Focus Group

When we lived in Long Beach, I was a frequent participant in focus group studies, usually with a firm that operated over in Marina Del Rey but also one that had offices up near the LA Airport. We talked about everything from advertising designs to how important various auto components are. I'd kind of forgotten my participation until the topic came up in our critical thinking class last semester. Our instructor advised us all to submit our names to the main local focus group company Eliot Benson. I submitted my name and Carolyn's as well but we hadn't heard anything for six months. Thus, it seemed like a call out of the blue when our caller ID showed Eliot Benson. "Do we know an Eliot Benson," Carolyn asked me.

I didn't qualify for that study. A few days later Carolyn was called but didn't qualify. Then I got a call last week where I did qualify but the caller called back moments later to say their quota had been filled while she was interviewing me. She'd have to put me on a stand-by list.

I thought that was the end of that until I got another call yesterday asking if I was still available. Apparently some had dropped out or become disqualified. I was still available so I agreed to come in today at noon. It actually worked out perfectly with my library volunteer assignment.

Ten of us were selected to go into a conference room where a moderator led us through a discussion that was obviously scripted but not so obvious that we couldn't express all our views. We got off to a roaring start during the introductions when one guy said he worked for a non-government environmental protection agency and another guy said he was a rancher and was sick and tired of environmental protection people telling him what he could and couldn't do. We were afraid it was going to come to blows.

The discussion started with the participants ranking the governor, legislature, mayor, Public Utilities Commission (PUC), and Attorney General as to how they're doing their job. The PUC should have been the clue as to what the real topic would be. But, Jane was a good facilitator and led us gently to the topic by next asking what we thought "telecommunications" meant and what we thought of the providers we use. That provoked a lot of discussion as you might imagine. But unlike a normal barroom discussion, we had to be prepared to defend our ranking with arguments and whatever facts we could convince the group to accept. For example, one guy couldn't accept the designation of Vonage as a "phone company" because it didn't own any wires or cables. However, he agreed that t-Mobile is a "phone company" even though it doesn't own any cables.

The final discussion centered around how we would feel about changes in the telecommunications regulations which would try to keep government out of the picture except to protect consumers interests. They would also try to level the playing field by eliminating the regulation of some sector's rates while not regulating others'. My guess it was sponsored by the old phone companies because the only immediate change they were proposing was eliminating price controls on land-based local phone rates.

After a two-hour discussion, we were all talked out. We walked back to the reception desk for my favorite part of the focus group experience - getting paid. Unfortunately, these guys apparently don't deal in cash and someone fouled up getting the checks. So we were told "the check's in the mail". I really did prefer the company in LA which paid in cash, new bills in sealed envelopes. It kind of gave an Agent 007 feel to the whole thing. Checks are boring, not to mention traceable.