market research

silverfish, I understand your problems. I used to be a market research manager in a big utility company. All our work was done with companies registered with the Market Research Society and all the interviewers went out with full accreditation documents to make it clear that this was proper research, that all the results would be fully anonymised and those surveyed were given cards to contact the company or professional organisation, which had a strict code of ethics.

But in the late 1980s, as the vast majority of households had telephones we had the introduction of 'Sugging' (Selling Under Guise) of market research. More and more companies began conning people by pretending they were doing a valid market research survey and then doing a hard sell for some product. The freeing up of the energy market also brought more unprincipled doorstep sellers on the market. It has made traditional market research. the kind you do, virtually impossible.

I do not know what the answer is. It is some years since I was last involved in market research so I am not au fait with modern market research methods. Is there really no other work you can undertake rather than this work. To be honest, the company you work for should be aware of the problems and addressing them. Are they MRS members?

Silverfish surely anything is better than that job, it sounds awful?

silverfish I don't think many people really suspect you of being there to case the joint or to mug them. It is more that market research questionnaires seem to be multiplying. I get loads of phone calls from people wanting me to answer questions. They say they are not trying to sell me anything but of course they are, in the long run, even if not directly.

Each phone call or knock at the door interrupts whatever I am doing and if it something that uses the brain, it takes a while to get back into it again. I class surveys with Jehovah's Witnesses, political canvassers and those ex-prisoners who want me to buy teatowels and othe gewgaws to support them -( after 50 years of marriage I have a houseful of supplies and gadgets, it would be more helpful if they would buy some from me.) I buy nothing at the door, I sign nothing at the door, I tell no-one my opinions at the door.

It is not personal and I would never be rude or aggressive to callers.

I was the village litter picker, kitty. When my husband left it paid just enough to feed my daughters old pony but I'd been doing it for years prior to that as my husband [ex] was always going on about the fact that I didn't have a career and didn't bring any money into the house [I'd always wanted to be there for the children and, not having a well paid job meant that childcare would have cost more than I earned]; I thought it would embarrass him but it didn't so I carried on doing it and met some lovely people over the years. However I think that it was doing that job plus being on my feet all morning at my other job that wore my feet and knees out .

Didn't cactus complain about how demoralising the jpb was as well as having a zero hours contract?
Anybody else in this line of work?

It is illegal for a company to try to sell through the guise of a survey. You can report them.
At least that's what Mori told us workers.

It sounds soul destroying silverfish and maybe it is time to use your determination and people skills in another job, where you can be part of a team and not have to suffer all this rejection. I was sent a questionnaire the other day from the company that serviced the car. I nearly didn't open it but when i did it was just one question (rate us 1-10) and a box to give your reasons if you wanted. Which I thought was perfect. People are jaded with surveys - and if they are not they can join yougov and fill in half a dozen a week.

Tegan - what's a 'village lengthsperson' ? Or am I just being dim? [confused[

I don't want to waste my time answering questions put to me by a complete stranger for the benefit of someone else. "It'll only take 20 minutes" is a dire warning not to take part, not reassurance to encourage me to do so. Therefore, I don't invite market researchers into my home and nor do I answer their questions on the doorstep, in the shopping mall, on the station concourse, etc.

It's years since I had any market researchers knock on my door; in fact I don't see them in the street any more, so I actually thought the companies did the research in different ways now. I think one of the problems is that no one has any time these days and, if they do they're fed up of people trying to sell them things but pretending they're not. Another thing that made me give up was when I lost a pair of lovely leather gloves when I was working one week, and they were worth more than I earned. After the market research I did jobs like delivering catalogues, school dinner lady, village lengthsperson and finally ended up as a receptionist. What surprised me with one job was interviewing someone that I would have put quite low down on the social scale, only to find she was in the top bracket; that was quite an eye opener and taught me not to judge people too readily. And it was interesting doing another job and seeing the eventual advertising that came from it [it was for a brand of coffee]. I've always been quite fascinated by advertising/marketing and how it changes over the years.

Ana I am with you 100%. I would not know if the person was having a look around my house to see if I had anything worth stealing. It does not matter how polite you are, you would not be invited in to my house, sorry!

Silverfish I am surprised any company puts you in such a vulnerable position. What if someone accused you of theft or, worse, assault? Is it a nationally known MR company/(e.g MORI/IPSA/GALLUP) or is it MR for a pre-sale contact?
We used to do home visits to pre-school children but eventually it was stopped. One reason was because of the risk to an individual entering the home of someone unknown and we could not afford to send two people.

I always politely refuse.

I'm sorry, Silverfish, but I'm not going to invite a stranger into my home to ask me questions I have no wish to answer. It's nothing personal, I just don't do it, ever - not on the phone, either.

Can anyone tell me what it is that people are afraid of if they don't want me in their house, Im always polite, obsessively so, and if they ask me in and say 'excuse the mess' or similar , I just say I don't mind. What is the reason for not wanting a stranger in the house when Ive got all my ID and official stuff with me. I am gentle and kind and it hurts to be rejected this way.

Oh, silverfish, hope you find something else.

About 25 years ago I remember running from the garden to answer the phone one sunny Sunday afternoon - it was a lady doing market research. I was tempted to say no as I wanted to go outside again, however I did the survey and we had a lovely chat; apparently it was on behalf of a big department store that was thinking of opening in our nearest large town. She did not say which one but hinted it began with 'D'.
Not long ago I heard they are going to build there. It only took 25 years. So a result!

Teagan, I know how you felt, I often cry in my car, ive done the job for over 10 years and just kept on as I thought it would get better,however, I went to college and trained for a career but no-one wants someone of my age(60), and market research is so hard on my body as I have arthritis. I have applied for lots of jobs but there are no skills I have to fit another job. I have been in dangerous situations and assaulted a few times, shouted at by many, bitten by 3 dogs and had a pervert expose himself once. I have thought about writing my memoirs- might make good reading.lol (cheered me up writing this)

That is the other thing - you could be putting yourself in danger. I hope you are able to find another job that you like better.

I did market research until the day when someone told me to come back the following evening and, when I did, slammed the door in my face saying 'not after the day I've had'. I burst into tears and never did it again. Thought afterwards that I was actually putting myself into dangerouis situations [it was before mobile phones and no one knew where I was]. I did enjoy meeting people though, but ended up driving them to the supermarket and stuff like that. I preferred knocking on doors to approaching people in the street [that terrified me].

Silverfish It isn't cruel if someone doesn't want to invite you in and/or doesn't want to take part in your survey – however long you have been walking from one house to another. After all, you chose to do that; they didn't make you. Many people are fed up with phone calls purporting to be marketing surveys – and some of them are, but by no means all – people hijacking them in shopping centres and people people ringing their doorbells. Even if they are rude, that's unpleasant rather than cruel. It's a soul destroying job that you have undertaken and I am sorry to hear that you are having such a bad time but it is the nature of doing something that many members of the public find intrusive. I hope you manage to find something more congenial and kinder to your feet.

It is very personal isn't it, inviting someone into your home.
Do you have to find people who belong to particular demographics?

I would be happy to respond to someone on the street (and have done).
I can understand the reluctance to allow someone you don't know into your house, and many people may be out at work.

Does your firm have alternative marketing strategies you could enquire about eg following up links by phone? I have completed market research surveys on the phone.

I did market research before my children were born I found the best jobs were where you approached people on the High St. and invited them in to a hall or somewhere with free hot drink in order to conduct the survey. I didn't like doing house to house. People then (30 yrs ago) weren't as suspicious but you had to knock on a lot of doors before you filled your numbers of demographics.
It did pay well at the time though.

I know how you feel Silver , I used to do that as a part time job many, many years ago , can be a bit disheartening at times , although having said that , times were different then , perhaps people are not quite as trusting now .
Good luck with it though!

A few of my neighbours have a notice on or by their front door saying 'No cold callers please'.

I would not invite someone in without a prior appointment.

If somebody knocked on my door wanting to fill out a survey, I would never invite them in. Most of the people want to sell me double glazing and even the blind would notice that I have it in abundance.

I have problems getting from chair to front door so I find it doubly irritating if it is a market researcher or somebody trying to flog something, and that includes Jehovah's witnesses.

I try not to be rude because I am aware that some people are trying to earn a crust but if they will not accept no for an answer, they may get the sharp edge of my tongue.