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A slap in the face


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So, the phone rings at about 7:30.

Everyones out of the house 'cept me.

The phone is usually not for me at this hour.

I decide to pick it up anyhway.

It's a survey.

I never do phone surverys.

Why do these people think I should spend my time with them?

It turns out this survey iss about music listening habits.

I say " Well I never do phone surveys but on this topic i am willing to do one.

 

First question: "What year were you born in?

Answer: "1954"

Response: "Thank you for your time but we have alredy filled our quota for this demographic"

 

In other words Im too old for them to care what I listen to cause they apparently assume I dont spend any money on music.

 

I agreed to do a survey and I got rejected by it.

 

I actually had a good laugh over this.

Check out some tunes here:

http://www.garageband.com/artist/KenFava

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LOL. Well I work on the computer side of a market research company so maybe I can chip in here.

 

First thing, 7:30AM is waaay too early. I don't know how anyone can expect to get a good survey at that time of day.

 

Secondly, it is possible that your age quota was full. A representative sample is important to the client. Without knowing what the focus was of this particular survey it's hard to say how these quotas are set up. If it was some youth-oriented product then the representation of your age group is probably not signicant. But you can rest assured that if they were researching a new Bose mega-sytem they'd be talking to plenty of old farts like us. ;)

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It happened to me, a few months ago. A survey dsupposedly designed to reveal people's listening habits... as soon as I said my first station choice was the local jazz station, they hung up on me!

 

They are not looking for information, they're looking for confirmation.

I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist.

 

This ain't no track meet; this is football.

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Originally posted by coyote:

They are not looking for information, they're looking for confirmation.

I agree. It also seems at times like they're collecting information for a whole profile a bit at a time. They do this by calling repeatedly and asking a series of crazy questions, then capping it off with, "....and for security purposes, may we have your mothers maiden name?"

 

How I deal with phone solicitors depends on my mood. I usually use them to blow off some steam,

 

Sly :cool:

Whasineva ehaiz, ehissgot ta be Funky!
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I agreed to do a survey and I got rejected by it.

 

....which is funny, for a number of reasons:

 

1) If they don't think you're interested in what their sponsors are peddling, how would they know for sure? I mean, what if there is a whole "market segment" of middle-aged folks that truly dig what they've got, but they're writing it off and missing an opportunity.

 

2) If they really *are* interested in your "age demograhic", then wouldn't the largest amount of input be the most realistic, accurate, or at least representative of the major populace?

 

and then....

 

I fucking HATE terms like "market segment" and "age/income/lifestyle/ demographic" as related to human beings. I find it completely insulting and offensive that someone would make presumptions on what type of interests a person might have in an effort to bombard them with advertisements to BUY BUY BUY. All their little tricks to use things like sex and image (for the younger ones) or nostalgia and paranoia (for the older ones) to create false needs and desires so they can make a buck.

 

I see it everywhere, in everything, all day long, and it sickens me.

 

Ok, i'll get off my soapbox now, and put on my tinfoil hat.

 

First thing, 7:30AM is waaay too early. I don't know how anyone can expect to get a good survey at that time of day.

 

He didn't specify AM or PM, but iirc any telemarketing calls outside of 8:00AM-8:00PM are illegal.

 

That said, i did get a call for a survey from Enterprise Rent A Car this morning at 7:20AM.

 

Fuck with their head a little...

 

I normally do screw with telemarketers, but this morning i just shouted "FUCK OFF" in the phone and went back to bed.

Dr. Seuss: The Original White Rapper

.

WWND?

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Originally posted by Bob Keelan:

LOL. Well I work on the computer side of a market research company so maybe I can chip in here.

 

First thing, 7:30AM is waaay too early. I don't know how anyone can expect to get a good survey at that time of day.

 

. ;)

It was 7:30 PM

Check out some tunes here:

http://www.garageband.com/artist/KenFava

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Oh well. Yes, 7:30pm is prime calling hours. Just hang up if you're not interested. I do it all the time and I'm in the business. :)

 

Alot of the work I do now is developing self-administered surveys that can be done on the internet at the user's convenience. Man, I only wish I could do a music-related survey instead of the lame-ass crap I work on now. :D

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Man, I only wish I could do a music-related survey instead of the lame-ass crap I work on now.

 

Naw, even a music-related survey would become lame-ass after a while. and THEN what would you have left? :)

Dr. Seuss: The Original White Rapper

.

WWND?

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If I was willing to waste my time talking to them (unlikely) and not just tell them to put me on the 'do not call list', I would let them know what my hourly rate is and ask to work out payment arrangements prior to answering any questions. Why should I give them anything for free?

 

Of course, Nielsen was willing to pay me recently to install something on my TV and I still refused them. I told them I don't watch TV anyway but that only got them more excited :freak: Finally just told them to piss off.

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Originally posted by phaeton:

I fucking HATE terms like "market segment" and "age/income/lifestyle/ demographic" as related to human beings. I find it completely insulting and offensive that someone would make presumptions on what type of interests a person might have in an effort to bombard them with advertisements to BUY BUY BUY. All their little tricks to use things like sex and image (for the younger ones) or nostalgia and paranoia (for the older ones) to create false needs and desires so they can make a buck.

Phaeton, you just described exactly what I do for a living, what I've made my career from.

 

The good news is that in the world of pro audio and musical instruments, so many of us share common interests and buying trends, and since many of those trends aren't age (or other demographic) dependent, I can actually maintain most of my integrity when I go to work every day. :)

 

- Jeff

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Well Jeff, maybe you can help me out on this then. Sounds to me like the poor guy on the other end of the line just got confused. As far as I know they don't teach telemarketers how to handle someone who actually cooperates!

 

"Dear Mr. Smith, is this a bad time? .... No, it's not? ...You WANT to answer my questions? ... Could you hang on, I'll have to consult my supervisor - we're not trained to handle this sort of thing!"

*Howard Zinn for President*

**Pilsner Urquell for President of Beers!**

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