And the survey says...
Oct. 25th, 2011 07:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mysidOK, market research people. I know you have a job to do, and that job sometimes involves surveying people to find out what they think or feel about various topics. I'd like to help you--no, really I would. But if you ever want me to help you with a telephone survey again, you're going to have to adhere to a few ground rules.
1) Keep telephone surveys SHORT. Chances are, you've caught me in the middle of my life happening, and I can only spare you a few minutes. If the survey goes on, and on, and on, not only are you seriously inconveniencing me, but you're hurting yourself as well, for I may not finish the survey, and I'll be far less likely to agree to be questioned next time.
Yesterday's caller ended up wasting both of our precious time. His survey went on so long, that I ultimately had to hang up the phone (time to take my son to karate) before the survey was complete, thus rendering all my answers null and void. Plus, I refused to even start a survey with tonight's caller as I'd sacrificed enough time to surveys this week.
2) A good way to shorten your survey, Don't ask redundant questions. The same question asked three slightly different ways is not three different questions. Asked and answered; move on.
More than once yesterday, I asked the caller, "Didn't you already ask this?" The problem was especially acute as I could only pick out a few key words in each question, due to:
3) Please make sure that the callers you hire do not have thick accents. Given the lack of visual clues in a telephone conversation, voice is all we have. If I can't understand the question, I can't answer it.
I mean no disrespect to yesterday's caller; I'm impressed that he obviously speaks at least two languages (compared to my one). But his English was so heavily accented that I could only understand a few words in each question. My answers were not based on the questions asked, but based on my best guess of the questions asked.
4) Accept "I don't know" and "I don't care" as acceptable answers. They're very often true, and I'd rather tell you the truth instead of choosing one of the stock answers you've given me to choose from.
ETA: Oh my lord. I just got another survey call. That's three in two days. How'd I get so lucky?
1) Keep telephone surveys SHORT. Chances are, you've caught me in the middle of my life happening, and I can only spare you a few minutes. If the survey goes on, and on, and on, not only are you seriously inconveniencing me, but you're hurting yourself as well, for I may not finish the survey, and I'll be far less likely to agree to be questioned next time.
Yesterday's caller ended up wasting both of our precious time. His survey went on so long, that I ultimately had to hang up the phone (time to take my son to karate) before the survey was complete, thus rendering all my answers null and void. Plus, I refused to even start a survey with tonight's caller as I'd sacrificed enough time to surveys this week.
2) A good way to shorten your survey, Don't ask redundant questions. The same question asked three slightly different ways is not three different questions. Asked and answered; move on.
More than once yesterday, I asked the caller, "Didn't you already ask this?" The problem was especially acute as I could only pick out a few key words in each question, due to:
3) Please make sure that the callers you hire do not have thick accents. Given the lack of visual clues in a telephone conversation, voice is all we have. If I can't understand the question, I can't answer it.
I mean no disrespect to yesterday's caller; I'm impressed that he obviously speaks at least two languages (compared to my one). But his English was so heavily accented that I could only understand a few words in each question. My answers were not based on the questions asked, but based on my best guess of the questions asked.
4) Accept "I don't know" and "I don't care" as acceptable answers. They're very often true, and I'd rather tell you the truth instead of choosing one of the stock answers you've given me to choose from.
ETA: Oh my lord. I just got another survey call. That's three in two days. How'd I get so lucky?