Phone Survey

[OneOfMany]

Just received a phone call to do a 10- 15 min survey regarding crop inputs. And for my time they will send me a "token of appreciation" a cheque for 5 dollars.

My reply, "MY TIME IS WORTH MORE THAN 5 DOLLARS!! ALSO I DO NOT PROVIDE MY INFO TO ANYONE.

'Thank you, have a good day Sir, Good bye" was her response.

[farmaholic]

That's right...tell them everything:

Tell them what you're seeding
Tell them your inventory after harvest
Allow them, actually PAY them, to collect all your data through your GPS installed in your equipment.

All so the Industry can fine tune THEIR marketing against you.

[Guest]

I always tell them i charge $60/hr then they tell me they cant pay that . I say good im busy anyways

[helmsdale]

You guys dont seed wall to wall organic canola on organic canola stubble like i do? Either that or my bins are sooooo full of organic canola that i chose to recreationally till the place for the shit of it!

[WiltonRanch]

Got that survey too. Asked how much roundup I had. Told em I had lots. Asked if I used fung or growth regulator. **** off. I knew something was up when they were wondering about how much roundup I had. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a "shortage" of these products next spring.

[SASKFARMER3]

I like the $60 a hour comment!

5 dollars is a joke hell 30 is starting to not be enough

[farmaholic]

****, you guys wake up! The information you provide them is priceless, literally priceless!

[Koldkanuck]

I like to string these survey people along. Just after they ask me the first question, I say excuse me for a second , someone's at the door. About 6 minutes later I say I'm sorry we're were we. Then after they ask the next question I say hold on I got to grab me a beer if this is going to be awhile. 5-6 minutes later I pick up, sorry again were were we. Did you grow canola last year. Yes. How many acres . I'll have to check with my crop insurance to get exact acres. Them: that's okay just a close estimate will be fine. Me: hold on, someone's at the door again. Come back on phone 6 minutes later. Usually they have hung up by then, if not I just keep it going, depending on my mood

[MBgrower]

I tell them the same thing, $100 an hour. Afterall what is the hourly rate you get charged to service your equipment?

[Partners]

For 5 dollars I would have given them all the dumb as shit answers you could think of for fun..

[bluefargo]

I tell them I never do surveys. It has saved me hours and hours of time.
I'm always polite but I never do them.

[WiltonRanch]

I don't grow any legumes so most surveys are short cause between that and canola they could care less about cereals or forages. Or they ask about rental rates. No one needs to know that. I tell them a floating crop share. They ask what percent. I say it floats. Ha ha.

Our information is valuable. Even age verifying your calves is giving away how many cows you have. We were fed a line about premiums we'd get for doing so but I never seen that materialize. They get that info they can figure how many are kept for breeding etc. it's not mandatory so I quit unless a feedlot requests it but no one has yet. Sometimes the less they know the better.

[GDR]

First off let me say I don't do those surveys either from a time shortage standpoint. I also avoid stats can as long as I can.

Having said that you guys gotta remember the poor guy on the phone is just trying to feed his family, they don't deserve the response they get from most. I am very polite and decline the first time, have had a couple that got pushy then its time to push back.

Other thought and I'm sure it will be shot down here but if industry doesn't have proper info to work with they can't provide proper service to us either. When there is a Chem shortage or lack of grain movement or inaccurate crop reports you all want to jump all over them and criticize the job they are doing. How are they gonna get it right if you fudge or withhold your operational info.

But yes there is a value to it.

[blackpowder]

So you can pull levers on a rig for 3 years and be worth a grand a day but 30 years experience is worth 20 bucks?
Pattison sign will charge monthly for a billboard but 1/2mile highway frontage is worth a bag of seed or maybe a hat?
They already know the answers. No need to be mean to the poor sap calling.
Funny, since I stopped doing surveys, entering draws, getting the calendar, answering statscan, having no home phone (its dads and hes gone 16 years). I just dont get any calls any more!! Call display,, and just dont answer!

[JDGreen]

I don't buy the "they are just trying to feed their family". Total bullshit.. Get a real job. Something you actually work for. Oh ya right i said "work" for it. Probably just hurt someone's feeling for saying such a thing. I simply don't do surveys. Haven't even done a census Canada survey in I don't know how long. Been threatened by them and swore at by others but I simply don't care. Sometimes for entertainment i string them along and tell them 4000 acres potatoes sprayed with Thumper, and 5000 acres hemp sprayed with whatever kills that shit (I honestly have no idea). Have never given any of them a straight answer and never will. They can take their $5 and stuff it.