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Sorry in advance for the long background on this one, but it's a bit tough to explain.
I work a strange shift. Three 12-hour shifts on Fri, Sat and Sun. Doesn't leave much time for a social life, but I do happen to live in the city where one of the biggest health-and-beauty care manufacturers in the world is headquartered.
This fact, coupled with my crazy schedule, leaves alot of free time for me during the week to participate in research studies and focus groups. I earn some extra cash this way. There are many market research companies here (primarily because of mega-manufacturer), but I was at one in particular today.
This particular one doesn't pay all that well, but they are close by and this study is to be pretty lucrative, so I gave it a shot.
Anyway - when you come in, they give you a clipboard, a black pen (this is important later) and a small piece of paper to fill out name, social, DOB, address and phone number. It also has a red number at the top which becomes your panelist number.
After you fill it out, you hand the clipboard and pen back to the receptionist, and wait to be called for the first part of the study, which (in this case) was an evaluation of skin on your arms. You keep your panel card and carry it with you from station-to-station within the study.
Anyway, at the first station there were about seven of us, and we each sat together in order and waited as each person's arm was evaulated under a strong magnifying glass.
The person doing the evaluation takes the card, evaluates your skin, hands the card back and tells you to go on to the next phase or disqualifies you.
It was almost my turn and the girl in front of me handed the employee her panelist card and put her arm under the glass. Here's the exchange in which I almost got booted out:
Emp: "Oh, this is filled out in BLUE ink!"
Girl: (Smiling) "Oh, yeah - I had my own pen in my purse that I used."
Emp: (sighs, then tsks) "Well, we will go ahead and take it THIS time, but in the future, it has to be filled out in BLACK ink. That's how they like it."
**It bears noting at this point that this panelist card is in no way any sort of 'official' document or contract. It's just a f-ing piece of paper that you carry around that keeps your panelist number for the survey.**
Girl: "Um, ok"
This is where I busted out laughing. I just couldn't help it. I really, REALLY thought she was kidding for a minute. I mean, who would be this petty about the color of ink on a slip of paper that doesnt matter?
Girl on other side me starts snickering.
Then - ***Dead silence in the room***
The emp looks at me pointedly and scowls.
Me: "Oh, you were SERIOUS?"
Emp: "Yes I am! The person at the front who keeps them on file (throughout the study, I assume?) really likes them to be a consistent color! Thats why we give BLACK pens with the clipboards!"
Me: "Oh. Sorry."
Seriously - what a bitch. I felt like I was back in grade school with the old dot tests that required a number 2 pencil, and if you colored outside the dot, the nuns smacked our hands.
I made it through the rest of the qualification, but had another run in with a lady at a different station later - so I really don't know that I'm up to a 40 visit study with this place. I've done quick ones with them before and I've always thought they were a little weird, but they've never annoyed me to the extent they did today.
I called my friend who also participates in studies and told her. I asked if it was just me, since I tend to be a little snarky sometimes (shocking, I know-lol). She responded that no, it wasn't just me. She agreed that this particular place tends to be odd and difficult to deal with at times. That, coupled with the fact that they don't pay all that well, has caused her to stop participating.
I might not be far behind her.
Thanks for listening to my rant.
I work a strange shift. Three 12-hour shifts on Fri, Sat and Sun. Doesn't leave much time for a social life, but I do happen to live in the city where one of the biggest health-and-beauty care manufacturers in the world is headquartered.
This fact, coupled with my crazy schedule, leaves alot of free time for me during the week to participate in research studies and focus groups. I earn some extra cash this way. There are many market research companies here (primarily because of mega-manufacturer), but I was at one in particular today.
This particular one doesn't pay all that well, but they are close by and this study is to be pretty lucrative, so I gave it a shot.
Anyway - when you come in, they give you a clipboard, a black pen (this is important later) and a small piece of paper to fill out name, social, DOB, address and phone number. It also has a red number at the top which becomes your panelist number.
After you fill it out, you hand the clipboard and pen back to the receptionist, and wait to be called for the first part of the study, which (in this case) was an evaluation of skin on your arms. You keep your panel card and carry it with you from station-to-station within the study.
Anyway, at the first station there were about seven of us, and we each sat together in order and waited as each person's arm was evaulated under a strong magnifying glass.
The person doing the evaluation takes the card, evaluates your skin, hands the card back and tells you to go on to the next phase or disqualifies you.
It was almost my turn and the girl in front of me handed the employee her panelist card and put her arm under the glass. Here's the exchange in which I almost got booted out:
Emp: "Oh, this is filled out in BLUE ink!"
Girl: (Smiling) "Oh, yeah - I had my own pen in my purse that I used."
Emp: (sighs, then tsks) "Well, we will go ahead and take it THIS time, but in the future, it has to be filled out in BLACK ink. That's how they like it."
**It bears noting at this point that this panelist card is in no way any sort of 'official' document or contract. It's just a f-ing piece of paper that you carry around that keeps your panelist number for the survey.**
Girl: "Um, ok"
This is where I busted out laughing. I just couldn't help it. I really, REALLY thought she was kidding for a minute. I mean, who would be this petty about the color of ink on a slip of paper that doesnt matter?
Girl on other side me starts snickering.
Then - ***Dead silence in the room***
The emp looks at me pointedly and scowls.
Me: "Oh, you were SERIOUS?"
Emp: "Yes I am! The person at the front who keeps them on file (throughout the study, I assume?) really likes them to be a consistent color! Thats why we give BLACK pens with the clipboards!"
Me: "Oh. Sorry."
Seriously - what a bitch. I felt like I was back in grade school with the old dot tests that required a number 2 pencil, and if you colored outside the dot, the nuns smacked our hands.
I made it through the rest of the qualification, but had another run in with a lady at a different station later - so I really don't know that I'm up to a 40 visit study with this place. I've done quick ones with them before and I've always thought they were a little weird, but they've never annoyed me to the extent they did today.
I called my friend who also participates in studies and told her. I asked if it was just me, since I tend to be a little snarky sometimes (shocking, I know-lol). She responded that no, it wasn't just me. She agreed that this particular place tends to be odd and difficult to deal with at times. That, coupled with the fact that they don't pay all that well, has caused her to stop participating.
I might not be far behind her.
Thanks for listening to my rant.
Eric the Grey
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