Intact Qualitative Research

Their recruiter took my response to one ad and added me to a bulk list. They then began reaching out to me for a study I had no interest in, without my permission, and without my consent. I emailed their partner ‘Richard’ to let him know this had happened and how perterbed I was that they’d done this, and he send me an email back thinking I was the recruiter I’d complained about stating
«What happened here? Did you send out a email blast?».
By Email blast he was indicating I’d been added to a bulk list which they would use to reach out to people in bulk…, unfortunately at no time and nowhere within the original ad did they ask my permission or state their intent to add me to a list. I’ve worked with User study groups all around the Bay Area, in different states, and on different continents. I’ve also run studies for other companies. I’ve never encountered such an unprofessional and haphazard way of dealing with people as I did in this instance.
If their ‘partner’ is cutting corners and knows they are keeping information without letting respondee’s know, one can only assume their respect of your privacy is slim to none.
Hope the free sandwiches and candy are worth it, apparently any and all information you provide them are fair game, whether you approve of (or are compensated for) it, or not.

I went into this experience with a highly positive attitude and the project director I have been emailing back and forth with is amazing. That being said, after this interaction described below with the person answering phones, I am not motivated to do business with them again. He hurt my feelings by being apathetic.
Email to Intact Director:
Hi [ ],
First of all, I want to thank you personally for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this focus group. It meant a lot to me as I have been using WPS Office for a week of PPT presentations in the office and have been pleasantly surprised at the ease of use and personalized, predictable-to-individual-professionals’-needs presentation sharing options. It has served me very well during 1 important meeting last week and whilst preparing for another important and lucrative meeting that I was just in this afternoon that I facilitated to potential business clients from Beijing relocating to San Francisco in two months time. In short, I am loving this app and look forward to the possibilities of relaying pertinent information to potential and VIP clients.
I do not intend to waste your time. I apologize from the sincerest part of my heart about this, but I am just kind of heartbroken over the way events unfolded over the past 35 minutes.
I work in the FiDi; that is where my preforementioned meeting was occuring this afternoon. Because of an extremely difficult language barrier between my clients, their interpreter and I, my meeting ended up running until 4:40pm; it was scheduled to end at 4pm. I could not leave this meeting I was facilitating as you can surely understand. I had to remain there to try my best to translate into Mandarin, given the difference in symantics of the Mandarin language and the English language. It ran late.
My driver and I were en route from Samsome & California Streets in the FiDi to the Intact Qualitative Research office at 4:49pm. This is when I phone your office to inform that I will be arriving near 5pm. A male employee answered the phone, exuding a pronounced, unwelcoming and stern intonation of vocal communication telling me that «if you cannot get here before 5:00pm, not a second later, exactly, don’t bother wasting your time, okay. Okay, bye.» He then dismissed me.
I totally understand: It’s Monday, it has been a very long day for your employee and all of us, in fact. Mondays are so difficult to deal with sometimes. Today in particular. I am empathetic towards his personal needs today. But I am so heartbroken over the fact that I have this gut-​wrenching feeling that his problems were directed at me. So I am in the car being driven over to your offices, flipping out that I cannot be one second late, after this trying day of meetings, and making a concerted effort to respect all parties I have made a firm commitment to meet today. My stress still has not subsided. Mostly because I arrived at your door at 599 3^rd ST just 23 seconds late and stepped out of the car, but then heard the male employees voice in my mind again directing me ««if you cannot get here before 5:00pm, not a second later, exactly, don’t bother wasting your time, okay. Okay, bye.». To be completely frank, I have never treated somebody with such a personally hurtful and professionally inappropriate and unacceptable demeanor via phone conversation, who has made an honest and concerted effort to appease me given the daily circumstances that unfolded. I did my very best to honour my promise to your company and arrived only 23 seconds late due to my professional circumstance and rush hour double-​parked delivery vans, trucks and heavy traffic flow and stand-​still stop lights. Normally, I would proceed to enter a business meeting, albeit with an uncomfortable and sincere apologetic attitude, but because of the manner in which I was addressed and spoken to, I felt utterly horrible for not fulfilling my end of this professional agreement by arriving 23 seconds late, so I re-​entered the car and asked my driver if he could please drive me back to my office here in the financial district because I was no longer allowed to partake in this meeting anymore. This feels so bad inside, I am personally and professionally hurt by this. In addition, I felt so embarrassed and like an imbecile for having to honestly explain this all to my very confused driver.
I want to personally and professionally apologize to you for failing to fulfill my commitment to you to be there not one second after 5:00pm. This entire situation has definitely cast a very dark gray cloud over my already, out-​of-​control professional workday and I hope to soon find an understanding somewhere inside to justify the treatment by your company that I have just endured because this is really an unfortunate situation that has unfolded.
Regards,
Blythe

This company pays a lot, the building and rooms are nice, and they give you free sandwiches, candy and sodas/​water. (though I missed out on their sandwiches as the other focus group participants ate them all)
The only slight problem I had was that the lady who does the recruiting over the phone talks way too fast. I even asked her to slow her talking down a little. (but still got me in)
Other than that, the rest of the staff is nice and professional. I’d come back for a future focus group in a heartbeat.
P.S: Another advice I would give is to take the cab/​taxi over there. That will get you there the fastest. Don’t take MUNI or you will be late. (even though MUNI is close too) Don’t drive there either as parking is expensive (either $ 20/​hour or in a metered parking).

I’ve been to a couple focus groups here and everyone is super professional and nice! It’s always a downer when you go into an office and you can tell people hate their job, but not here! I’ve always been provided with a smile!
The office is very modern and super clean with water or soda. Usually the have candy or sandwiches before it starts.
LIke I mentioned before, this company is professional without being stuffy. They send you all the information needed to get to the correct office/​site well in advance and send a couple reminders before so you don’t forget. There’s always someone at the office in case there are questions, which is a big plus!

Woohoo! As good as it gets!
And let me tell you people, it gets no better.
From the moment you set foot into the office, you’re already overwhelmed by how clean and cozy the place feels, despite the *really* high ceiling.
Everything has been remodeled for a minimalistic, modern style, with comfortable couches, chairs, and even a free soda dispenser to make you feel right at home.
If you need to hold a focus group, or are contacted to participate in one, like I said, it really gets no better.
The entire office staff is friendly and professional, and they always make me feel at ease in their presence.
Highly recommended.

I had the pleasure of participating in a focus group here a while ago. the people were very professional and the interior decorating is lovely. Compared to other places I’ve done focus groups, this place was the classiest.