Research Study

So a while ago my friend Bethany told me that she often participates in research studies for company local to us and gets paid for her time and effort. 

I said, where do I sign up??

Sign up I did and soon I started getting calls and questions about particular products.  

However, every time the group that my answers and I would fall into would be full and they wouldn't need me.  

Then one afternoon I got an email from the company and answered some questions about breakfast sausage. 

Yes. Sausage. 

But I went with it and thought hey, maybe this time I'll be chosen and can make some extra cash.  

Turns out I was chosen (!!!). 

The company contacted me, asked me even MORE questions about sausage and informed me that this project was an in home interview study.

I was told that several people (at least 1 female) would come to my home, ask me questions, look in my refrigerator and then follow me to the grocery store and watch me do my weekly grocery shopping.

(The information I was told made it sound as if the interview would be about my grocery shopping habits and a little about my use of breakfast sausage...this is important later)

After about 3 more confirmation phone calls and 2 emails the date was set.  

And I was excited!

On a Monday afternoon, 2 ladies arrived at my door and sat down and interviewed me.

They sat down at my kitchen table and proceed to ask me questions for about 30 minutes.  

In those 30 minutes they asked me approximately 97,000 questions about sausage.  

Not kidding.

How I eat it? How often I prepare it? 

What brands do I buy? What brands don't I buy? What do I think of the price(s)?

And on and on and on. 
About sausage. 

Right before we were about to head to the store they asked if I had any sausage in my fridge.

'Um, no. Am I supposed to?'

'Well, hmmm.  You don't have any sausage in your fridge?'

'No.'

'Really? Are you sure you don't have any in your fridge??'

'I'm sure ma'am.  I didn't know I was supposed to...'

Awkward.

We then continued on to the store (they followed me in their car).

When we arrived at the sausage aisle we stood there for a good 10 minutes.  

And they asked me even more questions about breakfast sausage.  

They asked me about all the different brands, sizes, prices, etc.

When asking about prices they asked if I felt each brand was appropriately priced. 
For Bob Evans sausage (which I never buy) I told them I thought it was too high priced and probably only that way because it was "Bob Evans".

No response from them (red flag number 1).

We then wandered to the frozen breakfast food aisle and more questions ensued.  

Same idea, different products.

Concerning Bob Evans again they asked me about these particular breakfast sandwiches.

I promptly told them I would most likely never buy those because they looked like cheeseburgers and that was very confusing considering they were supposed to be a breakfast item.  Just trying to be honest here people.

Crickets chirping again (red flag number 2).

They asked more questions and then they said...

'Well, we would like to thank yo for your time and to let you know that this survey is sponsored by Bob Evans.' 

Awesome. Insert foot in mouth. 

I had just totally bashed their product more than once and didn't even know it. 

Needless to say, I did end up getting paid BUT it was a very strange hour and half of my life.

The things we do for money... :)