Telephone Survey

Telephone Survey

What is a telephone survey (CATI)

A telephone survey, also known as CATI or computer-assisted telephonic interview, is a research method where the researcher surveys respondents over the telephone. Unlike email surveys, researchers conduct data collection by conducting phone interviews and punching the responses themselves. A CATI is very similar to paper surveys, except that the researcher punches the gathered responses to a survey link on a computer. The researcher cannot alter, or modify the research questions, and has to follow a specific script for the telephonic survey.

Example of telephone surveys

For example, a salon wants to collect customer feedback and decides to give the interview a personal touch. Instead of sending out survey emails that most customers won't acknowledge, it chooses to conduct telephonic interviews. The salon can call every customer they have and have a meaningful discussion, especially stressing on the open-ended questions to gather maximum data.

Uses of telephone surveys

Telephonic surveys are useful in a more casual setup, in cases where respondents may have a direct relationship with the surveying organization. They are also helpful to reach out to respondents whos email ids you don't have. It is a quick way of collecting feedback, especially for a skilled researcher. As most people own telephones and phone numbers are captured at almost every POS, telephonic surveys are a cheap and functional alternative to email surveys.

Advantages of telephone surveys:

Here are the advantages of conducting telephonic surveys:

Immediate response: Unlike emails, telephonic emails gather quicker responses, especially when the audience is vast and does not belong to a research panel.

Personal touch: Telephonic surveys are more expressive than email surveys, thus adding a personal touch and capturing more responses. Cost-effective: CATIs are more profitable, considering the high response rate compared to web surveys.

Business research: Definition

Business research is a process of acquiring detailed information of all the areas of business and using such information in maximizing the sales and profit of the business. Such a study helps companies determine which product/service is most profitable or in demand. In simple words, it can be stated as the acquisition of information or knowledge for professional or commercial purpose to determine opportunities and goals for a business.

Business research can be done for anything and everything. In general, when people speak about business research it means asking research questions to know where the money can be spent to increase sales, profits or market share. Such research is critical to make wise and informed decisions.

For example: A mobile company wants to launch a new model in the market. But they are not aware of what are the dimensions of a mobile that are in most demand. Hence, the company conducts a business research using various methods to gather information and the same is then evaluated and conclusions are drawn, as to what dimensions are most in-demand, This will enable the researcher to make wise decisions to position his phone at the right price in the market and hence acquire a larger market share.

Business research: Types and methodologies

Business research is a part of the business intelligence process. It is usually conducted to determine whether a company can succeed in a new region, to understand their competitors, or to simply select a marketing approach for a product. This research can be carried out using qualitative research methods or quantitative research methods Other services