apparently it’s a real number. In addition, we sometimes have people call US, asking to be removed from our list. The survey scripts differ somewhat, but we usually identify where we’re calling from (or on behalf of) somewhere in the first 3 or 4 sentences. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/94 "2012-10-18T15:17:41Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I believe you’re talking about the classic from **Cervaise** , [The Telemarketer Speaks. I Respond.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=974729) This thread made me cry and here’s why: And for whatever it is worth to you…Best estimates say that telemarketing will be a dead issue in 10 years. This was written in 2000. It appears that **Cervaise** was right to call for a cite ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/95 "2012-10-18T15:17:48Z")
> [@al27052](#): > > For all of you who hate surveys, how are companies supposed to improve their products and services without surveys? Just make random guesses? I do online surveys for related to my industry. I do one every other month on average. They take anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes, and pay anywhere from $40 to $75. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/96 "2012-10-18T15:19:05Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > In other words, you want somebody who will break down crying the first time a customer gets really nasty. > > I’ve seen that happen more than once in low-paying jobs. As evidenced by this thread, a lot of people can be really unpleasant to someone else, merely because of the type of job that person has. I can take it just fine, and I can respond in kind when I feel it’s appropriate, but a lot of people can’t. Wait so my choices are to work in telemarketing or cry when someone is nasty to me? Damn I think I’m doing life wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/97 "2012-10-18T15:19:20Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > That’s a joke right? Well, kinda. I mean, yeah, I get that Lynn \*used \*to be an admin. But it seems weird that someone who no longer has mod under their name still has mod powers. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/98 "2012-10-18T15:25:06Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I do online surveys for related to my industry. I do one every other month on average. They take anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes, and pay anywhere from $40 to $75. My husband was paid a hundred bucks last month for an hour of his time after work last month to talk about a local football team. I was paid $25 in Amazon gift certificates to answer questions about making chicken for dinner. I was also paid $30 to serve my family a new sausage product and then answer questions about it. I am still waiting for **Flyer** to explain why he thinks people should give him their time for free. Even the blood bank gives out Mets tickets when they ask for donations. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/99 "2012-10-18T15:26:34Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Well, kinda. I mean, yeah, I get that Lynn \*used \*to be an admin. But it seems weird that someone who no longer has mod under their name still has mod powers. I thought she was still an admin? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056/100 "2012-10-18T15:41:24Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > That’s an interesting point. There are times (most times, actually) when I couldn’t tell you the number of questions to save my life. Sometimes the survey software will have literally one question per screen. Sometimes there are 6 or 7 questions (or sub-questions) per screen. And some surveys don’t even number the questions–they name them! For instance, the question “Are you registered to vote?” might be named “Voter.” > > Plus, some people answer each question in rapid-fire order, whereas other people pause to think 10-20 seconds for each and every question. So I might know how long I want the survey to take, but I don’t know how long it will actually take. Oh, please! I am one of the few people in this thread who is willing to cut you even half a break. You work off scripts. Your productivity is judged by how many people you call each day and how many surveys you complete. You aboslutely know how long the survey is supposed to take – if only because you know how long it’s taken with other people. You don’t WANT to tell me, because you know I’ll hang up if I think it’s too long. But IF for some reason you genuinely don’t know because I’m the first person you ever actually had to give this survey to, or if I’m the\* nth\* caller and I get a hundred extra bonus questions, that’s okay, I understand. Just like I hope you’ll understand when I say “I’m not interested” and hang up before you have a chance to say anything else to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-calls-people-telephone-surveys/638056.md?page=6)