P&K Research in Chicago, IL (2025)

SleepyInIL -.

I was just contacted to participate in a study via a recorded message in which a call back number was provided once. Didn’t get a chance to write down the number, and the phone number for the incoming call did not take call-​backs. Went online and got the telephone number of the local office and dialed and received another recorded message — no option to leave a query. Called the number again and hit the «0» key which actually put me in touch with a real person who screened me for a study to be conducted the next day. I didn’t screen in, which was ok, but geez — it shouldn’t be that difficult to follow up with them. This was the second time I was contacted for a study at P&K

Debra D.

P&K Research will take advantage of your time in ways you do not expect, and you will not get paid for it. When we heard of P&K research it seemed like a good opportunity for my then 14 year old daughter to earn some occasional money. Fairly soon after she signed up, she was invited to do a study that took a couple of hours and was paid $ 30. After that, they called quite a few times and asked her questions for about 10 to 15 minutes under the premise that they wanted to know if she qualified for a study. After many questions, they would say, «Sorry, that study just filled up». Actually, what they had done was use her for a study over the phone under the guise of it being a chance to make some money in a study. This happened many times before I realized what was happening. They are so phony! Four years later and they still call just to question. Now we just hang up. If you have time to waste and you like doing surveys, sign up with them. If you like getting random calls at all hours to be interrogated, you will love this place. It could be your favorite waste of time.

Nancy P.

I’ve never meet a more rude and unorganized group of individuals. I have been a part of plenty of focus groups, but this one has the most incompetent and condescending staff I’ve ever come across. It was so bad that I almost got up and left. Seriously not worth $ 25 to have them ruin your day. They need to go through a mandatory training on customer service.

David M.

Out of all the research companies out there, this has been my worst experience. I’ve spoken to several supervisors and the problem doesn’t get fixed. If you don’t qualify for a study, after answering questions for 10 – 15 minutes, you get repeat calls over and over for the same study. Not to mention that they are the LOWEST paying group I’ve experienced. Most studies are only $ 25.00. Other companies pay $ 75 – 200 for similar studies. If you have nothing else to do, I’d say go for it, once you actually qualify, the people there are very nice and they pay right after the study in cash.

Jenny D.

Most of the reviews are from the point of view of testers, so let me give my point of view as a client.
The receptionist was warm, other staff members were nice and courteous, and Jeff, who ran the research was phenomenom. I provided Jeff with questions during the interview, and he asked the people. Then he followed my lead with more questions so the answers were clear. There was no mistakes in interpretation, Jeff got my points across, and the testers got to reveal their opinions at multiple opportunities, so there was no doubt.
As a client, I get to sit in leather chair. The paid survey group sat in the same type of comfortable leather chair too. Everyone used the same bathroom, which was clean. That shows me fairness. P&K treats their customers and their paid testers the same, no double standards.
I truly appreciate Jeff’s professionalism, making a long, focus work day fun and fulfilling for me.

Alfredo D.

Went for the first time to for a taste test on fries. The pay wasn’t as great as others that I’ve tried before ($ 40) but they don’t waste your time. The place isn’t great looking but I can’t complain. I don’t understand the comments about the rude staff. The front desk receptionists were real welcoming and nice, the staff member conducting the test seemed a bit loud at times but I feel like it’s because some volunteers can’t follow simple instructions. At one point the conductor had to repeat the same thing aloud to 7 different people who apparently weren’t paying attention, it was comical really. Everything was done on computers through questionaires and open-​ended questions regarding you’re feedback on the samples. Everything is simple to follow, I would come again in the future; just wish the location wasn’t as far as it is.

Aesha W.

P&K is a market research firm. Join their database and they’ll contact you to determine whether you qualify for paid surveys. I’ve only been here once, but it was not a bad experience. They’re located on the northwest side of Chicago in the Avondale neighborhood, and it seems they do most of their studies during business hours. They have a very large parking lot, so there probably won’t be any problems with parking.
The women who were administering the test (they seem to do a fair number of taste tests, which I’ve never done before; this one wasn’t a taste test, either) seemed a bit gruff. They also didn’t seem to provide all the instructions prior to the start of the test. Partway through, one of them came by to tell me they needed my ticket, which I had to fish out of my bag since I didn’t realize I needed it anymore. Also, they didn’t say at the outset that you had to raise your hand to get your next sample; I happened to do this when I was finished with the first item, but they announced it to the group a few minutes later because people thought they needed to wait for them to be passed out. These things combined (lack of instructions and a bit of an attitude) made the place seem a little less professional than other companies I’ve done focus groups with, but not enough for me to stop working with P&K. I also haven’t received the number of calls that others have suggested they’ve received, but I go through phases of ignoring the qualifying surveys or completing them, so perhaps that’s part of the reason why.
Some of the reviews indicated a disappointment in the facilities and honorarium. To be honest, I don’t really worry too much about the facilities. They may not be as sleek and modern as some of the other companies downtown, but I’m not there to be wowed by fancy furniture or snacks or the view. The facilities are clean, they have plenty of seating in the waiting room, and they’re efficient in check-​in/​check-​out. They have a bathroom… so that’s all I really need.
Regarding the honorarium, I didn’t find it out of line for the amount of time. One that I happened to attend was $ 25 for a half hour. I don’t make that much per hour in my full-​time career at this point… and if you extrapolate that, it’s competitive with other companies that may pay $ 75 – 85 for an hour and a half or two hours. But if others don’t think it’s worth their time, that’s okay – maybe I’ll qualify for more studies.

Karalopoulos M.

Rude staff, low paying and far away. I got such an attitude from this middle age blonde lady that I was about to walk out. It’s not worth the measley pay to be greeted with such condescension.

Shelby G.

I’ve been a «tester» here for many years. My kids are even «testers.» My problem with them is that they don’t pay much compared to other similar companies. Also, when I called well in advance to cancel an appt my son had, they gave me a very hard time. My son had an unexpected foot injury and was on crutches. We had to follow up with his doctor the same day, so I had to cancel. First time we ever canceled anything there. The woman was very rude, demanded to know if my son was «incapacitated». She demanded to know why he couldn’t call himself to cancel and demanded that I hang up and HE called back himself. Excuse me. He is 11 years old! Then she tried to find another study for him, even though I told her that he was injured and wasn’t interested in anything else right now. Then she put me on hold yet another time to try to find a study for ME that same day, even though I told her I had to bring my son to the doctor. It took me almost 15 minutes on the phone with this woman, trying to simply cancel! Ridiculous!
There are also times where they will call you, you answer, and they ask YOU what YOU want, even though they are the ones that called you. Or they will call you to let you know that they will call you when they have something available. Half of the time the people that call you are eating something or giggling with their friends about something.

Bob C.

I received a phone call today from P&K Research. It went exactly like this:
(Ring…ring…ring)
Me: «Hello?»…(Pause at other end of phone.)
P&K Research: «Are you calling us?»
ME: «No. You called me.»
P&K Research: (Pause) «Can you hold please.»
(On hold for 60 seconds)
P&K Research: «Hello. «P&K Research. What did you want?»
Me: You called me!
P&K Research: «Can you hold?»
(Put on hold again.)
P&K Research: «We don’t have any studies for you at this time. Try us another time.» (P&K Research hangs up phone.)

Haley S.

They have called me a million times and the studies are ALWAYS full.

Pamela R.

If you like to get paid for having an opinion… This is where you want to be!
I found a study through my friends Facebook page and thought «Hey, why not?» It was so easy. I gave them a call, they took some of my information, and I qualified just like that! The experience starting from my first phone call, to going into the office, then attending the study went smooth. Everyone was super friendly and helpful. The cherry on top of it all was I got paid for it! I would definitely recommend them to my family and friends. I will of course be keeping an eye out for myself as well!

Diana J.

I have done one focus group here, and it went ok. They have a parking lot, but I didn’t know if I could use it since the woman who screened me didn’t mention it. She actually started talking before I answered my phone, so she was mid-​conversation when I answered and had to ask her to stop and repeat who she was and what she was talking about. She didn’t mention the location address, and though she seemed out of it, she ended up being pleasant enough that I felt good about it. They do not pay well, relative to other companies, but it’s still easy money if and when you can get in. I went in for a whiskey tasting, and they even gave a small bonus to my DD for going. The whole thing took about half an hour, and they aren’t there to waste your time, they just want feedback. The workers weren’t rude, but they did seem a bit distracted which I expect from any entry-​level office job worker where you deal with strangers all day every day. It’s a bit far of a drive, so I’ll consider payment amount next time, but I’m glad I did it. Cherry whiskey… who knew?

Liz G.

P&K is a research company that does product testing. I’ve done quite a variety here from paper towels, to chips to vodka. The building and waiting area are very bare bones and there are often a ton of people there for varies studies. As others have said, they will call you A LOT — but that could be good if you are looking to make some dough or you can just use caller ID and not answer.
Here’s the breakdown:
Signing up for studies: They will email you then you need to call and qualify or you can wait for them to call you (they will)
Length of studies vs. $$ for studies: below average, $ 20/​hr
Parking: Free private lot located next to building
Public Transport: Blue line to Harlem then a bus or a 1 mile walk
They will give you $ for referring people (after they complete a survey) so if you sign up from this, shoot me a message with your name, number and email and I’ll heart you forever!

Jen S.

The only reason I come here is because it’s close to my office. I would have to agree with the rest of the people. They don’t pay well, and it’s extremely unorganized and the people there are well «ghetto» as much as I hate to say it. On top of the rude staff! Please don’t insult my intelligence and talk down to me when I come here. Sure it’s to make a couple extra bucks (why not).but people in the white lab coats. I can ASSURE you I probably make more money than you, so stop acting high and mighty!
What urks me about P&K is this exactly… they call me constantly and I will take time to answer their questions. yet I never qualify. Really… yet the lovely other clientele they invite to do their surveys do?! As someone mentioned below «Jerry Springer Waiting Room» forsure! As a market research company they should know some of the demographics before calling people instead of wasting their time. So unprofessional. P&K has really gone down the tubes in the last few years and it shows.

Iona B.

Glad I have read some of the review on here. I go in this Thursday for a taste test that pays $ 40 for 75 mins. I will not let the rude people discourage me. I hope it all goes well tho. Stay tune…
Update: They are a little stingy with the money, but it’s easy money. The people I have encountered have been friendly.

Jeanne L.

Get paid for doing taste tests! I’ve done tests for breakfast bars and frozen dinners, getting paid around ~$ 20 – 30 CASH for each half hour of time on average.
These people will call you relentlessly. I received calls 3 – 4 times per week. I was out of the country for a month, so I accumulated quite a few voicemails from them. The only way they took a hiatus from calling me was when I missed one of my appointments with them. They stopped calling me for a month.
Overall, it’s a good way to earn money if you can qualify for their taste tests. They have really stringent quotas to fill. I’ve failed several times to qualify for their highly-​coveted liquor tests. A conversation will go something like this:
— Do you drink vodka? Do you drink flavored vodka? How many times per month do you drink vodka? How many times per month do you drink flavored vodka? What types of flavored vodka have you tried? … Let me tell you that it is quite painful after going through 50 bazillion grueling questions to be turned down from a test. :(
The facility has a decent-​sized parking lot, but watch out for that horrible northside I-​90 traffic.

Melanie S.

For the love of god, please stop calling my house! I have called and emailed you 879 536 times to let you know that the person you are trying to reach can no longer be reached at that number. Yet despite my multiple attempts, you still call. Despite the fact that I have given you the number of the person you’re trying to reach (repeatedly, I might add), you still call. It doesn’t matter if I’m nice or I’m nasty when I contact you, you still call.
Hey, if —– hasn’t called you back, in say, two years, maybe that’s a sign that they are NO LONGER AT THAT NUMBER.
Stop clogging my voicemail with your inane requests!
Clearly, PK Research is a well-​oiled machine. You’ve been warned.

Colleen C.

1. Need some extra dough?
2. Feeling lonely?
3. Have extra phone minutes to burn?
4. Opinionated?
5. Flexible availability?
Fork over your digits to these people, they’ll CALL YOU EVERY DAY (multiple times) to invite you to focus groups. EVERY DAY. So, if you are the kind of person that calls voicemail and gets depressed that no one calls/​leaves you messages… well, I just solved your problem.
Quick cash, but be prepared for the badgering. I have quit answering their number…(about 6 months ago), but they are faithful.
Please sign up so my name goes further down the list!
PS. I actually LOVE doing focus groups, but this one is a bit too far away to be convenient for me. The bonus is, they pay cash. :)

Jelena Z.

If you’re interested in making some extra cash participating in taste tests, sign up here:
+ + + They pay cash!
+ + Surveys usually last less than an hour.
+ They’ll call you often.
— - — They pay less than some of the other market research companies.
— - Somewhat ‘gritty’ atmosphere.
— They’ll call you ALL THE TIME. As in, soon you’ll have 773.774.3155 memorized. Just sayin’.