Those mall survey takers

[rageaholic]

You know those consumer research people who stop people at malls and ask you to take a survey? Well, a couple of years ago, I was approached by one of those people, asking if I wanted to take a quick survey that would only be "about 5 to 10 minutes". I was also told I would get 5 bucks for filling it out. So I thought cool, I get to contribute to something and make a little money, so why not?

Well aside from answering a crap load of questions on the most ridiculous of things, the only suck was that it did not take 5 to 10 minutes. In fact, it took over a half an hour! GRR!!! I hate being lied to like that. If it's gonna take a half an hour, just tell me it's going to take a half an hour!

All was cool, since I did get 5 bucks, and the survey wasn't that much of a pain, but I still don't like being outright lied to.

Has anyone else ever taken those surveys?

[ZumZum]

Few years ago I had to put my car in the shop. I had to wait for it, so I went to the mall across the street to waste time.
Got approached by one of the survey people. She did tell me it would take about 1/2 hour, but I would be paid $10.
I figured, why not? I had at least 2-3 hours to kill and $10 would buy me a nice lunch.

It was about shower heads. Boring as hell, but I also discovered a great shower head that I would up buying the next week!

[Mr Hero]

Would you like to take a survery?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Haven't had that happen yet, but I'm so hard core unwilling to stop for anyone that is probably ultimately trying to sell me something, I probably never will.

Actually, scratch that, I did one at a convention once. A publisher was out there trying to do a "what format do you like better?" for fiction books. It really did only take five minutes. And no, he really didn't try to sell me anything.

What they hey, right? It was a convention. That sort of what conventions are for.

Usually, though, I just do not like to be bothered. Five dollars is not enough for me to be bothered. In fact, five dollars is what I would pay to NOT be bothered.

Half an hour after I was told five, though, and I would charge that guy my freelance rates, and for that I would charge by the hour, one hour minimum. It would be a leeetle more than five bucks.

[dbuzman]

I did a survey and taste test for Apple Slice before they started selling it. It was at a mall in Va. when I was stationed in DC if I remember right.

I didn't get paid but thought it was neat that I might have some input as to whether or not a product is sold.

[rageaholic]

Half an hour after I was told five, though, and I would charge that guy my freelance rates, and for that I would charge by the hour, one hour minimum. It would be a leeetle more than five bucks.

That would be an awesome idea. They did 'apologize' saying something along the lines of "oops, I guess it took more than 5 minutes", but it's obvious they knew it wasn't going to be "5 to 10 minutes". I hate that kind of deceptive crap.

And I feel the same way. I don't mind helping out people (as long as I can do it), but I don't like when random people come up and try to sell me stuff. That's just intrusive.

And since I forgot to mention, the survey was based on packaging of some herbal tea. The questions were based on what I thought of the package design, how often I buy tea, if I would buy the tea is I saw it in a store. An obviously flawed survey since they can easily BS to what they want to hear, or in my case, didn't know how to answer such strange questions.

[Arcade Man D]

Haven't had that happen yet, but I'm so hard core unwilling to stop for anyone that is probably ultimately trying to sell me something, I probably never will.

Funnily enough, I won't do the mall surveys, either, but that's because I'm a math geek, and they're rather statistically unsound.

[i4wolves]

Same Experience

I had the same experience however I was not paid.

I was approached by one of the marketing people in the mall and she asked if i would answer a few questions and it would only take 5 minutes. I felt sorry for her b/c she looked excusted and she was getting turned down left and right.

Needless to say a half and hour later I was finished. I was not happy, what ever happened to 5 minutes.

Another time, I was called by someone who wanted to do a survey. He said it would take 15 minutes. I said sure, since I had an hour to kill before leaving for work. Well an hour later I am still on the phone and i nicely tell him that i had to go to work

he said that if i hung up then my answers would not be accepted. i said that was fine but i had to leave for work and you said it would take only 15 minutes and i have been on the phone for over an hour

he said it would only take a few more minutes, i was like fine but i have to leave in 3 minutes

5 minutes later I am still on the phone and i say ok now i really have to go he said it would only take a few more minutes we were almost done

at this point i was mad b/c he had lied to be twice about how long this would take

I said i am sorry but i have to go or i will be late

thinking he would say i am sorry that we could not complete the survey or something of that sorts

no he kept talking and went to the next question

i finally hung up b/c i had enough

[rageaholic]

i4wolves, DAMN! That would have really pissed me off. I try not to loose it with people be it on the phone or face to face, but after being jerked around like that, I would probably have said something similar.

When you're told "A few more minutes" for a half an hour, then you really don't know how long the survey is going to take.

[blas]

I always tell them I'm under 18, or I just go the other way around them and if they follow me, I freak on them.

I mean, it can get really creepy when you're purposely going the other way around the other wing of the mall to avoid them and you still see the moron with the clipboard coming after you!

[MrSmiley]

Would you like to take a survery?

I love you so much! but I think people are missing the full effect without WAVs/MP3s

[mandaliz8704]

I haven't seen a mall survey person in a loooong time. I didn't think they even did that anymore.

[trunks2k]

Would you like to take a survery?

Do you like Beans? Do you like George Wendt? Would you like to see a movie about beans? Would you like to see a movie about George Wendt? Would you like to see a movie about George Wendt eating beans?

[PCGameGuy]

Too bad they don't do that in any of the California malls I've wasted months of my life in. I did do a couple when I was in Texas a few years back, mostly because I was just window shopping and had time to kill. Made $20 and got to try a cinnamon Jack Daniels that I've not seen for sale, so it worked out for me. They asked for 15 minutes, when I got in I let them know I had time and did 5 surveys. So, you are welcome other person who would have been upset, I did those surveys and the shot for you!

[Mel]

I used to work at a call center for a market research company. Most of the time, the clients' (the companies we did the surveys for) contracts required us to lie about the length of time the surveys took. I hated doing that, thus, I didn't stay at the call center very long.