I always enjoy being here; the place is clean and projects interesting and fun with some extra $ to spend! Jonathan, the front desk person is extremely nice and did provide excellent assistance. Jonathan's dedication and excellent customers' services need to be recognized and commended! Thank you, Jonathan for your assistance! One star is removed because the accumulative award tokens during surveys do not necessarily add up accurately at times but minor issue and forgiven! read more

I had made some extra money from taking the survey from tasting the food but be aware of anything that has a time frame to complete. Once you passed the time even though you completed most of the testing, you still cant get any incentive. Thats happened to me that I went to do the tasting and it required a survey to complete in 4 hours and 24 hours after the tasting, I did the 4 hours one late for 10 hours and I couldnt complete the 24 hours since it closed when the waiting time is completed. I emailed to the consumer service manager and they couldnt do anything about it and their respond is 3 days after I emailed it to them. Now I only do the tasting on site without any survey to be completed at home or take home survey which need many days to complete. read more

I'm overdue to update my review. I first went to this location when it was Tragon, but it's now Curion. They have frequent consumer research taste tests. Recently I did one with Mac N Cheese that was a three day 'drive thru' taste test and there was good compensation. It was like getting paid to have dinner. They've managed well during the COVID times to keep operations running and keep everyone safe. They pay via e-gift cards instead of the physical prepaid cards, and you get your payment the next day usually. Highly recommend participating if you like to give your opinion on food. There's a range of times, including after work hours for the working people. Tl;dr: good way to earn beer money/side hustle in the Bay Area read more

I got a random email from a company called Curion a few months back asking if I was interested in participating in marketing research for the food/beverage industry. You get paid to participate. I signed up and was invited for three 1-hour days tasting of canned tuna fish. Got $50 each day! The Waze gps took my to this location. When I searched Yelp to check-in this business came up. The name Curion was on the building, so this must be the place. Super Covid safety protocols. Of course, masks required, health questions, temperature scanning, and touchless entry. Gloves provided and optional. The tasting room is well spaced and has plexiglass partitions. It's tasting is self-monitored. iPads provide instructions and record your ratings. You get served the samples by great staff. They bring out each tasting separately. The whole process took about an hour. Upon completion of thy tasting, the online survey says thanks and a check will be sent to you in 2 days. Kinda cool and yet kinda weird. read more

I receive many request daily for surveys. I complete as soon as I receive them but every time I enter my race it tell me - "unfortunately you do not qualify"! I have screen shot of everything I submitted and the BBB will be contacted read more

I love this place! What a fun way to pick up a few extra dollars. They pay you to eat, how much better can it get?? Honestly I have never had anything I didn't like and had everything from coffee, tea, oh, we're not supposed to talk about it but the food is really good. The management kicked some butts and then office workers became more efficient and engaged but were always super nice, especially the front desk person. I'd highly recommend it and if you use my name in the referral I get a bonus! read more

Excellent staff! All are so friendly and kind. The tests are always fun and I enjoy my time here!

Great consumer research spot! Free parking in the lot (as well as free street parking next to the building). Quick in and out--these guys are super organized and the check-in process for participants is quick and friendly. They maintained Covid protocol when I was there, and everything was explained clearly and professionally. Though the experiment designs seemed like they wouldn't yield the most fruitful results, I have no complaints as a consumer just giving my opinions (and getting compensated for it, lol--my appointment actually only took maybe 5-10 minutes of my allotted hour). read more

Like: Location is fairly close off the freeway. I've been there twice so far and always been able to find parking in their lot. The building interior seems new and modern. Bathrooms are clean and right in the lobby. It's easy and fast money considering I've finished earlier than what the proposed time was. AND they pay you by check right after. Or sometimes by gift card like a Visa credit card type thing. So far I've had fun with the research taste testing and recommend it to anyone else who might be looking for quick and easy money with a fairly flexible schedule. Dislike: Of course some of the research questions for the taste testing can get repetitive and boring, but hey, you're getting paid for it. Redwood City is a bit far for me and wish they were closer to the South bay or had another location, but I can't be too picky. read more

Getting paid to sample new foods and give your opinion. What's not to like? I've been a member of this group for some time now but every time they had a new test come up for me to take part in it would conflict with plans I already had so it was only very recently that I had my first test here. When they call you to take part you go through a series of questions to make sure you qualify to take part, the staff that do this are nice enough and once you qualify you get a choice of time to go in and do your test. The rooms are set up with small cubicles - 10 or 12 in each room and in each cubicle is a window where they pass your samples through and a computer to log your thoughts. I was there to sample 2 cookies... well, I was told they would be cookies but they were actually Biscotti but I'm being paid to do next to nothing so who really cares?? The whole process only took about 20 minutes despite being some waiting time between each step and at the end I got handed a giant Otis Spunkmeyer cookie (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RaQtSrtI5IYJh84zgjZHJw?select=wbpo0naprr4Jlb_OqJbdjQ) for taking part. Not too bad - $30 for 20 minutes of my time!! read more

Curion - Exterior - Marketing Near Me - Redwood City, California

BEWARE! I've been participating in these studies for a number of years; it's all be "fine and dandy" till 6/24 when I was scheduled for a take home product evaluation. I arrived at 11.30am (time noted on my confirmation email) and was told they were out of product and I would be compensated for half the amount. Really? They couldn't call or notify me prior to leaving my office and driving to the Curion office in Redwood Shores? I sent three different emails (still, no reply). I finally called and talked to two different employees who informed me they changed their policy May 2022 and it's all in the fine print of the terms which I had agreed to. Does anyone ever read through those? BTW - both employees were rude and had NO empathy for the situation at all. When asked the name of the COO for Curion, one of the employees told me he had no idea he doesn't talk to him. Both employees I communicated with ruined my entire experience and changed my opinion about Curion. Bottom line.. my time is more valuable picking up dog poop than it would be spent at Curion. read more

This is a research group company that pays you to come in and taste or try their product. They send you online surveys that you fill out and if you qualify, they will give you various time slots to choose from to come in and try their product and get compensated in gift cards. The surveys are all mostly short but I find it hard to qualify sometimes. But whenever I do qualify I always come in. You are seated in individual booths and asked to answer some questions on a computer after you taste the product. Always answer honestly since that's what we're getting paid to do! read more

I had the same bad experience as the previous reviewer! The previous reviewer complained he wasted 40 minutes showing up in March 2021 only to find out Curion cancelled his appointment and refused to honor at least partial payment for showing up. Curion's webiste claimed it will make partial payment if you show up but cannot participate in your scheduled project. That's a lie. My appointment was abruptly cancelled the day I showed up because they Curion was so disorganized it delivered the product samples to the wrong address. This was despite me confirming it the day before and showing up earlier. I was told they would not either reschedule or at least make partial payment to honor the time I already spent driving there (it was a 45 minutes drive!) I would not have minded it this was just a one-time fluke. Unfortunately the mismanagement seems to be the norm. During my last appointment, they could not get their sample ready until 53 minutes after the appointment start time, so everyone had to wait for almost an hour or risk not getting paid at all. From chatting with the other people going there, they shared similar bad past experiences. Why do I give it two starts instead of one? Well, if you live in walking distance and don't mind the possibility of wasting time and/or not getting paid at all from time to time. It might be worth the gamble. read more

I've been coming to this place when it was Tragon since 2006. These new virtual cards they give are an inconvenience. You can't use it for gas. You can't do anything with it except make online purchases. U can add it to your wallet an use touch less pay. But, they seriously need to go back to giving cash or pysical cards. An you don't get your payment right away. You have to wait about 48 hours for them to email it to you. I miss the old Tragon. Oh an the staff is rude. Some ones stacked my taste test on top of another on a plate. U are putting a plate of a sample an stacking it on top of another plate with my 2nd sample. That is gross and unsanitary given these days of COVID. A chubby Latina chick with curl hair was rude about it. read more

This is now known as Curion. I originally was scheduled for a 2:15 panel. I live in Daly City and I knew there was traffic on the freeway( I was on a Medi-Cal Uber on the way, which only stops at medical facilities). I called them at 1:45 about rescheduling to a later time the same day. The guy rescheduled me for 5:15 pm. The guy told me that they give a 10 minute grace period and if I show up within that grace period, I would still be let in.I been sitting around for 2 hours, so to kill time, I decided to stop at Nob Hill to get some snacks for later. It was 5:07 pm when I left the store. Mind you, I'm on foot. Google said that Curion was a 15 minute walk from Nob Hill, but remembering that 10 minute grace period he told me (which means I had to be there no later than 5:25), I knew I would still be arriving on time by walking from the store. I arrived around 5:20 and they say I can't get in because there's no seats for me. I told them about what the guy told me on the timing, and they literally told me they overbook and because I didn't show up at 5:15 sharp, they assumed I cancelled/no show! I asked to speak to the guy that I spoke to on the phone earlier about the timing and he basically went on with their false advertising by saying it's "first come first serve" and that they "overbook". So basically long story short, don't believe their "10 minute grace period" BS that they tell you. Also, expect to be called "first come first serve", even if you had a seat reserved! Don't make panel reservations and give grace periods if you're not going to follow through with them! Total BS! read more

I came in today even though it says closed on Saturdays I guess they do work some. You do their on line surveys and then they will call you and confirm your participation in the group. Food and drink tasting is what I have done so far with them. Then, they are good at reminding you via email and calls your appointment date. They are professional and start on time. You go in do your thing and are paid when you leave. Easy and fast. I think its fun getting paid to eat and give your opinion. Dream job . read more

Curion - Lobby area. - Marketing Near Me - Redwood City, California

Incompetent staff at the Redwood City location. Terrible web/computer system. The experiments are very badly designed, and I can't see how they will give useful results to their product customers. The first word in the title of my Ph.D. thesis was "Experiments" so you can take this as an expert opinion. As an example, many of the product evaluations are based on food samples that are prepared with great inconsistency. So the difference from one sample to the next has more to do with how long it was in the microwave, how much water was splashed in there, or how much it was stirred, rather than the actual variation in the testing variable of the product. It seems as if the people that prepare the food must consume food that is so different from what is being served that they do not understand the importance of such variability. But worst of all, they are confidently ignorant of their shortcomings here and will gladly waste your time. Today I wasted 40 minutes getting there and dealing with the rude and incompetent staff, but without doing the trial or getting "paid" since the session had been canceled and I had not been notified by call, text, or email. Shrug, they don't care. BTW, I had been doing trials there for several years, finding them interesting, convenient, and in previous years, well done experiments. But there have been pretty dramatic changes to how that place (Redwood City) is run starting about two years ago (changes started pre-COVID). Never again. read more

You're gonna pay me $40 to eat some salad? I love this place. Was in and out in 30 minutes after taste testing 6 salads. Cant wait for the next taste test! read more

Curion - Marketing Near Me - Redwood City, California

Did a rose/wine tasting for $40....my designated driver got $25. It was fun....the wine was OK. O hope they pick me again! read more

Curion - Marketing Near Me - Redwood City, California

This is the place where they do focus groups involving food or drinks. Almost came here once for a study on pens too. Fortunately this place is very clean. This place is hard to find for the first time. The place is kind of small. read more

Curion - Marketing Near Me - Redwood City, California

Money for your opinion?!? I'll be a guinea pig for them for pretty much anything! I've been a tester for many years now and have fun with every single product I try! From sniffing cat litter (clean of course!) to tasting several different chocolate milks...it's great to be paid about $40-$60 per hour for my time! Hey, it's more than I would get paid at my regular job.... The new facility in San Carlos is a thousand times better than the old one in Redwood City and the computers make it much more efficient to fill out the questionnaires. ;) I will be back again and again as long as I can! read more

Doug V., this is in response to your comment on my review. Seeing as you are both not a doctor and a Tragon employee, your reply is inappropriate and inaccurate. Further, it is condescending. While medical literature, and my visit to a doctor following the incident at Tragon, does confirm that the herpes simplex virus can be transmitted by skin on skin contact, it can also be caused by "dirty glasses." A cursory web search will also prove this. Also, an outbreak activates the virus precisely because it lives on such surfaces as unwashed glasses. Therefore, it does not require as long a period as you think it does. Note that I said think rather than know. Could I have acquired the virus elsewhere? Sure. But the possibility that I got it from your testing facilities within a day of having used your glasses for the taste test over a 3-day period, indicates the high likelihood that it did indeed occur at Tragon. Just because the County Health Department visits your organization regularly, does not mean that they monitor the daily goings on. I suggest that as an employee of Tragon, rather than trying to cast aspersions on me, that you look to your own company's lack of cleanliness. read more

As a former Tragon employee (I recently had a baby and have chosen to stay at home) I was surprised when I came across this negative review since I was a part of Tragon for over 7 years. No one that I have worked with "hates" working there. I've known Doug for over 10 years and he has gone to great lengths to support the staff in their professional development and foster a work environment that's fun and where the staff care not just about work but about each other. We've grieved the passing of employees, celebrated birthdays, engagements and other milestones. We've had cooking contests and ping pong tournaments. I stayed at Tragon in spite of other opportunities because of the camaraderie between employees and Doug's dedication to the success of Tragon. read more

Its hard to give less than five stars for a company that pays you come in and: 1. get paid for your opinion 2. eats food or snacks that you like for free. My most recent visit to the light filled, spacious offices consisted of taste testing mocha almond fudge ice cream. YES PLEASE!! read more

Who else wouldn't want to get paid for your opinion?! Not use your brain, get to eat free food/snacks or try new products and get paid? Yes please. I think I've done about 5 or 6 testings so far with Tragon. I've lost count. All of my testings have been interesting and/or enjoyable. The facility in Redwood Shores is nice and convenient. The check in/out staff is friendly. I plan on participating in their testings for as long as they'll allow me! read more

Heck ya! Getting paid to sample new foods and give your opinion. What is there not to like about this place? I have been a member for quite a number of years now. Once you enroll in their data base, you will receive emails to complete a survey to see if you are a match for a study they are recruiting for. Depending upon the study they may approve you on the spot and give you a data and time to show up. Or the may call you and screen you over the phone and go through a series of questions with you. There are 2 rooms, each set up with 11/12 high cubicles with a window. Where the samples will be passed to you. There is also a flat screen monitor straight ahead of you and a keyboard pull out drawer located below the table top. Honor aria can vary based on the study you are elected for. Sign up if you want to be a lab rat and get paid for your time and opinion! read more

Fast easy money for tasting or trying out products. Give your true feedback get your check and be on your way. Only down side is they spread out your visits till maybe once or twice a year. If your lucky enough you may get a couple of days studies which means you hit the jackpot. read more

Awesome place! Very clean and nice looking inside with very friendly staff. I've been here at least 5 times so far and had a good experience every time. You can't beat getting paid to drink free alcohol and eat cookies and ice cream!! :-D read more

I did taste tests on strawberry flavored cough drops here the last two days. The product itself was pretty nasty, but the staff was very friendly and nice. The area where we did the testing was very bare, and there was little to do between the tasting, but they gave us a freshly baked (still warm) Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip cookie when the tasting was done! I'd do the testing again. read more

You can't really complain too much when people are paying you for your opinions. In house, Tragon does taste-testing. They had me set up at a computer and would shove me samples through this tiny window. I wasn't too happy with the fact that I didn't get much instruction on what to do logistically. Of course, I knew I needed to taste and report, but I didn't know where to put my plate. I just let them pile up, until the server reached around the window and took them away. Also, there was a lot of wait time. Others around me were getting their samples faster and finishing ahead of me, while I constantly had to wait several minutes for my next item. They would also open and close the window so fast, that I had a hard time asking for more water. I was the last group of the day, so maybe the staff was just very tired and scattered. Though I shouldn't be making excuses for them. I also participated in a video game test with a 3rd party market research company, and they happened to use Tragon's facilities. That was fun! read more

They send u an email to see if u qualify for one of their studies that they have coming up. Half the time u don't even qualify!!!! STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

This review is in response to Porcelina's negative review regarding working at Tragon. I have been with Tragon for 14+ years, and the majority of of my colleagues here at Tragon have been here as long or longer. With the average tenure at a US corporation being ~4 years (shorter in the SF Bay Area), our high retention record suggests a leadership structure and a culture that values employees while keeping them engaged. I know I am speaking for Tragon's leadership team when I say that we feel appreciated and respected by our CEO and that he appreciates and respects us as well. Can Doug be hard-driving and direct? Yes. But it is not just his style but his belief in his entire staff that drives Tragon to succeed in a way that most firms in our industry simply do not. "Porcelina", you are welcome to message me directly if you would like to have an open and honest discussion regarding working at Tragon because your Yelp posting(s) are untruthful and unfair, and not just to Doug but to Tragon and all of us that have worked here for so long. read more

Tragon is awesome! You sign up, they start sending you surveys based on what you said you are interested in, if you qualify they send you options for the testing and then you GET PAID!!! easy simple and kind of a cool experience. Ive done various taste testings which I enjoy doing, The location is easy to find and located in RWC. My only complaint is how frequent I dont qualify. I make it through most of the survey and then it says I dont qualify, kind of disappointing. But overall Tragon is a great company!! read more

I requested them to remove me from their call list as i no longer available but still i get random calls :(

I took down my last review of this company for having a terrible CEO and this company is not worth supporting. He got defensive and unprofessionally passive aggressive. He tries to claim that his employees love him but clearly his bad manners and crap attitude have been experienced by others. http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Tragon-Reviews-E622461.htm Overall, the company is fine and does great work-- but don't help put money in this guys pocket. read more

This is one of the lower-paying research companies, but I'm here pretty much every three months...which is how long you have to wait in between surveys. I'm sure they want to keep their selection of study subjects varied, so for you, that means one $45 survey every three months...you'll get an occasional 2-3 day survey in which they'll pay about $45 per day, but that means you have to drive here 3 days in a row. read more

Signed up to be a consumer feedback focus group with Tragon, I have taste tested many things. I signed confidentiality contracts that states I am not allowed to talk about the products.Sworn to secrecy so mums the word on the products I tasted. I'm usually paid about $40 a hour-and up to $100 for several hours for my feedback and different focus groups. The location at Redwood Shores is nice and computerized. It's really interesting to taste some of these new products and so cool that my opinions actually count. read more

I have been waiting on an email/call for a test. . Finally got one! Its a 3 day test for beer! WHAT???!!!??? Only question, do I get paid per day or 1 lump sum at the end?? read more

I have worked with Tragon a few times and the experience is usually quick and painless. Most of the complaints I've seen are about not qualifying or not liking the product reviewers were trying. While doing the survey you can quickly figure out what you'd be trying (almond milk, cream cheese etc) based on the questions and if you don't want to do it, you don't have to. My only suggestion is that they allow patrons who read faster and complete their surveys efficiently to leave when they are finished rather than making them wait for the slower patrons. read more

Eat free food/stuff, get paid for it! 'Nuff said! Very easy gig and the food we taste is almost always pallatable in some samples.