“Smile while you dial,” says Daniela Charter, director of the survey center and education services at the Marist Poll, whose public-opinion surveys are conducted by nearly 300 student interviewers at a call center at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Pollsters often have to dial hundreds of landline and cellphone numbers before someone answers. The first few seconds of contact are especially crucial. “Obviously that person can’t see your smile, but they can hear it,” Charter says. During training sessions, Charter makes each student turn to a partner and try to say something unkind with a big smile on his or her face. “It still sounds friendly,” Charter says. Then she makes each student say nice things while scowling. “It doesn’t work.”
Sit upright; no slouching or slumping. Articulate clearly who you are and why you’re calling. Don’t take it personally if people yell at you, swear at you, hang up on you — what pollsters refer to as “hard refusals.” Know your script and the answers to frequently asked questions. Being hesitant at the beginning opens space for the person to back out. Instead, create momentum with your bright, friendly, interested tone. People want to feel heard; tell them that their opinion matters. When someone seems reluctant but is not a hard refuser, do everything to keep him or her on the phone. “My favorite line is, ‘Let’s try a few questions and see how it goes,’ ” Charter says. Those who have invested even a little time are less likely to hang up.
Respondents in the Central time zone, where people tend to pick up more readily, are often friendlier and more willing to talk. Young people, especially men, almost never answer. When the Marist pollsters reach a landline, they ask to talk to the youngest man in the house over 18, trying to get to that coveted 20-something male demographic. In Charter’s experience, strangers are more receptive to calls from female voices. Don’t start with questions about race and income, which often cause people to bristle. When respondents balk, explain the importance of including a wide range of backgrounds and opinions. “We don’t want to just represent older women who want to talk on the phone,” she says.
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December 11, 2019 at 05:00PM
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How to Keep a Stranger on the Phone - The New York Times
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