we'll probe on your behalf
We'll probe on your behalf...
Privacy Policy
Welcome to Perfect Focus Research:
Perfect Focus Research recruits qualified respondents to participate in market research studies and we recruit people like you to participate in studies. These studies may include focus groups (in person or online), one on one in-depth interviews, or surveys.
Market research is an essential component to the success of many companies. It allows companies to explore the viability of concepts for products and services, creative strategies, advertising, and consumer opinion and culture. By participating in our studies, you play an important role in the success of many brands, companies, and services.
At PFR, we want you to understand how we use information that we collect about you. By participating in a research study conducted by PFR, you are agreeing and accepting this privacy policy that governs our services.
It is in the best interest of PFR, our clients, and you, the consumer, for us to maintain the strictest controls on the privacy and confidentiality of all data that we collect. All PFR employees, are required to sign a confidentiality agreement and undergo information security and data protection training. Access to our database of information is secured and granted only to PFR management and our recruitment team. Each client is made aware of our privacy policy and high standards of confidentiality.
How We Collect Information
Because each client has different needs, we recruit study participants specific to our client’s target audience. We ask you about what you do, places you go, and purchasing decisions you make, and we use this and other personal data to provide the most relevant information possible to our clients. Providing this information is completely voluntary.
We use recruiting practices that respect you, your time, and your opinion, and our company adheres to the practices endorsed by the Insights Association and the Council for Marketing and Opinion Research.
We use several methods to collect information.
SurveyMonkey (www.surveymonkey.com) – we post requests for study participants via email or social media with a link to a survey hosted by SurveyMonkey. As part of the survey, you provide consent and personal information (name, phone, or email) so that a recruiter can contact you.
Email – if we request information by email, you can opt to provide the information in an email reply or by calling our recruitment team directly.
Social media – while we do not collect information via social media, we often post requests for study participants on social media with a link to a survey hosted by SurveyMonkey or direct email to our study recruiters.
Telephone – this is the primary way we collect personal data. We contact you at a phone number that you provide during an initial contact with us. We do not cold call anyone from purchased lists or by random dialing. When we call, we inform you about the study we are conducting and gather information to determine your fit for the study.
Information We Collect
We collect Personally Identifiable Information (information that can be used to identify or contact you, also called PII) and Non-Personally Identifiable Information (information that is sensitive but cannot be used to identify or contact you, also called Non-PII).
We collect the following Personally Identifiable Information (PII):
• First and last name
• Address
• Telephone number (work, cell, home)
• Email address
• Date of birth
We collect the following Non-Personally Identifiable Information (Non-PII):
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Marital status
• Education level
• Household income
• Occupation and employment information
• Health conditions
• History of participation in focus groups
Information we do NOT collect and store in our database:
• Citizenship, social security, insurance or financial information
• Biometric data
• Website data, such as location, cookie data, and RFID tags
• Religious beliefs
• Actual or alleged criminal activity
• Trade union membership
How We Use and Share Your Information
Other than your first name and last initial, we do not disclose personal data to anyone outside of PFR without your consent and only as necessary for the study’s progress. When we provide survey results to clients, we include aggregate data or anonymized summaries of overall survey information.
Personally Identifiable Information
In general, we use the PII you provide to us to help us communicate with you. For example, we use PII to contact potential participants, screen for market research sessions, provide technical support, and inform participants about upcoming research.
Except as otherwise stated in this privacy policy, we do not sell, trade, rent, or otherwise share for marketing purposes your PII with third parties or service providers without your consent. We do share PII with vendors who are performing services for PFR related to studies you participate in (see additional information under Sharing Data with Third Parties and Service Providers). Those vendors use your PII only at our direction and in accordance with our privacy policy.
If a client requests PII for a specific project, you, the participant, must give unambiguous consent to be contacted by that client for that specific market research project. You have the option to opt out of this contact. The client agrees in writing that your PII disclosure shall be kept confidential and used only for research purposes in the study in which you are participating, either for scheduling and conducting interviews, validation purposes, demographic analysis, and/or to render payment. The client shall not contact you except for those express purposes for that specific project without prior written consent of both you and PFR. If a client receives PII from PFR, they are considered liable for the protection and security of that data and are expected to adhere to the same protection standards as PFR.
Non-Personally Identifiable Information
This privacy policy does not limit in any way our use or disclosure of Non-PII, and we reserve the right to use and disclose such Non-PII to our clients and other third parties at our discretion.
Sharing Data with Third Parties and Service Providers
We share your information with a variety of third parties and service providers relevant to the legitimate operations of our services. With some, your personal data may be shared in order to provide you access to a platform used as part of the research, such as providing your name and email address so you can access an app for a pre-session task. With some service providers, we do not share your personal data, but we use the vendor to record, process, and store video/audio from study sessions.
If you participate in a project, information that you voluntarily provide either in writing or in conversation directly with the client is not retrievable as that data is not under the scope of ownership of PFR. When you arrive at a facility or access a platform remotely, you provide consent to the use of your personal data for the purposes of that research project. PFR works with third parties and service providers to ensure you are made aware of your privacy rights at the time you provide the information.
All third parties and service providers are prohibited from using your data for any purpose other than the research project for which you were contracted.
We share personal data with the following third parties and service providers:
• The client for the research project
• Service providers of the client’s choosing who may assist in data collection
• FocusPocus Software (a database management software company)
• SurveyMonkey (a survey collection company)
• Transcription companies (audio/video recordings of sessions only)
• Web streaming companies (audio/video recordings of sessions only)
• Offsite location management teams that may host the research at their location
• Data transfer websites, such as Hightail or Dropbox
Sale of Information
When you opt-in to participate in our studies, you voluntarily consent to collecting information from you and sharing the information with our clients in order to qualify to participate in qualitative market research studies. PFR does not distribute or otherwise release any personal information we collect to any third party outside of the scope of the research project into which individuals have chosen to participate.
How We Store Information (Including How Long We Store It)
PFR treats each project as a unique, one-time transaction between you, the participant, and our clients. Based on this, PFR limits the amount of information that we retain long term.
When you agree to participate in one of our studies, we use the information you provide to create a user profile. If you opt-in to participate in future research with us, we continue to store your profile information and update it as you participate in projects. You can opt-out from future research at any time.
We implement security measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access. In addition to physical security measures and information security training with our employees, we also protect your information from potential security breaches by implementing technological security measures, including encryption, firewalls, and SSL technology.
After a project is complete, we delete the following information (digital files as well as any hard copies):
• SurveyMonkey responses (deleted within 30 days)
• Participant screening questionnaires (deleted within 30 days)
• Non-disclosure and release forms (deleted within 90 days)
Data that we DO retain long-term:
• Summary profiles of participants for accounting records and participation tracking
• Personal profiles in our database, consisting of a minimum of name, email, phone, and participation history, all voluntarily provided by potential research participants for market research and strategy purposes
We keep logs of requests to delete your information, access your information for 24-months, as well as any emails that pertain to a request.
Our Policy Regarding Children’s Information
For children under the age of 18, parents or guardians must provide verbal consent prior to any phone screening of a minor, and written consent prior to the minor participating in the actual study. We do not knowingly or intentionally collect information from children under the age of 18 without the express permission of a parent or guardian.
Your Rights and Expectations
It is your right to opt not to provide information that you deem sensitive.
Your responses and opinions in any research study will remain confidential.
You will never be asked to buy anything or contribute to an organization.
We will always provide the name of the person contacting you, our company's name (PFR), and the nature of the survey, and we will in no way misrepresent ourselves or what we are doing.
During qualitative research studies, you provide your opinion on various subjects, and your opinions are often recorded on video and/or audio for research purposes. You will be made aware of this practice prior to each project.
You have the right to access information that we collected about you in the prior 24 months and have the right to full disclosure on the types of information collected, the source of collection, how the information is processed, and the purpose for sharing this information.
You have the right to opt-out of communication with PFR.
You have the right to delete your information.
You have the right to non-discrimination. Your choices regarding management of your personal data will be respected without question.
You have the right to request that we do not sell your personal information.
You have the right to know which third parties your information is shared with.
You have the right to courtesy as we pledge to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct in the collection and reporting of the information you provide.
Making a Verifiable Customer Request
To submit a request to delete your personal information send an email to info@perfectfocusresearch.com.
Note: If you participated in a project, any information you provided in writing or verbally directly to the client is not under the scope of ownership by PFR and is not retrievable by PFR.
Regarding Requests That We “Do Not Sell” Your Information
As a consumer, you have the right to request that we do not sell your information. Since the nature of our business includes us sharing data with our clients, we consider these requests the same as opting out of research, and we will not be able to invite you to participate in future projects.
Once you submit a valid request, we will confirm receipt of your request within 15 days and finalize your request within 45 days.
Regarding Requests for Deletion
As a consumer, you have the right to request that we delete your information. Once you submit a valid request for deletion, we will confirm receipt of your request within 10 days and finalize your request within 45 days.
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides some exemptions to a consumer’s right to erasure or deletion. If you have signed up in our database and have a research participation history:
• We delete all of your profile information except name, email, phone, and participation history.
• We will notify you by email that your basic participation profile remains but most of your personal data has been deleted.
• An industry standard in market research is the ability to track participation. We retain limited information in order to complete the transaction (the market research study) for which your personal data was collected. The limited information that we retain serves as a “receipt” for services provided to our clients, and for future studies allows clients to seek new participants that they have not interviewed in the past.
• Should you decide to opt back in, we must be able to exclude or include you based on your participation history. Maintaining this information guarantees both your right to be included in search parameters for certain research and the expectation of our clients to interview appropriate participants.
• We maintain this information solely for internal business use and do not share it with any third party or service provider.
Enforcement
We use a self-assessment approach to assure compliance with this privacy policy. At least annually, we verify that this policy is accurate, comprehensive for the information intended to be covered, prominently displayed, completely implemented and accessible, and in conformity with the goals and principles of data protection.
Financial Compensation
We provide financial compensation to participants in our qualitative research studies. Each project has a predetermined honorarium for those who qualify and fully participate in the study. This incentive is provided by our clients to study participants as compensation for sharing their opinions and experiences regarding the products and services included in the study.