Frequently Asked Questions
When you become a member of OpinionWorld Business, you join a huge international community. We have over a million members now, all over Europe. If you have a question, there is a good chance that it has already been asked--and answered. Here you'll find answers to the most frequently asked questions about OpinionWorld, rewards, privacy issues, and surveys.
How do I become a member?
Answer: It's very easy. Go to the Join page and fill in the membership request. We'll send you a link to the application form, together with a PIN and password combination so that you can log on to the members' area of the site.
Who else in my company could be a member?
Answer: Owners, C-level executives, senior managers with decision-making power in all line functions – operations, IT, finance, sales and marketing, manufacturing, distribution.
What happens if I decide to terminate my membership?
Answer: We would be very disappointed to lose you as a valued member - but you are under no obligation to remain. If for any reason you decide to end participation in our community, log on to the member web site and click on My Profile. A simple form allows you to cancel membership. However, once you terminate membership, all accrued Dividends are forfeited. If you later rejoin, your Dividend Portfolio balance will be zero.
Will surveys ask for proprietary or confidential information?
Answer: Some surveys may ask for detailed information that you usually keep private. However, all responses are confidential and will not be divulged to outside sources in any way that would compromise your company's integrity and security, financial or otherwise.
Who will see my survey responses?
: Your survey responses will never be seen on an individual basis. They will always be aggregated with the responses of other executives. Our clients – typically marketing and product development professionals in Fortune 500 firms – will use your opinions to design better products and services and to improve communications directed to companies like yours.
Will you sell my company profile information?
Answer: Absolutely not. All data compiled about members is kept strictly for research purposes. Based on the input you provide in company profiles, we compile Benchmarking Reports that are periodically made available to members. But all information is reported in aggregate, never specifically attributed to individual members.
Is it permissible to contact fellow members in order to market my company's products or services?
Answer: We strive to respect members' time and privacy, and we ask community members to do the same. Sharing ideas, best practices and success stories in the Executive Forum is a vital part of our community culture, and we encourage your participation. Using that forum to market your company's products or services exceeds permissible boundaries. If you encounter a situation that you deem unacceptable, contact your Executive Concierge.
When will I be asked to take part in a survey?
Answer: Once you have completed the application form, you may be invited to participate within a few weeks. It depends on your personal details - we'll only ask you to take part in surveys that are of direct relevance to you.
How long does an average survey take to complete?
Answer: The number of questions varies from one survey to another, and we try to keep it as short as possible - although we have to make sure the results are meaningful. In general, it should take around ten to 15 minutes to fill in your answers.
I have received an error message, what should I do?
Answer: If that happens, there may be a technical problem. The best thing to do is to try again later. If you get an error message while you are working on the questionnaire, log in later and carry on from where you left off. You can also contact the helpdesk, using the link that's on the first page of every survey.
What do I do if I think my answers have not been sent successfully?
Answer: Each answer is stored as soon as you click on it, although nothing is sent at that time. We can only use results from fully completed questionnaires, and you know that the questionnaire is completed when you come to the final screen and see the message 'This is the end of the questionnaire'. Once that appears, you know that your answers have been successfully sent.
The link in the survey questionnaire does not work. What should I do?
Answer: It's rare to have a problem when logging in, but possible problems are that :
1. In most e-mail programs a piece of text automatically becomes a link if it starts with 'http'. So if you are online, and click on the link, you should go straight to the survey. If you are not online, that won't happen. If you are online but the link doesn't take you to the questionnaire, try copying the link and pasting it into the address bar on your browser.
2. Many people may be trying to complete the questionnaire at the same time, which temporarily overloads the server: you will probably succeed if you just try again later.
3. It is possible that the use of JavaScript is switched off in the settings of your browser, in which case the questionnaire will not work. Check the Internet options of your browser and change it if necessary.
4. Most of our surveys are tested on Internet Explorer, and if you are using a different kind of browser you may have problems. Try opening the survey in Internet Explorer.
What happens when I get stuck in the questionnaire and keep coming back to the same question?
Answer: It's essential that you use the 'Next' button in the questionnaire, not the one in your browser, to move through the questionnaire. Where you are asked to enter a number, type a whole number (no decimal places) unless the questionnaire specifically says otherwise. If you get completely stuck, email the helpdesk - you'll find the address is on the survey welcome page. Make sure you give your log-in code - which is given below the invitation to the survey - and your own e-mail address.