(no subject)

[morwen]

I just had the oddest phone conversation with a cold caller doing a "survey". During it, I claimed that I was 512 years old, that there was nobody else younger than me in the house; that I was not the highest income person in the dwelling, and that that person did not work full-time or part-time but was a member of the idle rich, owning half of London. And he still didn't hang up. Do you think that in fact his claim that he wasn't going to try to sell me something was false?

Comments

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

Any reputable telephone interviewer will be a member of the Market Research Society. They are not allowed to sell you things as this is a breach of the code and could lead to them losing their right to practice, as it were.

I've worked extensively as a telephone interviewer as it's a flexible job which fits in well with studying. As interviewers, you are required to record verbatim answers and not quibble them (except for clarification); I've had some people obviously taking the piss but I'll take it down anyway because it's my job to ask questions clearly and record the answers comprehensively. It's for the data analysts to make a decision on whether to keep the data.

Don't bother doing things just to waste interviewers' time; it probably won't work, and frankly it's a bit mean. Some interviewers work on hourly rates, while other companies pay per interview. If you don't want to do it, just let the interviewer find someone who does, so they can earn their pittance. It's not going to put anyone off calling you, and all it does is pick on the poorest people in the entire structure.

Just say no.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

I agree with this comment. I'll always give market researchers my time.

Telemarketers, on the other hand, are a different matter and will be followed up with the TPS.