Interesting Call ?? wind up or what ???

Interesting Call ?? wind up or what ???

Author
Discussion

SamN01

Original Poster:

874 posts

275 months

Monday 22nd April 2002
quotequote all
I just had a call on my mobile, from a market reserch company who admited getting my telephone number from Exchange and mart, but then went on to invite me to some sort of car review in 3 weeks.
Has anyone been on one of these ?? Is it a con or what ??
He gave me the number of the market research institute and there company name and promised me that noone was going to try and sell me anything at all.
I was sceptical because they are also going to pay me £50 cash for going along for 2 hours. I assumed that this was a timeshare type sales tact but he assures me it isn't he would not tell me the cars I would be reviewing but just asked me about my taste in cars and a few other lifestyle questions and then said yes they deffinatly want me to go along to review these cars.
What did interest me is that I had to confirm that no member of my family or I have everworked for a car company or advertising company or any sort of design or engineering company involved in cars in anyway. This has left me feeling that perhaps I am going to get to see some new cars before the press do....or is this wishful thinking.....???

Is this a wind up or what ????

domster

8,431 posts

277 months

Monday 22nd April 2002
quotequote all
It sounds genuine to be honest.

Market research companies make a ton of money, so 50 quid for two hours of your time is about right.

You will find yourself with another 8-12 people, who will have something in common with you.... social status, car budget, both selling Fiestas etc.

Then Ford will ask you what you think of the new Fiesta, and why you sold your last one. Your opinion really does matter to these guys, but not as much as it does to the research company who will bill Ford 20k for setting the thing up!

The disclaimer is simply because they need independent opinions. No point believing you if you're dad works in Dagenham and your mum works for Ford's ad agency.

Go there, get your dosh, have some fun, then volunteer a day test driving/thrashing their cars for a 'nominal fee that will prove good value in relation to the qualitative data you will be getting from a demographically-accurate consumer.'

mtmrop

53 posts

274 months

Monday 22nd April 2002
quotequote all
aka "Customer Clinics"

Bodo

12,415 posts

273 months

Monday 22nd April 2002
quotequote all
I did that every two weeks, when going to school. It is called group discussions or single interview. They expect you to tell your point of view about a certain marketing campaign or product -not necesserily cars- and use the collected information to trim their marketing.

I had great fun, always told them what they did not like to hear!
I was given between 20 and 100 quid, depending on duration.

Cotty

40,284 posts

291 months

Monday 22nd April 2002
quotequote all
Sounds about right my dad did one of these years ago went out and tested about five cars.

One of my mates used to get paid for reviewing things like chocolate bars and soft drinks

Just market research like being stopped in the street and asked about some product or other.

Paul

domster

8,431 posts

277 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2002
quotequote all
Just be careful if they ask you to try a few different brands of chloroform before they go onto the vaseline research.

JMGS4

8,770 posts

277 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2002
quotequote all
quote:

Just be careful if they ask you to try a few different brands of chloroform before they go onto the vaseline research.


Yeah, could be a nasty slip-up there

SamN01

Original Poster:

874 posts

275 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2002
quotequote all
Cool....Sounds like fun.
I told the Market research guy I would only buy sports cars, and his reply was perfect.
knowing my luck they will have me looking at the new MX5 or something.
I can always hope its something tasty !!

Neil Menzies

5,167 posts

291 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2002
quotequote all
I was invited to one of these market research evenings, and paid a tenner.

It wasn't cars.

It was giving my opinion on a new marketing campaign, and sampling, Macallan.

Well, someone's got to do it...

tav

121 posts

280 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2002
quotequote all
I had a guy knock on the door and paid me £10 to watch a video of the new mini ages before it came out officially. It took about half an hour including the questions (mainly trying to determine whther it had achieved the aim of looking like the old one while being modern - if that makes sense). I thought it was a con to start with but it was on a Saturday and I wasn't doing anything else so I let him in. Clearly it wasn't a con as the new mini was the one I had seen.

So not all these things are cons

cheers