Telephone Survey Work with Optimum Contact

Paul_Varjak

Having to pay 6p/min and a connection charge for each call as well (10p?) would mean it is not worthwhile using SKY.

I do not know what connectors you have on your PC, so I cannot advise you if your headset is compatible with your PC. If you have a headset with leads then, yes, it will have to plug into the PC. I do not know if it plugs into microphone/earpiece sockets or into a USB port.

If you have a bluetooth headset (I am assuming here that Skype do offer bluetooth headsets) then this will not plug into your PC, but you would need Bluetooth on your PC in that case.

nickypol

Hi

Firstly, many thanks to all that have posted information on the site about the OC telephone surveys.
I have looked into skype and am looking at taking up the unlimited calls offer at £4.59 and downloading pamela to record.

The above is for landlines only. I subscribe to BT at the moment and have contacted them about the costs of calling the 0845 number and it is roughly 7p daytime and 1p evening (I would only have to use this 0845 for the mobile numbers.

I have clicked on the bulk survey link on the OC site and wonder if someone could answer this question. Once you click on the 'start survey' you are presented with the details of the customer you need to contact.

If I want to only phone customers with landlines is it possible to move-on from a customer with a mobile number to the next customer to avoid having to phone the 0845 number.

Thank you very much.

Paul_Varjak

nickypol...

I am not quite sure of OC's current policy on 'skipping' mobile phone numbers as, with TalkTalk, I get unlimited free calls to 0845 numbers, so the problem does not arise for me.

At one time, the practice was frowned upon as it meant some customers may not be contacted at all or others working for OC were paying to call mobile numbers wgebn some would not pay at all.

But, now that 0845 calls are free on a few networks it would mean that people (such as myself) could still call those mobile numbers without cost, so OC may be more lenient now.

I suggest you email OC and ask them the question directly. Don't forget that calling any number also incurs a connection charge with BT (unless you are on an unlimited package). I think the current BT connection charge is around 10p-11p.

If you are outisde of a minimum term contract with BT, (for landline and broadband) then switching to TalkTalk is virtually a no-brainer. You won't have the additional burden of sending recordings by email each day to OC and you will, undoubtedly, save money.

nickypol

Paul

Just to say thank you very much for your reply. I am with BT and have an 18 month contract with them for unlimited calls.

Seems like skype is my best option as I can use pamela to record the surveys. I will contact OC on Monday to clarify the situation.

Cheers again

Nicky

Paul_Varjak

nickypol...

If you have an unlimied package with BT then you do get a quota of free calls to 0845/0870 numbers each month. You could use Skype and Pamela to record calls to geographic numbers but then use BT to make calls to mobile numbers via the 0845 recording number. Just remember to stay within the monthly quota for calls to 0845/0870.

Another alternative is if you have a mobile phone package with inclusive calls to mobile numbers and a suitable handset for which software is available to record calls. I did experiment with this briefly until TalkTalk brought in unlimited calls to 0845/0870.

SimIsOnTheUp

Hi guys,

Does anyone know of Plusnet's policy re the 0845 calls?

I'm so annoyed, as when I signed up to Plusnet's Home Phone (Line Rental / Calls) package a couple of months back, they promised me that the 'indirect access 0845 number calls' would be free.

Having started my Optimum Contact surveys a couple of weeks back, I've just checked my Plusnet phone bill, and they've charged me for each and every 0845 number. So, I'm £15 down :-/

I'm about to call Plusnet to hopefully clear this up, but if anyone is a Plusnet home phone customer and has any advice I'd appreciate it, as I really want to carry on with the surveys, but obviously without the extra cost!

Looks like I might have to move from Plusnet to TalkTalk, which I'd really rather not do.

nickypol

Hello

Please can someone tell me how to download the free pamela recording from skype.

I have clicked on the free trial for 30 days and am taken through to a list of offers, which you need to take up before taking up the free trial.

Is there any way of getting past the need to sign up for an offer as I just want to give the pamela 30 day trial a try, without having to provide my bank details to anyone.

Please can someone advise.

Thanks very much.

Paul_Varjak

SimIsOnTheUp wrote: »

Hi guys,

Does anyone know of Plusnet's policy re the 0845 calls?

I think we discussed this earlier in the thread, particularly in relation to indirect calls on 0845 numbers. I think you will find that Plusnet does have a policy on indirect calls and that they are chargeable. TalkTalk also have a similar policy but do not seem to implement it!

Paul_Varjak

nickypol wrote: »

Hello

Please can someone tell me how to download the free pamela recording from skype.

Are there not two versions of Pamela? I think the basic version is totally free and comes without the 30 day time-limit. The basic version does, however, have a 15 minute limit on the recording of each call (not really long enough). I am sure there will be other recording software available elsewhere. Look on www.cnet.com

redzhell

Hi Paul,

I signed up to OC just before Christmas but have not done any calls yet.

I've read through one of the briefs and the introduction seems awfully long. There is also further qualifiying questions afterwards to determine whether the rest of the questionnaire can be answered. Do you read the script words for word? I don't want to sound robotic when making the first few calls...

Many thanks in everything you have done so far on this thread.