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2. Does this have anything to do with the questionnaires they have at the malls or those telephone survey people who always call during dinner?
Sort of. Most mall and phone surveys are part of quantitative research. Quantitative research is done to discover how many people feel or behave a particular way. Quantitative questions have yes/no or multiple choice answers, and hundreds—even thousands—of people take part in a single quantitative survey.
Focus groups and IDIs are qualitative research. In qualitative, we talk with a small sample of people to discover why they feel or behave as they do.
Companies conduct both qualitative and quantitative research to get a full picture of their customers.
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3. How long will I be at the facility? Why do I need to be there before the session starts?
We want to get as many of your valuable insights as possible during our time with you, so we want to start right on time. We need to begin the session knowing you've had time to complete confidentiality forms, hang up your coat, and visit the restroom, if need be.
Most moderators make a commitment to release respondents on time, even if the session starts late because of a moderator or facility delay. Even so, it is a good idea to let your moderator know if you must leave exactly on time. If you need to leave early, please let the facility know well in advance so they can reschedule you or find a replacement. Agreeing to participate in research is like signing a contract—if you do not fulfill your entire contract, you may not get paid.
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4. Why can't I bring my children along?
We understand that you keep an eye on your children while successfully going about the other 4,000 things in your day. However, it is in our best interest and yours to allow you to focus completely on the group or interview without having to think about anyone else. If it is a study in which we are looking specifically for respondents with children—to discuss baby food or orthodontia, for example—we take babysitting cost into account when determining the amount respondents are paid.
Facility staff are not available to watch your children. They have lots to do, and they are not insured or licensed to care for children. If you can't get a sitter, please call as soon as possible and cancel. That way you will be eligible for a future study, and the facility can try to find a replacement.
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5. My friends and I have ideas for improving a product or service. Who can we tell?
The best way to get your ideas across is to go to the web site of the appropriate company and look for their "Contact Us" link. You can also look on the product package for a toll-free number. Most companies are grateful to hear from their consumers, and some offer coupons or other incentives for customers who take the time to contact them.
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Roles
6. Who is the moderator/interviewer, and who employs him/her?
Moderators are people trained in group facilitation. Some moderators work for independent companies (like Primary Insights). Others work for the manufacturer, advertising agency, or marketing company conducting the study. Independent moderators are hired by companies when they want a completely objective approach to their issues or when they don't have a moderator on their staff. Some independent moderators specialize in specific areas like research with children, doctors, or businesses. Usually, moderators will mention in their introductions whether they are independent or not. Regardless of where the moderator comes from, it is always important to give your true opinion.
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7. Who is in the backroom, and what do they do in there?
Usually, the backroom is populated by people from the client company. They are working very hard behind that mirror, listening and taking notes. Sometimes they are back there for up to 10 hours a day, so they may also be eating, talking about the project, or just standing up to stretch. Sometimes, a person working with the moderator is in the backroom leading people in activities designed to apply the information respondents are supplying. Now and then, a person from the backroom may slip a note to the moderator with a question they would like asked. Some brave backroom souls even venture into the interview room and ask some questions themselves.
Keep in mind that people in the backroom could not do their jobs without the input of consumers. Don't let their presence unnerve you—they are there to learn from you.
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Participation
8. Why can't I participate more often than once every 6 months to a year?
Consumer research works best with real consumers. That is, we get the most out of talking to people who live their lives more or less normally and only concern themselves with the world of research every now and then. If our respondents became experts—doing a study a week, for example—they would cease to be representative of consumers and start to think and talk like product developers or marketers.
Limiting participation ensures that respondents have plenty of time between studies to live their lives, change their minds, and come to each new study with fresh ideas.
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9. How did I get chosen to participate?
Sometimes a major aspect of the questions companies are trying to solve has to do with specific characteristics of its consumers. The company that manufactures ScriBit pens (a made-up company) may want to know why their loyal customers love their pens. However, they may have reasons for wanting to hear from people who hate ScriBit pens—or people who don't even use pens. That's why it really doesn't pay to tell the recruiter anything but the truth—your honest self may well be exactly what they're looking for.
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10. Why don't I qualify to participate every time I get a call from a facility?
For some studies, the kind of respondents needed is very specific. You may meet all but one of the criteria, or the facility may already have found enough consumers with your criteria. We do our best to arrange the phone questionnaire so that the questions that are most likely to disqualify people are asked first—we don't want to waste your time. However, this is not always possible, and sometimes it is the last question that disqualifies someone. Think of it this way, if you didn't qualify for the study you were called for today, you are still eligible to participate in some other study tomorrow.
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11. Why do some people get paid and sent home even before the session begins?
First of all, it is important to note that almost all studies are overrecruited. That is, the facility finds more qualified respondents than they need in case people fail to show up. In addition, some studies benefit from having a mix of respondents in one group. Having extra respondents means that clients and moderators can make choices among respondents based on their answers to the telephone questions. For example, the study may benefit from a mix of left-handed and right-handed people of various ages. If there are three left-handed 34 year olds, one or two may be paid and sent home to make room for a more diverse group agewise. Please note that these decisions are not made on the basis of your personality or looks. These choices are usually made before the moderator even meets you.
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12. How do I get to be a research participant?
Look in the yellow pages under "Market Research and Analysis" or search online for focus group facilities. Be aware that when you are calling companies listed under this heading, you are looking for research facilities that recruit consumers. For example Primary Insights is listed under this heading, but we do not do recruiting ourselves. You can also register with facilities online. In your searches, you may also find companies that do online focus groups or quantitative research, and you can register to participate with them too.
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Confidentiality, Recording, and Information Use
13. Why can't I know what company is sponsoring the study?
There are actually a few good reasons for this. First of all, we don't want you to be too kindhearted. If we ask you to compare Brand Q and Brand M, we want you to tell us what you think without worrying about hurting the feelings of the Brand Q people in the backroom. Also, sometimes what you work on for us is in its very early stages. The sponsoring company wishes to take every precaution to ensure that its secrets stay secret.
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14. Why must I sign a release form?
Release forms are an easy way of ensuring that companies don't get sued for using ideas that come up in their research. Corporations listen to thousands of respondents each year, and they don't want to get into legal wrangles with people who believe that they really did invent breakfast cereal or the new company slogan. That's partly why respondents are paid rather well for the amount of time they spend on a study. You are paid for your time and ideas.
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15. What do you do with the information I give you?
The moderator usually creates a report based on the information we get from your focus group or interview and all the other groups and/or IDIs in the study. Your name is not used in the report.
Client team members also use the information—and the moderator's report—to improve their products and services and/or to create new product and service ideas.
The record of the information you give to the recruiter over the phone is generally kept for a while after the study and then destroyed.
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16. How do I know that we're really talking about the topic at hand? Are we discussing window cleaner while the backroom is actually watching which kinds of cookies or sodas we choose?
Technically, there's no way to be sure. However, there are two facts that make it highly unlikely that such a ruse is going on:
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People volunteer to talk with us about their lives and the products and services they use because they genuinely want to help companies make life better for everyone. Of course, the folks we talk with are also there to earn some money, meet interesting people, and learn about new product and service ideas that have not yet been made public.