Pollsters who refuse to say for what organization they work.
Has anyone else here been called or approached by pollsters who won't tell you whom they represent?
Someone called me this afternoon to ask my opinion about the Congressional race in CD22NY. I asked which campaign they were representing. The person said she did not work for any of the three major candidates. Ok. I said, what is the name of your organization? "I can't tell you for security reasons." Security Reasons!! The pollster also knew my name, so so much for my security. My guess is that this particular poll might be calling Working Families Party members.
At that point I decided the pollster was probably representing the democrat, Myers, because Myers seems to have plenty of money to spend and the R and the Independent, not so much.
I admit to rudeness. I interrupted the spiel and said in no uncertain terms that I would not vote for Mrs. Myers, an empty blazer Clinton groupie, and why. Then I hung up. I said nothing abusive to the employee on the phone, but neither did I care to hear the entire shtick.
Is this a new trend now? They can call you and ask questions but they don't have to say whom they are?
Comments
We get them.
You can usually figure out within three questions who they are working for. Sometimes they are trying out different attacks to see which seems to work best.
Now interviewing signature candidates. Apply within.
I expect you are right.
This was a first for me, and I didn't feel like listening to the three questions.
If someone is going to call me, at my home, they need to be prepared to tell me whom they are.
Mary Bennett
calling me at home
And they need to be a natural biological person whose principal first language is American English.
(yes, I know, I'm a stinker. But fuck all robo-calls!)
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
I don't have a landline, so have avoided the whole mess.
But if I were in your shoes, I would tell them that they need to check with a supervisor, because if they won't tell me who they are, I won't answer the poll. But if they do then I will. I used to conduct polls, getting people to respond is difficult, I wouldn't have wanted to lose one over something so stupid. Yes, we told them who we were if asked. Actually, we identified ourselves immediately, not that anyone paid attention until they processed that we were conducting a poll. We worked for a polling firm, though; I wouldn't have been able to tell you the client, they didn't tell us, it makes for a better, more objective poll. But you could have name, address, and phone number of the firm, plus how to phone my supervisor directly.
Polls are also conducted by media; I'm not sure why you assumed it was conducted by one of the candidates. In any event, they can do whatever they like, but they'll get a poor response rate if they're going to be secretive about it while making it clear that they have gathered all your information.
Please check out Pet Vet Help, consider joining us to help pets, and follow me @ElenaCarlena on Twitter! Thank you.
Secretive to the point of sounding threatening.
If you still have the phone number from caller ID, I would report it. Phone company and perhaps police (probably not the latter, unless you can do that anonymously).
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Sounded, not threatening, but like the
pollster had decided to make a personal BFD out of the conversation. The comment of thenatokephaloides is relevant here. Not a robocall, but I think English not the first language, and I didn't feel like catering to sensitivities and pride issues.
That's two strikes. First, she refused to identify her sponsoring organization, which she should have done without having to be asked. Second she decided SHE was going to control the conversation even though SHE intruded on someone else's privacy. I don't go into to other folk's homes and demand that they have to answer up to any old impertinence I might have on my mind.
Elena, thank you for the suggestion. I will try that next time if there is a next time. I think if it had been one of the normal polling orgs. or companies, like Gallup, the person would have been a lot more professional. That is why I think it is a stealth Dem operation. The local Dems already know who I am because the last time the Dem operative came around with petitions for his candidates to get WFP endorsement I gave him an earful about how I would not be voting for his presidential nominee.
Mary Bennett
I don't care who they are
I hang up on all of them. They have no right to intrude into my life to twist their talking points into things they can use against me through my answers.
Thanks for nothing, Fast Eddie Bernays!
Vowing To Oppose Everything Trump Attempts.
"Fast Eddy Bernays"?
I might steal that line.
My sentiments also.
Mary Bennett
“Fast Eddie” Bernays literally wrote the book on propaganda
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_(book)
Just a note for folks who might not recognize the name / catch the allusion.
Bernays was also the nephew of one
Sigmund Freud.
Mary Bennett