FREE time! (or should it be Time IS Money?)

puddings_2

I'm curious to find out how much you reckon your spare time is actually worth?
If you are offered a chance to do a 20 minute online survey in return for one pound would you do it?
What about if you were invited to stand in a queue for 20 minutes to receive one pound instead, would you do that?

Some surveys take the best part of an hour and all that they offer in return is "a chance to win". Do you do them? If so, are you underselling yourself, or maybe you are happy to do surveys for free anyway.

I used to work for IPSOS MORI and used to regularly interview people in their homes. We used to say that the surveys would last 20-30 minutes but realistically they would be 40-45. People were paid nothing "except for a thankyou and a smile" i was amazed at how many people agreed to sit and waste their spare time telling me about which tv programs they had seen that week and so on.

I reckon my spare time is worth about £3/hour minimum. What about you?

red_devil

i agree that surveys are too low paid mainly, but the problem is that as long as people accept low pay then it will happen it would need everyone to make a stand and it dosent happen. Its the same with the stamp job. Its not much for what you have to do but there are always willing people.

re surveys where you knock peoples doors i can believe they expect people to sit and give their opinions for nothing why should they? I should imagine that job is extremely difficult to do.

red_devil

should say i cant believe and also no i wouldnt enter surveys for free on the net.

puddings_2

and mystery shopping jobs too are paid much less than they used to be with questionaires getting longer and longer all the time too, but again, whilst there are shoppers that are willing to do it for so little (or even nothing) then those companies will continue to take the p!$s.

I'm very fussy nowadays about which mys.shop jobs i take on, but sometimes when they're really stuck they'll ring me up and ask. It's only really then that i'm the one in the driving seat and I tell them how much I want paying for doing the job. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it don't!

red_devil

good idea ask for more.

JonnyH

Funny this should come up. Im with quite a few survey companys and generally most of them have been ok with their rewards based on the amount of time they ask for, apart from one. IPSOS!
Got my first survey from them the other day, said in the email its 20-25 mins. So an hour and 5 minutes later i finish it (couldnt allow myself to stop half way) and it doesnt even mention a REWARD??
So i emailed them about this and they have not replied, i am not atall impressed. Rubbish service.

puddings_2

Re: Ipsos MoRI: That doesn't surprise me. Even when I was working for them, i frequently had to ARGUE over how much they were meant to be paying ME!
They were very, very tight.

misspenny

i dont expect that much for online surveys but would expect alot more face to face survays mystery shopping and the like, i like my online surveys as they keep me away from ebay and online shopping