I am not in the mood to take adverse reactions to this, thanks. Comments not welcomed on this post.
A Few Helpful Hints, a.k.a., Take This and Be Thankful
How to Most Painlessly and Effectively Avoid Research Calls
1. Put your name on the Do Not Call list. This is for telemarketers (people who sell you things via telephone), and does not apply to research.
2. Once you have done this, if you get a phone call from someone you don't know, unless something is wildly amiss, they are not telemarketers. Answer the phone; ignoring their calls will ensure they call back at least once a day either until their project is over or until you show some indication that you would prefer not to participate. If you don't mind that, do whatever you want. Assuming you answer, be polite to them and assume they have something relatively valid to say. For example, many institutions use independent research firms (who may show up as private callers or introduce themselves on the phone as from the research firm) to take complaints from customers who have shown in some way (i.e., through their activity with the company) that they may be unhappy. Their call may be directly pertinent to you.
3. Hear the intro out. Find out what they want. The intros are designed to be short and will take very little of your time. Do not hang up on them: they will usually call back. (Also, if you continue to ignore their calls, again - you have not given a verbal refusal, for all they know you're on vacation or in the shower, and they will call back.) If you are not interested in participating, refuse, and ask (politely, as so many do, you'd be surprised) to have your number taken off their call lists. (Research firms have their own do-not-call lists; as the Do Not Call laws exempt these firms - making any threats to sue a futile and laughable offense to all in the call center ["I'm getting sued again today! Who wants to be my lawyer this time?? Hooray!"], the firms have their own lists. If you make this request you will henceforth be removed from all call projects coming from this firm. Any form of "Please put me on your do not call list" is a magic phrase that will almost certainly quickly shut up any caller and cancel any further attempts to ask you to complete any studies in the future.
Thank you, and have a nice day.
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3 comments:
Yay! Thanks for the hints.
Question: If I, for example, tell the researcher that I am sorry because I am full of fruit and cheese, does that count as a refusal? I sure hope it does.
Ha. Nope. Maybe later, you won't be full of fruit and cheese. Unless you expressly say "I don't want to participate," or some form thereof, it's not a refusal.
The researcher obviously doesn't know me very well. I mean, when am I ever not full of fruit and cheese?
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