Thursday, February 24, 2011

My Options are Limited

I was filling out a consumer product survey I got in the mail, and some of the questions were practically impossible to answer.  For instance, asking about storage bags, they wanted to know about various brands, and they wanted to know how often I buy each one.  The options were: 3 or more times per month or 1 or 2 times per month.  That's it, no more options.

Well, I do buy storage bags, and I do buy several of the brands listed, but I do not buy them that often.  I buy them when they're on sale, when I have a coupon, when I need them - maybe once every 3 months?  If that.  So, how do I answer that question?  If I don't check either option, it seems that I don't buy the storage bags at all, which isn't true, but if I say I buy them 1 or 2 times per month, that's not true either.

The survey also asks how often our household uses 'cents off' coupons.  The options: More than once per week, Once per week, Less than once per week.  Well, since I only shop every couple, three weeks, the only answer I can check is Less than once per week.  However, that makes it look like I really don't use coupons, and that's not true.  I use a lot of coupons!

I know the people who build these mail or internet marketing or email surveys can't think of every possible option, but it seems that giving such limited options to their questions can't really give them a clear picture of whatever they're studying.  But, I'll still mail it in, because they're paying the postage - and I could win $10,000!