Brought my car in for routine service. The usual; oil change top up of fluids, and the multipoint check. Bought a coffee at the coffee bar, watched some tv on the mounted flat screen, and read the newspaper. The mechanic called me over. He reviewed the invoice with me and sent me on my way. Simple enough. Roughly 70 minutes of my time. Very palatable.
A few days later in my in-box is an online survey regarding my most recent visit to my car dealership’s service department. Rarely do I participate in surveys for many reasons including that I am apt to be screened out due to my profession as a market researcher. I decide to make an exception. The survey’s fine print assures me my responses will remain confidential. I complete what seems to be a standard survey with rating scales and hit the submit key. I toggle back to my work screen. Ten minutes’ pass and my phone rings. I check the call display. It’s the car dealership. Coincidental? Perhaps.
A brand of high end luggage invites me via email to become a “brand ambassador”. I decide, mostly out of curiosity, to acquiesce. I am asked to participate in surveys regarding my luggage habits that are poorly written with a mish-mash of methodologies. In fact, one question within the questionnaire queries my interest in suitcases encoded with RFID but does not bother to spell out the abbreviation. For my participation, I am offered a $50 rebate of their respective suitcases with the lowest one priced at $600. I begin to wonder-- am I a brand ambassador?, a respondent?, a potential client?, a sucker?, or all the above?
With the advent of survey software accessible to all, many companies are using their internal teams to conduct market surveys. While there are inherent biases in using one’s own team to conduct market research, companies need to realize the following: There are ethical and professional rules which professional market researchers adhere to. Regardless of which market research association guidelines one follows, they all detail in some form the rights and safeguards to which respondents are entitled to with emphasis on the market researcher’s responsibilities when collecting personal information. To say the least, no sales approach should be made as a direct result of a respondent having provided personal information.
While I can't change how companies execute their market research, one thing for sure, I will not be purchasing a $600 suitcase with built-in RFID (still not sure what it stands for) any time soon.
