Is Wilkins Research Services Legit? The Complete Guide (2024)

Are you struggling to find reliable information about focus groups that pay participants, specifically Wilkins Research Services? You’re not alone.

With the internet brimming with opportunities, it can be hard to distinguish between legitimate enterprises and scams. This leads to questions such as:

• Is Wilkins Research Services legit?
• What are users saying about the company?
• What qualities and guarantees does the company have to offer?

We address all of these questions and more in this review article.

What Is Wilkins Research Services?

Wilkins is a market research company in business since 1971. They operate in various industries and provide numerous services to their clients.

Some of these services include telephone surveys (phone-answering questions), recruiting services, on-site surveys, and online surveys.

The company’s headquarters is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but they offer opportunities for participants across the United States, both online and in-person.

Similar to other focus groups that pay participants, Wilkins rewards people with points, which can subsequently be redeemed for cash, making their contributions both valuable and rewarding.

Common Questions to Understand

Here are some common questions about the company, and a brief history and how they operate.

How Has Wilkins Research Services Changed Over the Years?

Originally, when the company first started, it focused on door-to-door surveys and sales inventory management projects. As technology and industry trends changed, the company adopted new methods to keep up with the competition.

In the 1980s, the company experienced growth by conducting interviews through the telephone. During the 1990s, they shifted from paper questionnaires to Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing questionnaires.

Their services have also diversified over time to include online data collection, focus groups, and data processing services.

How Does Wilkins Research Services Operate?

The company provides a wide range of market research services. Some of these include:

• Online data collection, where the company hosts online surveys for their clients;
• Focus groups, where they screen and select the right participants for data collection;
• Data processing services, where the company handles any data processing needs that their clients might have.

Wilkins Research Services also conducts other types of data collection activities like store demonstrations, one-on-one interviews, and product testing.

People can participate in these focus groups by going to the company’s website and searching for available offers near their area of residence.

Once they find an offer, they can sign up for it and take part. After the activity is completed, the participants are paid with reward points which can be redeemed for cash.

Is Wilkins Research Services Legit?

Yes, this firm is a legitimate market research company. It has a rich history that dates back to 1971 and a broad range of services for its clients.

This combined has established the company as a reputable and reliable entity in the market research industry.

1. Long-Standing History

The research firm has been operating for the better part of five decades, providing them with vast experience and expertise in market research.

This long history highlights the legitimacy of the company, and it casts a light on Wilkins Research Services’ ability to adapt and thrive in the changing industry landscape.

2. Diverse Range of Services

They provides a diverse range of services to its clients, including but not limited to online data collection, focus groups, telephone surveys, and other data processing services. This indicates a robust operational capacity and comprehensive knowledge of market research.

3. Large Workforce

Wilkins Research Services is home to over 300 full and part-time working employees, operating a 100-station phone bank, making over 500,000 calls and interviews across the United States and Canada annually.

These figures demonstrate the company’s capabilities and operational capacity. Additionally, they highlight how the company handles large-scale projects.

4. Positive Client Testimonials

The firm has received well-deserved praise from its past clients, where it was commended on its attention to detail, timely deliveries, and technical expertise.

These positive reviews endorse of Wilkins Research Service’s professional conduct and the quality of service that it provides to its clients.

Is Wilkins Research Services Reliable?

While the reliability of any company can be subject to the opinions of clients and their dealings with them, in general, Wilkins Research Services is known to be reliable.

The following points highlight its authenticity:

• Experience: With over 50 years of experience in the market research industry, Wilkins Research Services has proven competent and consistently performed well. Their deep understanding of the market research industry allowed them to progress to where they are today.
• Expertise: The company’s capability to conduct half a million interviews annually across the United States and Canada indicates that they are experts in their craft. It also shows that they have enough workforce to power their operational services.
• Client Satisfaction: Wilkins Research Services has received positive remarks from both former clients, as well as participants of focus groups. Participants of surveys stated that they showed professionalism throughout.
• Adaptability: The company’s evolution over the years, from its establishment to now, has seen a change with the change in industry trends. From door-to-door surveys to online data collection and focus groups, showing adaptability and commitment to staying relevant and ahead of the competition.

Is Wilkins Research Services Safe?

Yes, Wilkins Research Services appears to be one of the safest market research companies around. Here’s why:

• Privacy Standards: Wilkins research services adhere to strict privacy standards, ensuring that participant information and client data are protected and handled securely. These practices align with industry norms, and all good and reliable companies adhere to these.
• Compliance: As a market research firm, the company operates within the legal and ethical guidelines of the industry, which are set to protect consumers from harm.
• Reputation: The company’s long-standing positive reputation in the industry indicates that it’s a safe option that is trusted by both clients and participants of focus groups.
• Client Feedback: Reviews state that the company handles data reliably and securely. Additionally, testimonials left by users highlight the courteous and professional nature of the company, appreciating the timely payments.

What Are Users Saying About Wilkins Research Services?

We gathered user reviews from two reliable sources: Google and Better Business Bureau. Take a look at what people had to say about Wilkins Research Services.

What Google Reviewers Liked About Wilkins Research Services

Google reviewers appreciated:

• Organized Studies: Participants of focus groups appreciated the organization of the studies and structure of the focus groups. They applauded the professional nature of Wilkins Research Services and found value in the unique experiences offered by the company, such as contributing to real-world court cases through mock trials.
• Welcoming Staff: Many reviews claimed the company staff overlooking the focus groups were friendly and helpful throughout the participants’ time there. A welcoming and comfortable environment ensured the participants felt at home.
• Timely Payments: Several users mentioned they received the promised payments in time.

What BBB.org Users Liked About Wilkins Research Services

Here’s what reviews at their BBB business profile appreciated about Wilkins Research Services:

• Professionalism: They appreciated the friendly and respectful attitude of the team during the focus groups or mock trials.
• Interesting Assignments: Several participants mentioned the engaging nature of the tasks, particularly the mock trials. Users found them engrossing and detailed. Many expressed their willingness to participate in such tasks again in the future.
• Prompt Payment: BBB.org users also highlighted the prompt payment after participation. They mentioned receiving checks or Amazon gift cards immediately after completing the tasks. This made their experience working with Wilkins Research Services rewarding.

Why Are People Worried About Using Wilkins Research Services?

While there were a lot of positive remarks left by reviewers, there were also ones that criticized certain aspects of Wilkins Research Services.

What Google Reviewers Worried About

Here’s what Google Reviewers disliked about the company:

• Misleading Advertising: A few users stated that the company falsely advertised the eligibility requirements for certain focus groups and studies. They believe this was done to attract more participants under false pretenses. Others claimed the digital surveys conducted by Wilkins were dissatisfactory, calling them a “complete scam.”
• Lack of Responsiveness: There were some complaints about participants having issues related to payments. When these users tried to inform the company about these issues, the support team did not reach out.
• Spamming Issues: Some complained that the company’s automated text system was spamming at times. Users noted this violates FCC standards and generally caused them to be annoyed at the service.

What BBB.org Users Worried About

These are a few notable complaints from users over at Better Business Bureau:

• Communication Problems: Several users on this platform reported a lack of response from the company when they tried to follow up on their concerns via emails or calls. These communication issues were also seen from Google reviewers, and have contributed to the negative experiences of reviewers from both platforms.
• Privacy Concerns: A few users expressed concerns about the personal nature of some of the survey questions, stating that these types of questions were unnecessary for the study for which they initially signed up.
• Unsolicited Contact: Participants complained about receiving unsolicited calls or texts from Wilkins Research, which they perceived as spam.

Wilkins Research Services Quality & Guarantees

The company is dedicated to providing a quality experience for its participants, as indicated by the positive feedback from many reviewers regarding the company’s professionalism, organized studies, and friendly staff.

However, Wilkins Research Services does not have a publicly stated guarantee or policy related to participant compensation or issue resolution on its official website.

As mentioned before in the reviews, there have been a few incidents where issues with payment and communication were witnessed.

Some of these complaints were heard by the company, which then attempted to rectify the situation to the best of its ability. However, since there is no publicly stated guarantee, it falls on the participants to contact the company in the event of an issue.

Does Wilkins Research Services Offer Customer Service?

Yes, the research firm does offer customer service to its participants. They have a dedicated “Contact” section on their official website, encouraging visitors to reach out with any questions.

Reviews from users also stated that Wilkins reached out at times, replying to their issues and helping them out.

This indicates that the company has an open channel of communication and operates with a willingness to engage with its audience.

What Customer Service Options Are Available?

Wilkins Research Services has several options for customer service, including traditional methods via phone calls and emails.

On their official website, they provide a toll-free number and a local number, along with an email address. Additionally, the company has a social media page on Facebook where users can also contact them.

These multiple options suggest that the company is accessible and responsive to its participants. However, certain user reviews present a mixed picture of the effectiveness of their customer service.

Some participants reported satisfactory responses and issue resolution, while others cited problems such as a lack of responsiveness from support in times of need.

Participants should maintain a clear record of their communications with Wilkins to facilitate any necessary resolution processes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Similar Gigs to Research

Are you wondering if similar companies and organizations are legit? Explore our articles below to find ones that pique your interest.

• Is Drumo Legit?: Have you ever wanted to get paid for sharing your opinion? Drumo makes this dream a reality! Take surveys now and get paid.
• Is Ascendancy Research Legit?: Make easy money by participating in Ascendancy’s panel and provide your opinion on products and current issues.
• Is Adler Weiner Research Legit?: Play an integral role in the success of brands and help Adler Weiner by offering your opinion as a consumer participant.

Wrapping Up

Navigating the world of paid studies and focus groups can be a daunting task, with the challenge of discerning legitimate companies from potential scams.

However, the legitimate ones offer everyday people an opportunity to earn an extra income, making it crucial to understand companies like Wilkins.

We hope this guide has given you the insights needed to make an informed decision. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.

If you found this article helpful, consider sharing it with your friends and family.