4 Tips for Successful Respondent Care

The right respondents for a project are one of the critical components of successful market research and gaining insights. Still, feelings and expectations of the people who have made your research their priority are often considered last during a project.

At Focus Forward, we look to create the best participant experience (PX) possible. Over the decades of respondent recruitment and being part of the evolution from all phone recruitment to more streamlined methods, we have developed four tips that seem to help respondents have a good feeling about their participation.

• Save Time
  We do this by electronically screening, if the project fits, so respondents can have the least disruption when showing interest in study.  While this step is not always possible, screening online reduces the time a respondent may spend answering questions for research when they are just not the best fit for this research.

• Communicate
  Respondents should know all aspects concerning the project for which they have committed. We want to be as transparent as possible about that is expected from the participant and what they can expect from our team and the researchers. Changing the plan is sometimes not avoidable – but we should clearly acknowledge the change and ask for a recommitment, and value the time spent, if the respondent can no longer be part of the research.

• Technology Support
  Many of the projects we have today require a respondent to use technology for the group itself or the homework or other aspects of the project. People have different levels of comfortableness for certain technology. The recruitment team or the board having available and helpful support for the respondent can make all the difference in their experience with the research.

• Faster Incentive Payments
  Respondents can feel frustrated when they must wait weeks for incentive payment. At Focus Forward, we set the expectation, but still, it can be confusing, especially when a moderator communicates a shorter timeline. When research is in-person, the incentive is immediate, but for boards it can be a much longer wait. To ease the uncertainty, Focus Forward has systems where the respondent can self-check when the incentive is going to be sent, or if it has already been sent. Tools that empower the respondent enrich the whole experience.

Our Team Helps Clients Achieve Success

Since 2003, Focus Forward has been your team for respondent recruitment and all services to support your marketing research efforts. Recruiting participants, handling transcripts, incentive processing, online panels, survey programming, open end coding – we do it all! How can we help? If you have a project where you feel like our team can add value, we would be excited to talk!  Contact Meredith Falvo, VP Business Development Mfalvo@focusfwd.com