Answering Surveys
Mon., September 1, 12:22 PM
Lots of you answer quizzes, as I know from reading your pages, but do you also answer surveys? There are organizations whose business it is to conduct polls for various commercial or political groups. Many years ago I began answering questions from National Family Opinion, and they still send me a mixed packet from time to time, often with completely inappropriate questions. [Examples: Is anyone in your household expecting a baby. (No!) When are you planning to buy a new vehicle? (Never! And I answered that question in several previous mailings.)] I know they’re selling their mailing lists from the kinds of junk mail I get. I never buy anything, but junk mail lists have a life of their own.
Since I’ve been online – that’s about seven or eight years – the internet surveys have been finding me. There are at least a half dozen whose links turn up regularly in my e-mail. They sell my name too, and I just delete the junk mail… So why do I still do it?
For one thing, a lot of them are fun. Sometimes I get to try out a new product. I especially like the surveys that ask for my opinions about proposed new products. (Maybe I can head ’em off before they put the stupidities on the market.) Of course, as you may have noticed, I do like to voice my opinions, particularly when my opinion is different from the rest of the pack. And some surveys actually reward you, either in cash or gifts or maybe a point system. (When I get enough points in some of them, I can convert them into a cash donation to charity.)
But what I really would like to do is change some of the questions. I do know something about writing questions, especially to manipulate the answers. And often they just don’t get it: I do not like your product, and writing cuter ads will not make me buy it. I really hate marketing people who assume their public is too dumb to see through their commercials – except sometimes they’re right.
More recently, there’s something more about some of the surveys that make me think they might be maturing. Questions like, “is there anything you’d like to add?” or “do you think this survey was a good use of your time?” Show me a new product that’s high in sugar and ask me whether I’d buy it. No, I will not. Why? (Aha!) Because it’s not a good choice for a diabetic. And you know that within two months I’ll receive another offer to buy a new blood testing system.
Once in a while, I do like to hear what the results were. This is the same little spot in my brain that still likes the audience match on “Match Game” as well as “Family Feud.” The survey says…
