Data

Martin looked hurriedly for an open station; it was already minutes past three and he knew that others were already getting surveys, the data that was his given duty to gather.

“Even if they don’t want to, it’s essential that we document their voices,” he was told. “Especially the resistant, we already have millions of figures from people who want to take surveys.”

Martin found his place under a laminated “27,” which he copied to his yellow timecard, and the one for tomorrow, and the next day. He slid the headset easily over his close-cropped hair, already dialing with his right hand. At the first answer he was nearly halfway through the script. “…is Martin Krause at Call Research, a national research firm, are you registered to vote at this address?” His voice came out tighter over the phone than he expected. Martin loosened the tie his father had helped him with this morning.

“No, and I don’t aim to, so you can just put us on the do not call list,” they replied. In the measured tone he had learned to parrot during training, Martin explained how the list only applied to marketers, but the voter hung up before he was through and it was time to dial again.

The first few, Martin was told would hurt, but he felt nothing until they started to question the survey.        “If you were told Ms. Barr had ties to terrorist groups, would that make you more likely or less likely to vote for her?” he asked, his finger already positioned on 1 and 2 on the keyboard.

“Is that true?” they responded.

“Ma’am would that be more or less likely?”

“ I think that’s a goddamn lie, you’re a goddamn liar.”

It was against the rules, but Martin hung up this time. What kind of person, he wondered, could be so skeptical of their own opinion?

By the dinner hour he was well above quota, using his breaks to get an extra survey instead of smoke, though during one he used it to look over the shoulders and saw the other new employees were well behind him. By a quarter ‘til he had gotten six (“six!”) in the hour and was going for seven, which Martin was sure was some sort of first day record. He felt good about the call; it had a 27 in the last four digits, which was his new lucky number. When it picked up he skipped the intro, which he had been ignoring, and got straight to the questions.

“Are you familiar with democratic politician Robyn Barr?” he asked.

“Are you familiar with democratic politician Robyn Barr?” the voice answered back. Martin removed his headset, inspecting it for some physical defect that cause an echo. Satisfied he put it back on.

“That’s a yes then?” he asked.

“A yes then?” they answered.

Martin shifted painfully in his chair, then hit 1, Return.

“Do you view her favorably or unfavorably?”

“Favorably or unfavorably?” they answered.

“So that would be unfavorably?”

“Unfavorably?” they answered.

2, Return.

“And do you know her challenger, republican politician Charles Farris?”

“Charles Farris?” they answered.

“Is that a yes?”

“A yes?” they answered.

1, Return. Martin smiled. He was finally getting some good data.