U.S Citizenship and Immmigration Services seeks your feedback --- Focus Group

[Dave and Helena 0]

Not sure if this is the right forum but.... Yesterday I received the email below from uscisatlantafocusgroup@jrdandassociates.com. Anyone else got this? At first I thought it was spam, I mean USCIS seeking feedback but after some searching online I'm leaning towards it being genuine.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Focus Group Session in Atlanta, GA, on Monday, September 20, 2010

Dear USCIS Customer,

On behalf of the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), JRD & Associates, Inc. has sent this e-mail to invite you to participate in a feedback session with other USCIS customers to discuss ways to enhance USCIS customer service.

If you are a current or potential benefit seeker, we would like to get your feedback on the ways that we can improve the application process, such as moving from a paper-based application to an online system. Your feedback will remain anonymous and will have no effect on your application. However, it will play an important role in ensuring that any new system meets the needs of the Agency’s customers.

The session will take place on Monday, September 20^th at 5:30 PM and last for approximately two hours. The meeting will be hosted by USCIS and will take place at a Deloitte office in Atlanta, GA.

If you would like to participate, please reply to this e-mail (uscisatlantafocusgroup@jrdandassociates.com) and provide a phone number where we may reach you. We will then provide you with additional information such as directions to the location where the focus group will take place.

On behalf of USCIS we would like to thank you for your time and encourage you to visit us at www.uscis.gov.

Note: If you are not a USCIS applicant and/or benefit seeker and we have reached you in error, we apologize for any inconvenience and ask that you disregard this e-mail.

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

Spam, If it was real, they would address you by name, and have your phone number already.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Not sure if this is the right forum but.... Yesterday I received the email below from uscisatlantafocusgroup@jrdandassociates.com. Anyone else got this? At first I thought it was spam, I mean USCIS seeking feedback but after some searching online I'm leaning towards it being genuine.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Focus Group Session in Atlanta, GA, on Monday, September 20, 2010

Dear USCIS Customer,

On behalf of the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), JRD & Associates, Inc. has sent this e-mail to invite you to participate in a feedback session with other USCIS customers to discuss ways to enhance USCIS customer service.

If you are a current or potential benefit seeker, we would like to get your feedback on the ways that we can improve the application process, such as moving from a paper-based application to an online system. Your feedback will remain anonymous and will have no effect on your application. However, it will play an important role in ensuring that any new system meets the needs of the Agency’s customers.

The session will take place on Monday, September 20^th at 5:30 PM and last for approximately two hours. The meeting will be hosted by USCIS and will take place at a Deloitte office in Atlanta, GA.

If you would like to participate, please reply to this e-mail (uscisatlantafocusgroup@jrdandassociates.com) and provide a phone number where we may reach you. We will then provide you with additional information such as directions to the location where the focus group will take place.

On behalf of USCIS we would like to thank you for your time and encourage you to visit us at www.uscis.gov.

Note: If you are not a USCIS applicant and/or benefit seeker and we have reached you in error, we apologize for any inconvenience and ask that you disregard this e-mail.

Well their website looks real and they do list DHS and USCIS as their clients. I don't know why they would need a phone number though. I wonder what information do they have that they can't send in another e-mail.

http://www.jrdandassociates.com/clients/

[Dave and Helena 0]

Spam, If it was real, they would address you by name, and have your phone number already.

True, assuming USCIS gave them my email address they should also have access to my phone number etc.

Well their website looks real and they do list DHS and USCIS as their clients. I don't know why they would need a phone number though. I wonder what information do they have that they can't send in another e-mail.

http://www.jrdandass...es.com/clients/

Interesting.

[Knobby_Wheezer 0]

Well, I looked up the website. I have filled out surveys for these people in the past (while still living in Canada) and have only recently stopped because I no longer have the time to do so.

I went to Contact Us and got their 'phone number. I reverse looked that up via 411.com and it comes out to JRD and Associates plus the name of the project manager.

These guys are ligit. I believe the email is ligit. USCIS has no reason to provide JRD with your telephone number and they probably didn't ask for it. No one ever called me to do surveys (not since the coming of the internet anyways---unless it was a political survey). Focus groups pay more money that mail-in or online surveys. I used to contact people to come to focus groups for a market research company that I worked for in Toronto. I think that you should go if you want to---you might just enjoy it.

---my 2¢---

- you can even call JRD at their number 305.662.7288 (with 10 10 987 in front to reduce your price tag on the call---like 10 10 987 305.662.7288 ) and ask them if you could speak to someone in charge of the USCIS focus group research. If it's ligitimately from JRD, they'll be able to connect you to that person.

[Dave and Helena 0]

Well, I looked up the website. I have filled out surveys for these people in the past (while still living in Canada) and have only recently stopped because I no longer have the time to do so.

I went to Contact Us and got their 'phone number. I reverse looked that up via 411.com and it comes out to JRD and Associates plus the name of the project manager.

These guys are ligit. I believe the email is ligit. USCIS has no reason to provide JRD with your telephone number and they probably didn't ask for it. No one ever called me to do surveys (not since the coming of the internet anyways---unless it was a political survey). Focus groups pay more money that mail-in or online surveys. I used to contact people to come to focus groups for a market research company that I worked for in Toronto. I think that you should go if you want to---you might just enjoy it.

---my 2¢---

- you can even call JRD at their number 305.662.7288 (with 10 10 987 in front to reduce your price tag on the call---like 10 10 987 305.662.7288 ) and ask them if you could speak to someone in charge of the USCIS focus group research. If it's ligitimately from JRD, they'll be able to connect you to that person.

Thanks for the info. Not sure yet if I can/want to go but at least now I know the company is legit.

Edited September 13, 2010 by Dave and Helena

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

If you decide to go then I've got a suggestion you can give them, based on something that's come up before that I was reminded of today.

Tell them USCIS should start using registered mail for all important correspondence, like notices of action, appointment letters, and documents like EAD's and green cards. Too many people are going through unnecessary problems because they never got a notice or document.

Also, if a piece of correspondence is returned for any reason then they should have the common decency to call the applicant and make sure they got the mailing address correct. They DO ask for the applicant's phone number on most of the forms.

[Dave and Helena 0]

If you decide to go then I've got a suggestion you can give them, based on something that's come up before that I was reminded of today.

Tell them USCIS should start using registered mail for all important correspondence, like notices of action, appointment letters, and documents like EAD's and green cards. Too many people are going through unnecessary problems because they never got a notice or document.

Also, if a piece of correspondence is returned for any reason then they should have the common decency to call the applicant and make sure they got the mailing address correct. They DO ask for the applicant's phone number on most of the forms.

If I go I'll be sure to bring this up.