Surveys are on their way

Cooperatives have learned that letting members know when they are conducting a survey both increases credibility of the cooperative and confirms legitimacy of the survey. One way cooperatives make their members aware of surveys, particularly the ACSI survey, is by communicating through social media channels, their websites, and Ohio Cooperative Living magazine a couple months leading up to the survey.

Scam and telemarketing calls have increased throughout the years and many people just don’t want to talk to someone unless they know who it is.

Survey callers often spend more time dialing the phone than actually doing the surveys, leading to more surveys being done online. Surveys delivered to members through email can be convenient, allowing members to respond to the survey on their own time. But, as with phone calls, the increase in spam and phishing emails has made that method difficult as well.

“I’m glad people are aware that there are bad actors out there, often masquerading as a company they would otherwise trust, but it has certainly made our job more difficult,” says Jane Sanstead, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)’s senior research analyst.

So, as the next round of co-op surveys revs up between March and June, consider answering a call from that unfamiliar number or taking an extra look for the emailed survey, because your cooperative values your feedback.

If you’re ever unsure of the validity of a survey, simply call your electric cooperative to verify its legitimacy.

“In the six or so years that I have been directly working with co-op employees, I have seen firsthand how much they care about their members,” Sanstead says. “A survey is one of just a few ways they can discover their members’ perceptions, needs, and beliefs directly from their members and from the most members possible.”