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Telephone Surveys!!!!
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Please_Do_Not_Call
Posts: 2 Newbie
Kantar Operations is part of a group of companies (probably the largest group in the world) that carry out Market Research, Social Research and Opinion Polls. Much of their work is for government departments and non-departmental government bodies. That is what I learned from the Market Research Society after Kantar Operations virtually hounded my elderly father for around 4 months.
My 89 year-old father has been telephoned on numerous occasions over the past few months requesting his participation in a sporting activities survey; on each occasion he has declined and asked not to be called again. My father is not in good health and this is very apparent in his tone of voice and the words he uses to express himself. He did, however, make it clear to all the interviewers that called, that he did not wish to take part in the survey because of his health.
On the last occasion a call was received, I was at my father's house. He answered the call but passed the phone to me. I was then engaged in quite a lengthy conversation with the interviewer. I told the interviewer that my father did not wish to be called again but the interviewer said they would call again as they were allowed to do so!
I did point out to the interviewer that they were not allowed to call again if a specific request was made not to be called again. At this point I was asked if my father's telephone number was registered with TPS. I said the number was registered with TPS and the interviewer said they were not governed by TPS as it was a Market Research survey. I told the interviewer my complaint had nothing to do with the rules of the TPS but with the legislation enacted by parliament - particularly anti-harassment laws.
That appeared to take the interviewer by surprise and immediately change track! We then got into a discussion about how they were unhappy doing these particular surveys but had been instructed during training not to take refusals because the research was sponsored by the government and they needed to meet certain participation targets! The interviewer indicated that for interviews that were for companies then any refusal to participate would immediately be marked as such, but for government surveys they were instructed to make an appointment (without permission of the person being called) even when the person they were calling gave a clear refusal to participate.
They said that the only way they could immediately remove my father from any further contact was for him to be abusive on the phone or start the survey and abandon it after answering the first question! I was not allowed to complete the survey as I did not live in the household and I was certainly not prepared to be abusive in order to achieve what should be done by simple request. My father did then answer the first question (about how much walking he does) and then abandoned the survey.
The interviewer then gave some closing statements about how the survey was 'carried out within the Code of Conduct of the Market Research Society'; they also mentioned that they was calling from Kantar Operations. At the beginning of the call the interviewer said they were calling on behalf of TNS (no mention of Kantar at the beginning of the call).
Luckily, my father has a digital recorder on his line so the whole conversation was recorded and when the interviewer mentioned Kantar Operations at the end of the call I knew I could verify what they had said because I have a friend who works as a supervisor for Kantar! My friend verified everything the interviewer said. My friend confirmed that Kantar is actually quite strict in adhering to rules and procedures but that the targets for government surveys are often so unrealistic they are impossible to meet 'without massaging the data' – and that included marking refusals for further appointments or for what he called 'deferrals'.
My friend also added that staff are told during their training that under virtually no circumstances are refusals to be accepted, though this is NEVER put in writing; in fact, Kantar employees (on this particular survey) are not even allowed to mark a survey as refused without going to speak to a supervisor!
Kantar Operations do these particular surveys on behalf of TNS who, in turn, pass the results to Sport England. I have since been in contact with Sport England to let them know of these insidious practices and I have also been in contact with the Market Research Society who say they have had numerous conversations with Kantar Operations about such tactics before as it is a breach of the MRS Code of Conduct. Again, these calls were recorded.
My advice to anyone being called to do surveys for anything to do with government-sponsored research (and who does not wish to participate) is to say that you are the only occupant of the household (that means they can only interview you and no-one else). Then answer the first question in the survey and then make it clear you are not interested in any further participation and tell them not to call back.
Should any further calls be received say...
DO NOT CALL BACK, THE CALL HAS BEEN RECORDED AND THEN READ BACK THEIR NAME SAYING THAT YOU MADE A NOTE OF IT. IF YOU FEEL THEY ARE NOT LISTENING, ASK TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR AND, IF NECESSARY, SPEAK TO THOSE HIGHER UP THE MANAGEMENT CHAIN UNTIL SOMEONE RESPONDS POSITIVELY!
If all else fails...
COMPLAIN TO THE RELEVANT GOVERMENT BODY/DEPARTMENT AND TO THE MARKET RESEARCH SOCIETY UNDER THEIR CODE OF COUNDUCT. AS A LAST RESORT, CONTACT THE POLICE UNDER HARASSMENT LEGISLATION.
Some results of the survey were published by Sport England today. Knowing what I know now, I would eat the statistics with a block of salt!
My 89 year-old father has been telephoned on numerous occasions over the past few months requesting his participation in a sporting activities survey; on each occasion he has declined and asked not to be called again. My father is not in good health and this is very apparent in his tone of voice and the words he uses to express himself. He did, however, make it clear to all the interviewers that called, that he did not wish to take part in the survey because of his health.
On the last occasion a call was received, I was at my father's house. He answered the call but passed the phone to me. I was then engaged in quite a lengthy conversation with the interviewer. I told the interviewer that my father did not wish to be called again but the interviewer said they would call again as they were allowed to do so!
I did point out to the interviewer that they were not allowed to call again if a specific request was made not to be called again. At this point I was asked if my father's telephone number was registered with TPS. I said the number was registered with TPS and the interviewer said they were not governed by TPS as it was a Market Research survey. I told the interviewer my complaint had nothing to do with the rules of the TPS but with the legislation enacted by parliament - particularly anti-harassment laws.
That appeared to take the interviewer by surprise and immediately change track! We then got into a discussion about how they were unhappy doing these particular surveys but had been instructed during training not to take refusals because the research was sponsored by the government and they needed to meet certain participation targets! The interviewer indicated that for interviews that were for companies then any refusal to participate would immediately be marked as such, but for government surveys they were instructed to make an appointment (without permission of the person being called) even when the person they were calling gave a clear refusal to participate.
They said that the only way they could immediately remove my father from any further contact was for him to be abusive on the phone or start the survey and abandon it after answering the first question! I was not allowed to complete the survey as I did not live in the household and I was certainly not prepared to be abusive in order to achieve what should be done by simple request. My father did then answer the first question (about how much walking he does) and then abandoned the survey.
The interviewer then gave some closing statements about how the survey was 'carried out within the Code of Conduct of the Market Research Society'; they also mentioned that they was calling from Kantar Operations. At the beginning of the call the interviewer said they were calling on behalf of TNS (no mention of Kantar at the beginning of the call).
Luckily, my father has a digital recorder on his line so the whole conversation was recorded and when the interviewer mentioned Kantar Operations at the end of the call I knew I could verify what they had said because I have a friend who works as a supervisor for Kantar! My friend verified everything the interviewer said. My friend confirmed that Kantar is actually quite strict in adhering to rules and procedures but that the targets for government surveys are often so unrealistic they are impossible to meet 'without massaging the data' – and that included marking refusals for further appointments or for what he called 'deferrals'.
My friend also added that staff are told during their training that under virtually no circumstances are refusals to be accepted, though this is NEVER put in writing; in fact, Kantar employees (on this particular survey) are not even allowed to mark a survey as refused without going to speak to a supervisor!
Kantar Operations do these particular surveys on behalf of TNS who, in turn, pass the results to Sport England. I have since been in contact with Sport England to let them know of these insidious practices and I have also been in contact with the Market Research Society who say they have had numerous conversations with Kantar Operations about such tactics before as it is a breach of the MRS Code of Conduct. Again, these calls were recorded.
My advice to anyone being called to do surveys for anything to do with government-sponsored research (and who does not wish to participate) is to say that you are the only occupant of the household (that means they can only interview you and no-one else). Then answer the first question in the survey and then make it clear you are not interested in any further participation and tell them not to call back.
Should any further calls be received say...
DO NOT CALL BACK, THE CALL HAS BEEN RECORDED AND THEN READ BACK THEIR NAME SAYING THAT YOU MADE A NOTE OF IT. IF YOU FEEL THEY ARE NOT LISTENING, ASK TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR AND, IF NECESSARY, SPEAK TO THOSE HIGHER UP THE MANAGEMENT CHAIN UNTIL SOMEONE RESPONDS POSITIVELY!
If all else fails...
COMPLAIN TO THE RELEVANT GOVERMENT BODY/DEPARTMENT AND TO THE MARKET RESEARCH SOCIETY UNDER THEIR CODE OF COUNDUCT. AS A LAST RESORT, CONTACT THE POLICE UNDER HARASSMENT LEGISLATION.
Some results of the survey were published by Sport England today. Knowing what I know now, I would eat the statistics with a block of salt!
0
Comments
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Get a device called truecall unfortunately there is little anything can be down about survey companies cold calling as I believe they dont come under TPS
Telephone Preference Service0 -
Get a device called truecall unfortunately there is little anything can be down about survey companies cold calling as I believe they dont come under TPS
I bought a Truecall for my father when he started to receive the calls. That is how I recorded the call!
I know Truecall can record every call but I felt that invasion of my father's privacy, so I told him to press the button with the blue light on it, whenever such calls were received!
I know TPS does not cover market/social research/opinion polls, but people can still opt out from further contact under the Code of Conduct of the Market Research Society (assuming the company is a member) Kantar Operations is a member of the MRS but is ignoring that Code of Conduct.0 -
I never found any company to honour your request to stop calling thats why I got truecall. They may leave it a few months but then ring you back, I just leave truecall to filter all calls leaving friends/family off. I never give any cold callers any opportunity to sell/ or ask questions I politely so no thanks and that's the end of the conversation as far as I am concerned I dont care if people think I am rude I tried polite and it doesn't work.0
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