Survey from ATX?

[jklcpa]

I received an email from "Caroline Stone <[email protected]> stating that Synovate was hired to conduct a survey on behalf of ATX. Email has a link to the survey site. Survey to take approx 15 mins.

I am always hesitant to open these or participate. Anyone else receive this?

[zeke]

I received an email from "Caroline Stone <[email protected]> stating that Synovate was hired to conduct a survey on behalf of ATX. Email has a link to the survey site. Survey to take approx 15 mins.

I am always hesitant to open these or participate. Anyone else receive this?

I responded just for giggles. If you reply be sure to say that $$$ is overriding factor...

;)

[Don in Upstate NY]

I received an email from "Caroline Stone <[email protected]> stating that Synovate was hired to conduct a survey on behalf of ATX. Email has a link to the survey site. Survey to take approx 15 mins.

I am always hesitant to open these or participate. Anyone else receive this?

Yes. I looks like a harmless marketing survey. Asking for general opinions and feelings on ATX and other major software vendors. Very little substance IMHO.

[Eli]

I received an email from "Caroline Stone <[email protected]> stating that Synovate was hired to conduct a survey on behalf of ATX. Email has a link to the survey site. Survey to take approx 15 mins.

I am always hesitant to open these or participate. Anyone else receive this?

Post the link

Eli

[Don in Upstate NY]

Post the link

Eli

The link seems to be keyed to each individual user, and apparently won't work after a response is submitted. If you want to try, my link was https://ask17.synovate.net/mrIWeb/mrIWeb.dl...password=944951

[Tax Prep by Deb]

I received the same e-mail and did take the time to do the survey. I felt it was an opportunity for me to voice my concerns about increased costs, ect....

The ironic thing about the e-mail is that I actually had a client by that same name. The subject line said something like concerning tax services (it's been a few hrs. since I got it). At any rate the persons name was exactly the same as one of my former clients that I really didn't want to work for any more (I never appreciated being called a liar)! So my first instinct was to trash it, but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to open it and found it was from this group hired by ATX. I gave a sigh of relief, did the survey and went back to more important things

[mcb39]

I did the survey just because.........had to think HARD about some of the answers....

[Eli]

The link seems to be keyed to each individual user, and apparently won't work after a response is submitted. If you want to try, my link was https://ask17.synovate.net/mrIWeb/mrIWeb.dl...password=944951

Thanks, Don. I received one too now. :-0

Eli

[jklcpa]

Finally had a few mins to take the survey. I only got through part of it. The survey said I didn't qualify & they were only interested in "households" meeting certain criteria!

I answered that my business was mostly tax prep, in business 12 yrs, 1 employee, 1 location. That's as far as I got.

This just is one more indication that ATX does not care about our opinions.

[bigdadder]

Finally had a few mins to take the survey. I only got through part of it. The survey said I didn't qualify & they were only interested in "households" meeting certain criteria!

I answered that my business was mostly tax prep, in business 12 yrs, 1 employee, 1 location. That's as far as I got

Same thing happened to me but supposedly I qualified fo the $1000 prize.

Bigdadder

[jklcpa]

Well, I was just disgusted. And yes, it said something about the $1000 prize, but I was not interested in logging into Synovate's site to give them add'l info to win their prize. I believe it's John H that's been saying it's coming down to the toaster & microwave giveaway.

[Keith]

I received the survey and was also told they weren't interested in my opinion. It must have something to do with the 1 person, 1 location answer. I guess ATX is only interested in opinions from bigger operations. I'm glad I'm switching this year.

[Tax Prep by Deb]

I have no clue whats going on but when I filled out my survey I also indicated 1 person, 1 location and I was allowed to finish. Maybe they have already got the info they need. Maybe they realize that quite a few users of their software are small companies. Hopefully that doesn't mean they are going to ax our program!

Deb :o

[MargaretMort]

After reading the comments already posted I went back and answered the survey. My 15 min. of fame lasted about 2 min. I was thanked for participating and that was it. Questions answered? Tax preparation, 1 employee, 20 yrs., 1 office. I think that was it. Interesting--not.

[Maribeth]

After reading the comments already posted I went back and answered the survey. My 15 min. of fame lasted about 2 min. I was thanked for participating and that was it. Questions answered? Tax preparation, 1 employee, 20 yrs., 1 office. I think that was it. Interesting--not.

My experience was the same as yours, 2 minutes, if that, and then "thank you for responding". My answers: Accounting, 3 employees, 21 years, 1 office. Not much difference than yours.

I did not even get the chance to decline the opportunity to win $1,000.

Maribeth

[mcb39]

I answered Tax Prep, in business 18 years, 1 employee (me), 1 location and was allowed to finish the survey. Not that I learned anything other than to be careful how I answered. Seemed to me they were fishing for more RAL users and I was adament that I was not interested. Did not see anything about a $1000 prize. No more surveys for me.

[bstaxes]

I took the survey and I think I got to the end. 2 employees, 2 locations. Wasn't interested in RAL's, clients don't want to spend the extra money to get their refund a few days earlier. Wasn't asked about a $1000 prize. My guess was to figure out how much of an increase we, the users, are willing to spend next year for the tax program. I have been using the program for 10 years.

[JohnH]

Maybe they decided to "redeploy" the $1,000 to a more constructive purpose - namely the last-minute toaster & microwave offer. It breaks down like this:

Toaster..........................................................$ 30.00

Microwave.................................................... $ 89.00

Bonus to marketing-genius executive

who came up with the idea.............................$ 842.00

[MargaretMort]

I just checked my email and, low and behold, I was given a second chance because they said there was such a response that they were interested in everything everyone had to say. I think someone read this board and found out that we thought it wasn't handled well and they are making nice.

I did not like the push for RALS but then I never have. I think I have had 2 clients who wanted a RAL, one paid another preparer to send the return I had prepared, the other took the return I prepared to our local Credit Union and had it filed for free. The question has never come up again.

[jklcpa]

I just got my second chance too. Margaret, I think you are right.

Now, where's that new toaster?

[Lynn EA USTCP in Louisiana]

I too received a second notice from "Caroline Stone" inviting me to continue with the survey. I attempted to comply but was able to answer only one or 2 more questions before receiving a message notifying me of an error with the link configuration. I've never been able to get back in to finish the survey. GIGO.

Lynn Jacobs, EA

Kenner, LA

[B. Jani]

I got thru about 70% and got error message that email link is not properly working. Please copy and paste the url in IE but cannot copy and paste the url in question. I just give up.

[Wayne Brasch]

I got thru about 70% and got error message that email link is not properly working. Please copy and paste the url in IE but cannot copy and paste the url in question. I just give up.

B. Jani,

My survey got through about 10% or so and I got that message. I, too, tried again several times and the result was the same. I emailed Caroline Stone and told her if she truly wanted my opinion for her to please email the correct URL so that I could reply to the survey. That has been at least 4 days ago and I've not heard from her. It makes me wonder how much Synovate really wants to know. I don't hold this against ATX, though, they didn't send the initial email about the survey.

Wayne

[JohnH]

Pardon my cynicism, but I think this survey is just another one of those feel-good PR stunts that they teach in business school. Probably no real purpose to it other than to make people think they "care", when in fact it's little more than window dressing with maybe a little marketing info being garnered from the responses. I guess it's because I've spent too many years dealing with these wet-behind-the-ears marketing whiz kids who know lots about posturing and almost nothing about their constituents.

Reminds me of the answering machine messages that start out with "Please be assued that your call is very important to me" and then ends with "Leave a message and I'll return your call AT MY EARLIEST CONVENIENCE."

[Daune/CA]

I received several emails from "Caroline Stone" but since I had no idea who that was I deleted all of them without opening them.

It appears as though I did not miss much in doing so :)