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The company that is making these supposed survey calls (exempt from "Do Not Call list restrictions) does not respond to requests to delete info from their call lists; recommend a complaint registration to the FCC at: http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm?sid=&id=d1e37
While I do not want to tell you how to input your complaint, I recommend the following:
Select:'Abandoned Calls' ('Silent Calls, ' 'Dead Air Calls' from a telemarketer) and 'War Dialing' received on your residential or business telephone
Fill out info and in the 'how did you obtain this info' block on the last page, this is how I did mine, if you want to copy it:
Even though these companies purport to be survey companies that are exempt from the DO NOT CALL list (which I am on), they need to have strictor controls. 1-calls only from 4-6pm to avoid interrupting dinner and young children sleeping. 2-immediately identify themselves, even if it goes to an answering machine/voice mail. 3-provide a means by the contact person, or by message, to remove the number from the contact list for all future calls.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Okay guys -- I'm going to give you the figurative keys to the kingdom. I work there; I don't necessarily like it, but it's a job. We've all done something we've hated doing because we needed to pay the bills. This is basically a primer about what's going on and how it works.
The majority of the people calling you are college students in need of work that goes around their school schedule, nine-to-fivers who need supplemental income, or people who are older who need a little more income but can't do physical work. They are tired, just like you, and they are not given much choice except to follow a script for what amounts to very little pay. Some people are, admittedly, better at handling irate respondents and pressure than others. I can't tell you why those people are kept, as I'm just a lowly peon with the company, and I don't make those decisions. We're specifically told not to be rude, but we are given a script to try to persuade you to take the survey if you try to refuse and we are monitored -- if we don't do it, we get in trouble, and a poor ratio of people who agree to people who refuse can lead to us not working.
If someone has called you before, 9 times out of 10 the next person to call you is not the same person, and they don't really have any information about you. We get one line of shorthand comments to decode before you pick up the phone, and often they are not well-written and contain no information or worse, INACCURATE information. The number is different depending on where you are sitting in the center and which center you're in, so we're not necessarily trying to be underhanded by using a different number -- you're just getting a different person in a different section!
Every survey is different. While we may put you into the system as a Do Not Call Back for one survey, if another survey is ordered in your area, you won't be in the Do Not Call Back category for the new survey -- so you'll get another call, because the numbers are randomized (the client gives you the area code and prefix, for example 123-456, and the last four numbers are randomly generated by the computer, giving us 123-456-XXXX).
The Do Not Call List doesn't tend to apply to us because we get contracted by government agencies, such as your state's Department of Health or the CDC; they can circumvent this list which is, admittedly, inconvenient ... but the surveys they push through are generally designed to gather information to improve public health programs in your area, so if you do have the time to take it, it really does do good.
We generally keep calling back until we get either a completed survey or what's classified as a "hard refusal, " in which you say something to the effect of "do not call me back." The caveats to that are when you do that, we get in trouble, and people have a tendency to classify them as something else to AVOID getting in trouble. THE BEST THING THAT YOU CAN DO is to tell the person you are speaking to that you have a long-term illness and don't feel well enough/are not supposed to be on the phone for long stretches of time the first time they call for a given survey. This doesn't count against the person making the call, and if it's input appropriately (which SHOULD BE DONE, but I have no control over people who aren't me ...) they will not call you back for that survey -- your number will be taken out of the sample and you'll be left alone for the duration of that survey. It's not the most honest of tactics, but it will work if people are doing what they should be doing.
So, yes -- most of us know that this is inconvenient. But most of us also have little other choice right now but to work here. There are people who work here who don't do what they're supposed to do, just like there are everywhere else, and I really am sorry that you've been pestered so much. Hopefully this will give you a better idea of what's going on, and you can use that little trick to get out of it. Hopefully the person calling you will classify it the right way and you will only hear from us rarely.
SRBI is annoying, but it is valid research. If you would just do the survey, they would stop calling.
SRBI is annoying for sure, but they do important and legitimate research. They only call once if you do the survey. All you people complaining are the same people who will quote research in every argument you are in. If you use research you should pay in.
Uhh... just say no to voice. Say yes to text. Free..., free..., free at last! :-) On a serious note, I did pick up the phone this time. In my case, SRBI was being contracted by PPIC for a political survey. Frankly speaking, who actually enjoys answering a cold call survey to answer questions about gay marriage, gender identity, immigration, death penalty, health (Obama) care, abortion, AFDC and other government entitlements. OK, I suppose there are a few "Mavens" out there who can't resist. For my part, I asked for the short list and that's what I got. OK, inertial gravity just bumped up to 2Gs. Apart from the general Yuck factor, I couldn't establish any assurance of anonymity with the SRBI caller. OK, we're at 6Gs now. I asked some fairly pointed questions about privacy, which resulted in a lot of dead air. The long and the short of it is that I would have had to wade through the legalese of PPIC's and SRBI's privacy statements. Urgg... we just disintegrated on reentry. It is so incredibly simple to do a reverse look up these days. A random dialer to assure anonymity is last century's technology. Based on the latest IRS scandal, which targeted conservative groups who applied for 403c status, some would feel reticent, both liberal or conservative, in publicizing their political views. The secret ballot in this country insures there can be no retribution if you don't agree with the majority. IMHO, we don't need more opinion polls by SRBI, hiried by PPIC or other think tanks. We need better voter turnout. I'd take that call any day of the week. My 2c.
The information in this article is grossly INACCURATE! The person who wrote this article is misinformed and is clearly unaware of federal laws and regulations regarding call centers. I work for Abt SRBI and I have a vast understanding of the company's workings. Abt SRBI is a legitimate company, part of Abt Associates. First off, Research calls do NOT apply to the the National Do Not Call Registry's Do Not Call List (this information can be confirmed in the DNC user agreement) Abt SRBI works closely with the Do Not Call Registry and is FULLY sanctioned by it due to the fact that Abt SRBI is routinely confused with telemarketing companies. It is a phone research company NOT a telemarketing company. (Telemarketing companies make sales calls, Abt SRBI dose NOT make sales calls.) Also Abt SRBI is contracted directly by GOVERNMENT organizations such The CDC, and ALL 50 State's Departments of Public Health, as well as dozens of other government and private research organizations and could be calling to conduct as study for any one of them. Last but not least "building a case" is not the best way to stop us from calling. The best way to STOP CALLS is to tell the interview on the phone to "take your number off the list." The interviewer will then use what is known as "REFCON" also know as refusal conversion. If you are still not interested confirm that you would like your number removed from the list. I hope this clears up some confusion about the company and helps stop unwanted calls.
You people are a bunch of idiots. These calls that you get are to help your state build better health programs to help you. Without these surveys, they won't know what people need and what they don't need. Surveys are one of the affective way to find out these information. They don't know who you are and they respect your privacy, so if you don't want to answer a certain question, you don't have to. But if you refuse to participate, don't come and complain that nothing is being done to help better your community because that is your fault. Many people say, why have they not come up with a solution for this or for that, and the reason is because you don't help them. They can't just guess. And also, don't be so rude to the interviewer because they are only doing their job. They don't wake up every day and say " hey, i am going to call these people and bother them for the heck of it!", no, they are trying to feed their families just like all of you out there and others are trying to put themselves through college. They are doing what they have to do, so try to respect them.
You can feed your family with a more respectable job. Calling people repeatedly and or at all hours of the day, despite not honoring the caller's request to not be contacted is annoying and also loses my attentiveness, business and trust; what you people are doing is a bullying tactic. You prey on people's sensibilities, simple as that. You want to feed your family? Well maybe you'll have an easier time doing that if you didn't do a job that literally changes nothing but adds to the disgusting epidemic of scam/annoying calls that nobody has time for. You have our information and that's already concerning, like what do you expect? Surely you can understand that, right? The responses that some of you gave here are not only reassuring that many of you do not care and are equally deceitful and rude, but also shows that instead of carrying a more professional tone to prove that you are really trying to help, shows that the people who receive your calls have a right to treat your company in such a manner. Also, many of you need to go back to school and take a writing course and business ethics course, then maybe you will/can be taken more seriously. I can just imagine how some of you converse over the phone (not intelligible, pushy, etc.). If you take some courses, maybe you can actually get a more respected job to feed your families more efficiently, that you claim to be working so hard for. Simply put, I just automatically block your number. Voting sucks enough, but that is kind of where you can help change things, but your company I'm sorry to say has little to no effect. I'm mean obviously if people are annoyed by what you are doing. Make sense?
You can feed your family with a more respectable job. Calling people repeatedly and or at all hours of the day, despite not honoring the caller's request to not be contacted is annoying and also loses my attentiveness, business and trust; what you people are doing is a bullying tactic. You prey on people's sensibilities, simple as that. You want to feed your family? Well maybe you'll have an easier time doing that if you didn't do a job that literally changes nothing but adds to the disgusting epidemic of scam/annoying calls that nobody has time for. You have our information and that's already concerning, like what do you expect? Surely you can understand that, right? The responses that some of you gave here are not only reassuring that many of you do not care and are equally deceitful and rude, but also shows that instead of carrying a more professional tone to prove that you are really trying to help, shows that the people who receive your calls have a right to treat your company in such a manner. Also, many of you need to go back to school and take a writing course and business ethics course, then maybe you will/can be taken more seriously. I can just imagine how some of you converse over the phone (not intelligible, pushy, etc.). If you take some courses, maybe you can actually get a more respected job to feed your families more efficiently, that you claim to be working so hard for. Simply put, I just automatically block your number. Voting sucks enough, but that is kinda where you can help change things, but your company I'm sorry to say has little to no effect. I'm mean obviously if people are annoyed by what you are doing. Make sense?
I can't get this company to stop calling especially late at night!
Yeah, I keep getting called by ABT SRBI. I've tried the tactic of telling the caller that I want to be placed on their 'do not call' list. I've told them that I will not, under any circumstances, take a survey with them, which should have generated a hard refusal. I'm now looking for legal remedies. They don't stop for any reason. They are a bunch of lowlife ### who don't take no for an answer. Be as rude as you like -- the only solution is to make sure that every one of them hates their jobs and quits, leaving them with no one to man the phones.
Most of people opposing ABT SRBI are more disgusting low lives then anyone calling you from our company. Really you are going to get a bullhorn and hope you injure someone on the other end of the phone, you sir are truly disgusting, and not to mention that will also wake up your baby, and could injure him as well, and being a good person i would never want for that to happen. But really why are you people all so mean, yes you deal with an annoying phone call, use one of the many methods provided by other employees on here to get out of it. Dont yell at us or be mean, because you deal with one phone call but when i hang up the phone i have to call another person and they could yell at me too. And i am sorry we do call so late, but those are the hours available and then happens to also be the time that most people are also available ie not working. I have never been so rude to anyone ever in my life, in fact I use to get calls from telemarketers on the phone, yes people who want to sell me thing and i was never rude to them, I know its a thing called a job and they are just trying to get through their day same way we are, and i even told the lady to have a nice day and she sounded startled and said no one has ever told her to have a good day after she has called them. and also while working here even if you curse me out or are just plain nasty i will always tell you to have a nice day. What the fnck ever happened to human compassion, I respect the wishes of the people on the other line always, but rarely do i get any form of respect back. But you all come on here and complain, I am so happy that you are all so satisfied with your status in life and can not fathom the struggle of others and apparently dont even care. You all must work for the most trustworthy companies who have never done a person wrong for you all to be so damn high and mighty, and well if you dont guess what we have a survey for that too! So in conclusion we are people on the other end, making calls from 4 to 7 hours a day, its boring and tedious but its money in the pocket when the economy is down, just have a bit of compassion, FnCK just being a decent human being to the person on the other line.
Oh and to Bobmilo...
We are not the lowlife ###, I would think the person who can treat others in the way that you like to treat them is lowlife ###. And no being as rude as possible will not make me hate my job but it will make me hate the human race. And I am sure you can be sooo rude to someone on the phone but if it were ever face to face you wouldnt have boo to say.