Ok the survey people got me!
Well, the survey people are doing their jobs. A nice lad got me pinned down for 5 minutes and asked me questions, starting with:
Which two of these things are most important in your town: children and young people, older people, tourists, job opportunities, training and skills, shopping and affordable housing.
My reply: they are all equally important and I'm not going to make any choices - you can't have one without all the others if you are to have a successful and thriving town. Unfortunately, they didn't have a box for that (as with many of my later replies!).
They then went on to ask (for all categories) what did I think was needed. Are you kidding? What do we need for children and young people - well we have nothing (except the one evening that Councillor Sophie O'Connell started at The Grove) - nothing at all, so ANYTHING would be a start surely! We just want what every other town seems to have - a youth club, opportunities for sport and leisure - well, you can see where I am going. What do we need for older people: things to do, ways to keep fit, adequate transport and facilities to give them support and companionship if they want or need it. And so it goes on .....
However, strangely enough, he wanted to concentrate on shopping and therefore many of the questions were about shopping. Where did I shop (well, every day at the Co-op of course), what sort of shopping did I do in Seaton (well, just about everything). And finally, did we need a supermarket. Now, as a councillor, I can't tell you what I said about that one except to say that there wasn't a box for it.
I did ask the nice young man who he was doing the survey for - Tesco, presumably to enable them to collect statistics.
Does anyone recall the old adage - lies, damned lies and statistics!
posted by Fighting for East Devon's future @ 3:39 pm
11 Comments:
Just wondered whether the questions they asked were the same as when Liatris did the survey?
Funny everyone is obsessed with shopping. Bet you weren't asked how you felt about the holiday village being closed!
I suggest anyone who has been surveyed writes down while the memory is fresh precisely what questions were asked, and particularly the phrasing used. These surveys can and are used to prove whatever is wanted. The black art of these surveys is that the questions are structured and carefully planned to give the answer required. I this case it sounds like they were simply contrasting two options, say A which is appealing (and the answer they want) only because the other option they offer B is designed to be totally unappealing. (Which do you prefer, a Tescos or perpetual toothache. The questions are all smoke and mirror conjuring to obscure the fact that there are other choices C, D, E etc, all of which may be better than A. The art is never to give an opportunity to consider these other options
O ye of little faith!
Unfortunately these surveys are all ‘farmed off’ to specialist companies or driven by corporate departments who only ask questions that are likely to give the answers they want. You knew that!
In a truly caring Tesco scenario ( don’t laugh, it could happen). We would be asked our opinions not just answers to set questions.
Well, they haven't 'phoned me! I'd tell them they have the greatest PR opportunity being handed to them on a plate. In one fell swoop they could virtually reverse the adverse publicity they are having. They could have a whole town & area singing their praises. What have they got to do? Give us what we need & want. Give us the opportunity to regenerate this beautiful seaside town not merely 'develop' it. Give us the Community facilities we so desperately need. Give us the opportunity to attract businesses that will not pollute our beautiful area. Give us our long term Holiday Accommodation back. Give us the true opportunity to discuss plans & ideas being put forward don't just give us a Liatris style exhibition & call it a 'consultation'.
A lot of ‘Give us’? Yes, but by doing so Tesco would make a MINT. They’d be happy, their shareholders would be delighted – have you seen the recent share record for Tesco? 480.00 on 27 Dec 07 (source: http://www.lse.co.uk/ShareChart.asp?sharechart=TSCO&share=tesco) 375.75 at close today, 19 Mar 08. Interestingly on Tesco’s own site http://www.tescocorporate.com/page.aspx?pointerid=DB2E8C9EAA4440E8A95D6392E742F565 under the section ‘Share Price Chart’ there is a message “Data Unavaliable ” I wonder why? Have you noticed someone at Tesco Corporate can’t spell, either?
Give us what we need & want. We’d be happy & EDDC would be happy because they’d sold their land & Seaton would be off their back regarding this regeneration.
Unfortunately the words ‘Cloud’ & ‘Cuckoo Land’ come to mind.
No doubt the Town Council or some other body will be undertaking their own unbiased survey
Why does it have to be Tesco? Everytown around here has one of them, if we had a different supermarket, people from those towns (you know, Chard, Axminster, Honiton, even Sidmouth) might come here for a change.
Aren't they here just to landbank, it isn't much choice.
Well spoken Sue Fors. Your comment says it all.
Have you got a Strategic Partnership who have written a Sustainable Community Strategy in Seaton?
I've just been reading the one for West Somerset.
All the old objectives are trotted out; better wage levels, help for small businesses etc etc etc.
Not a realistic word about how they are going to achieve these commonly accepted and very necessary and long awaited objectives but I bet the report cost a packet to produce.
My verdict? Useless!
Ooh Sandra – you are naughty !
Your first post about the survey is headlined “Tesco doing shopping survey?” Tesco sent a statement to the Town Council, which you surely must have seen, which included the following: “As the first part of a wider consultation process, Tesco is currently carrying out a survey in Seaton to gain a clear picture of the amenities and facilities that residents would most like to see in the town.”
The survey does not ask about any preferences for supermarkets and does not try to promote Tesco.
We are delighted that the survey team picked your house to include. It is just a shame that you could not help the town by responding positively to questions which are designed to find out the needs and aspirations of Seaton, and to which some 300 other residents have given clear and positive responses.
Then you went on to say about the person doing the survey: “However, strangely enough, he wanted to concentrate on shopping and therefore many of the questions were about shopping. Where did I shop (well, every day at the Co-op of course), what sort of shopping did I do in Seaton (well, just about everything). And finally, did we need a supermarket.”
We are somewhat surprised at your recollection of the questions. Of the 26 questions you were asked only nine were about shopping, and only two of those mentioned supermarkets – and you were not asked at all if you needed a major supermarket in Seaton.
You said: “I did ask the nice young man who he was doing the survey for - Tesco, presumably to enable them to collect statistics.” Well, once again we point you to our statement which said quite clearly that we were doing such a survey and why.
There are other inaccuracies too, which we won’t list in detail. However we do hope you will engage in a constructive dialogue when we meet next Wednesday evening, for the good of everybody in Seaton.
For information:
• The research company is a full member of the Market Research Society.
• Their priority is to be ethical about every survey that they do.
• In 10 years they have never broken the MRS, ESOMAR (European Market Research) codes of conduct.
• They do not allow their clients to use the research in a way that would distort the findings, or misrepresent the research in any way.
• Their second priority is to obtain the information that they have been paid to obtain.
• However, they build questionnaires that do not lead, have equal scales, are reflective of people’s responses and allow people to express their views with regard to the questions that are being asked. This is in everyone’s interests.
PR Dogs - can you answer this: last night at the meeting you said 600 people were surveyed. Now in this post you say 300....I think it's you with the inacuracies.
Perhaps you would like to explain that one first...
At the time we tried to post the statement it was 300. By the time we were at the meeting it was 600.
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