Do you take them? And why/why not?
No, I do not. I am 100% of the conviction that the only people that I should ever encounter on the other end of the phone is a friend or relative. Also, I find the whole surveying and polling culture to have sloppy methodology, bad motives and be generally suspect and I therefore choose not to perticipate.
I will do “legitimate” phone surveys. But there are of course those that pretend to do surveys but are really selling cruft. I have found that it is quite easy for me separate them out. Real surveys ask some demographics questions up front, some contact verification questions (since the people hiring them need to check if they really did call people) etc. Phone spammers don’t waste time with these aspects as they want to keep the time/call down.
I don’t often get calls for surveys. But when I do, I usually will take them. A friend of mine got $5 from one such survey, so I’m thinking, why not? Plus, I’m not too picky about sharing certain information about myself as long as I’m asked first. It amuses me to answer.
I suspect this may all change once I start getting sales calls on a more regular basis, but for now, bring the questions on.
If it’s an honest survey, then yes, I always take them. However, if they start by offering me free magazine subscriptions at the beginning just for taking their survey, I just hang up. They can’t fool me!
Surveys, yes, if I have time. I once worked for a company that did marketing research by phone (Hey, I was young and I needed the money!), and I know that half the time, if you just answer the first couple of questions you disqualify yourself (outside of the right age-bracket, don’t use the product in question, whatever) from having to finish the damn thing. It’s easier in the long run, since if you refuse they’re often required to try calling back to see if they can convince you or talk to someone else.
Telemarketers I just hang up on.
only customer satisfaction surveys, and only if they’re ligit.
And, if I have the time, ofcourse.
I’ve taken some and not others.
When the newspaper called and asked if I thought they had enough local coverage, sports, and if I used the weather page, I was glad to help. I thought it might improve things.
But when I got a call yesterday that started “Do you generally approve of the president?” I stpped them cold and hung up.
I don’t think those polls will improve anything. And in fact, I think the media are making us nuts pretending they are more important than they really are.
Also, a poll like that might just be a way sort out supporters to be hit up for funds at primary time.
I got to disappoint a phone pollster just last night. She wanted to know if I had watched MTV at any time within the last 4 weeks. No, I said, because I don’t own a TV and I doubt I’ll be a lot of help in this poll, sorry. Well, she says, have you watched VH1 in the last 4 weeks? Umm, I say, did you not hear my last reply? I haven’t watched any TV in the past 4 weeks. Oh, she said, then I’ll just put in no for all of them then, thank you for your time.
In general, I greatly enjoy taking phone surveys. It is a great disappointment to me that I somehow ended up on one of the broadcast network’s list of “people to ask about TV shows regularly” 3 weeks before I had to give up TV because I was moving and couldn’t afford it with my new rent. I just love taking surveys, I love the delusion of influence it gives me. I wish I could be part of some focus groups, too…
If it’s a legit polling place, like Gallup, I’ll go along with it. They asked some great questions last time I participated, after they got past the political ones. “Which do you think would win in a fight, a lion or a grizzly bear?” I wonder who in the hell commissioned them to find out the public opinon on that question.
If they are not selling a product, I generally do.
I have completed two such surveys in my entire life.
One of the crappy things about the job is you have to ignore the obvious. If I had done what she did and filled out the rest I would have gotten fired at the place I worked for a couple summers ago. Even though people think your mentally retarded when you keep asking questions that you know the answer to, you HAVE to read the question on the computer screen. Here is a sample of one call I made.
Me: How many times have you drank Dr. Pepper in the last month?
Them: I don’t drink soft drinks
Me: so 0
Them: Ummm, yeah
Me: How many times have you drank Diet Dr. Pepper in the last month?
Them: Do you understand what a soft drink is?
Me: Yes. How many times have you drank Pepsi Cola in the last month?
Them: Are you retarted I said I didn’t drink ANY soft drinks. Do you even listen?
Me: Yes, But I’m not payed to think, thinking gets you fired. I’ve got to read everything that comes up or this guy will come out of the booth and yell at me.
Them: If you do I’ll hang up.
Me: I guess thats fate then. How many times have you drank Diet Pepsi in the last month?
Me: Hello? (I start laughing
Researcher would love to use robots if they could, but people wouldn’t feel guilty about hanging up on a machine.
I once agreed to participate in a survey on ‘beverages’, which I took to mean Coke/Pepsi/Dr Pepper like mentioned above.
To my surprise, the guy started in thusly, after inquiring of my demographic and being satisfied:
He: Did you drink Jack Daniel’s in the past 6 months?
Me: (?)…Uh, no…
He: Skyy Blue?
Me: No…
He: Crown Royal?
Me: No.
And so it commenced, he listing off every liquor and beer known to Man and asking if I had any and where in the past 6 months. Ten minutes elapsed with no end in sight, I gave but a couple of positive answers, my mother arrived home (we were to leave to eat out upon her arrival), and I just had to hang up on the guy.
I recently participated in a phone survey for my alma mater, and wished I hadn’t almost immediately. There were all these convoluted questions and I had to keep asking the poor girl to repeat herself. I wish they’d just sent me something in the mail so I could READ the question and be able to think about my answer a little better.
This thread illustrates one of the inherent problems of phone polls, one that’s rarely mentioned. On TV, they’ll say, “A poll of 700 people revealed that 65% of Americans support, blah, blah, blah.” If they wanted to be honest, they’d say, “A poll of 700 people revealed that 65% of American people who are the type who respond to polls support…” A sample that is self-selecting is always suspect.
I work in IT (Information Technology). I get about four survey calls a week. I have had to institute a flat policy of not answering surveys – otherwise I’d never get any work done.
I’ve gotten to the point where about three seconds into the call, I can be pretty sure it is a survey, and will interrupt the caller to ask “Is this a survey call?” If the answer is “yes” (or a weasly “no”), I just say, “I’m sorry, I don’t do surveys”, and hang up.
Pretty much no for the reason that Binarydrone gave in his first sentence. My phone is a convenience for me, one for which I pay, not a marketing tool for you, or a way to take polls.
I have to agree with BINARYDRONE that, if I don’t know you by first name, and you haven’t been over to my house as a friend/family, you better have a DAMN GOOD REASON for calling! Like you think my house is on fire or something… Has anyone seen the comercial for the phone zapper thinggie?? The one that is supposed to delete your number from telemarketers computers? Does it work??? Today is Sunday, and I have had no less than 4 telemarketing calls!!! If I want to have some fun, I normally let my 4yo daughter talk to them 
Legit surveys? Yes.
Thinly disguised telemarketing surveys? Nope.