The random response faction

I was just phone by Ipsos-Mori, and asked to do a survey. I told them that I was on the telephone preference list, so Joe explained to me that this didn't apply to people who, like him, were doing market research, it was only for sales calls. So I explained to him that I knew that, and that I was a member of the "Random response faction". He didn't ask what that meant.

He then proceeded to ask me a series of political questions, which I answered, as you might expect, in a very random manner, not reflecting any views I might actually have, but chosen at random from his options.

After several minutes of this, I felt that he'd got to the end of his script, so I reminded him that I had told him that I was a member of the "Random response faction" and ask if he knew what it implied. He didn't. So I explained it to him.

There was a short silence, and then he asked if they could contact me again for any future research, and I said that they could, but expressed surprise that any market researcher would actually want to contact a member of the "Random response faction".

He gave me the number of Ipsos-Mori and f the Market Research Association, so that I can explain to them about the "Random response faction" and the best way to avoid encountering us.

All you have to do, is respect the telephone preference list.