Have you ever Skewed a Poll?

[Fergmiester]

I was sitting down this evening enjoying a quiet glass of wine with the better half when the phone rang. They just wanted to ask a couple of questions on Tire manufacturing and advertising. It lasted over 20 minutes. At first I was serious but after several minutes the eyes started to roll to the back of the head and I decided to have some fun. Hey it's my time and it's worht more than a dime!

Normally I'm a very honest guy but I can't stand it when telemarketers tell you it will only take a couple of minutes and twent five minutes later they don't even thank you!

[fiatfan]

[:-^]

[Anonymous]

I just hang up now, I used to tell them I wasn't interested, but they would just keep talking so now it's just a simple "click".

And that is that.

[philnrunt]

I've pretended to be Hispanic, Pakistani, a thief, just depends on my mood. But these were salesmen, I've had very few actual poll calls. And the ones I've taken time to answer seriously never are the important ones. Like yours, they are about tires, bowling ball wax and that sort of thing.
Maybe the serious pollsters know about this, and that is why I never get those calls.

[lupo]

at one time there was a surveying company that called too often in my opinion [V], and they did not understand NO for an answer [:o)], so to get rid of them I told him in a very serious voice that mr Mulder (that's me) passed away [xx(] last week, they offered their condolences, and never called again

[Anonymous]

Honest to the point of being brutal.[:p] None of this nilly willy,"well, it was ok" from me! No sirree!!
If I buy product "A", and someone from the company calls me, good or bad, they better be ready for an honest opinion. It may not be what they wanted to hear, but thats tough. If not, why bother calling![;)]

[Big_Boy_4005]

I get calls from places offering home improvements like windows and siding, and mortgage companies. I tell them that I live in a new house, and I don't have a mortgage. Both of these things are true, but they also end the call. What's worse is I have 2 phone lines. Double trouble!!![swg]

[MAbruce]

I very rarely participate in polls (this one included).

As most are not scientific (for entertainment purposes), or impossible to verify (usually the telemarketing variety), I think it's fairly pointless to participate. I seek my entertainment in other ways and am also unwilling to perpetuate what I consider a part of the “Junk Science” movement.

Sorry for the rant, but I think while people are not supposed to interpret these types of polls as accurate, I do think that they perpetuate a certain impression of accuracy (usually false).

[Anonymous]

I said no, because I usually manage to get rid of them before they get to start asking for questions.

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lupo

at one time there was a surveying company that called too often in my opinion [V], and they did not understand NO for an answer [:o)], so to get rid of them I told him in a very serious voice that mr Mulder (that's me) passed away [xx(] last week, they offered their condolences, and never called again

Lupo,
That reminds me of a friend of mine who was being harassed by a bill collector.
He would recieve three or four threatening letters a week, so one day he started
writing "DECEASED" on the outside of the envelopes and putting them back in
the mailbox. I guess it worked, the letters stopped coming.[:)]

BTW- I have Caller ID, so I just ignore the telemarketers. Dave

[cacole]

I made the mistake of agreeing to answer one of those telephone polls once, but it drug out for so long that now I just hang up on them. What made that particular one even more irritating was the range of choices, from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree," with about 20 intermediate answers. It was a political poll. Now, if the caller says they are conducting a poll, the only answer I give them is, "click."

[cwclark]

I don't give them a chance to even get their sales pitch across...I let them know what I REALLY think about "Telemarketers" and tell them don't call back..I also ask them how they got my number since I'm on the no call list...

[Anonymous]

CWclark, being on the no call list DOES NOT PREVENT your number from being distributed. Most reputable firms "scub" the numbers they obtain against the no call lists, but being on the list does not prevent your number from getting on a list. I run an insurance agency and we sometimes cold call for potential clients, I buy so called "scrubbed" lists and then re-scrub them myself just before my assistant calls them. If you were to ask my assistant where she got my number she would honestly tell you, "from my boss". If you asked me I would tell you I purchased a list from a vendor, which would also be true. People harbor many misconceptions about no call lists. For instance, here in Missouri, Insurance companies, banks, and many other types of businesses can still call you even if you're on the list. The federal no call does not contain as many exceptions, but even it contains some. People in business understand "no", we even respect it. "I'm not interested" gets you some labels we won't discuss here. Not interested in what? You probably don't have enough information to make that decision at the time in the conversation when you say it. I've been in sales long enough to know that "some will, some won't....so what! Next?"

Cheers,

Ed

[krump]

only this one (never voted, but alas I replied) - really messes with your research.

SEINFELD said it well, when he asked for the pollster's home phone number so that he could call back later[:)] at a convenient time for him

and unrelated...
I also send unsolicited junk-mail / credit card mailings back (shredded) in the postage paid envelops, and if I get more than one mailing like that during the week, not only do I shred and mail back at their expense, I also switch the mailings -- child's play I know (and way [#offtopic] for this poll too. [:o)][:-,]
cheers all

[Anonymous]

Yes[}:)][:-,]Most of the time they just get "Click" sometimes i let it ring other times "She/he Can't Come to the phone right now". This one guy woke me up he wasn't prepared to get an earfull. That company(as far as i know) Has never called here again

[Eriediamond]

Sometimes I just hang up, or tell them I'm unemployed and sometimes I turn it around on them and try to sell them my new line of ducky boots or eggs sacks for chickens that run around loose. I also have a recording of gun fire that I sometimes use and tell them to call back later, my in-laws are attacking again. [(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]

[Javern]

no but over the weekend I skewed some mushrooms, pineapple, and some pork.. can you say SHISH-KA-BOB

[mustanggt]

I burp and fart in the phone
j/k, about the farting[:p][}:)]

[BRAKIE]

Not really..You see I start asking them questions for my poll .They finally give up and hang up in most cases.

[Anonymous]

There's an unwritten law that says, when telemarketers call, give nothing but false info and scew that sucker like crazy[(-D][(-D]

[pbjwilson]

Yep, I skewed a poll then I married her. Those pollish girls are hhhhot.