Just had a marketing research call

[Generic Other]

I tried to be as bloody civil as possible. In other words, I screwed it up. First, I did not let them ask any questions, only asked them questions. #1 who were they affiliated with and why did they want to ask me questions. The caller said she didn't have that information. So I asked more questions and received the same answer. And more.

Mountain West Research Center in Pocatello, Idaho. http//:www.MWRCenter.com Talked to worker and supervisor whose names I will not divulge. Neither would answer my questions except to say they were not trying to sell anything just soliciting public opinion. I said for what? Union? Political Party? Focus Group? Think Tank? Sarah Palin's Home for Unwed Mothers?

No answer. Read off a canned "Don't know who we are working for." was the response.

I asked why are you asking questions for someone you don't know to someone else you don't know? No answer.

Just "We don't have that information available. We are just hired to ask research questions."

I said that was highly suspicious and might warrant a call to my local police department. I was handed to a supervisor.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Given a Call Center Customer Service Rep's name and number.

Jessie Reinhold 208 232-1818, ext. 7608 #
Called. Message. Said: If I needed to talk to Jessie, ext. 7608 #
If I wanted Damien ext. 7606 #
If I wanted to contact Operations to voice concerns, call 7608 #

For some reason we never got around to the questions. My bad. So I will be calling tomorrow and Monday to follow up. I suspect teabag activity from Idaho. Scare seniors. Or promote the rethug senate candidate Dino Rossi (loser R-Gubernatorial race who made us recount 4 times and sued the state) and wants to scare the voters. Or homophobic numbskulls. I regret I asked so many questions and received so few answers. Of course they didn't get any either and I wasted twenty minutes of their time. I intend of course to follow up on Monday, but thought I'd post a reminder here.

Anyone else know who this organization represents? they don't seem to know. I think we ought to help them. Please feel free to give me a clue. I can't afford to buy a vowel.

[DURHAM D]

1. Maybe they just want to know what kind of laundry detergent you use. nt

[Radical Activist]

It's pretty common practice

that the people calling don't know who they're working for. Sometimes it's to protect the client. Sometimes it's to make sure that the workers don't influence the results. It could have been a news organization or Democratic pollster.

[chatnoir]

2. They've been calling here several times a night for the last 2 evenings

Saw their name/# on caller ID. They've left a few msgs, "Hi, this is so-and-so from Mountain West Research Center, may we speak to..." before getting cut off.

Have 0 clue who this outfit is but was wondering the same.

[Warpy]

3. Well, Google is your friend

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/6/28/195218/484 The good stuff is in the reader comments.

Apparently they're the outfit of choice for anyone who wants to do push polling. It's just odd that it's happening so early in the season, it usually only happens the last three weeks or so. However, I did find a lot of complaint sites where people all over the country are talking about being inundated with the calls on home phones and cell phones.

[Generic Other]

4. GOOG GOLLY MISS MOLLY!!!

Lieberman's Latest Dirty Trick

by mollyd
Wed Jun 28, 2006 at 04:52:18 PM PDT
Well A research company just called me concerning the Connecticut Primary. They could not say who paid for survey though nothing odd about that. The first questions seemed very normal. They were about my history of voting, and demographic questions. but...

[Generic Other]

5. push polling for the rethugs?

Mountain West Research is run by Western Wats, who are based in Provo, Utah. They are reputed to be the largest data collection agency in the United States.

Their call center though in based in the Cebu Islands of the Phillipines located in the Mactan Economic Zone II, a tax haven for American companies looking to outsource.

[Generic Other]

6. kicking because I am still mad

thanks for the info guys!!!

[suffragette]

7. Looks like the WA PDC wants clearer rules on push polling

http://www.pdc.wa.gov/search/?q=push%20poll