Marketing Research 3

Different Modes of Administration the

questionnaire

Telephone Interviews 
The main advantage of telephone interviewing is from the researcher point of
view. The number of different people can be reached in a relatively short period of
time. From the respondents standpoint it would eliminate any discomfort that some
of them would feel less uncomfortable disclosing personal information over the
phone than face to face.

A main disadvantage of telephone interviewing is that the respondent could

unilaterally terminate the interview without warning or explanation, by hanging up
the phone. Called ID might further aggravate the situation. This is understandable
given the numerous telemarketing calls people are bombarded with on a daily
basis. To minimize this type of no response problem, it would be advisable to call
the interviewee ahead of time to request participation in the survey, giving an
approximate idea of how long the interview would last and setting up a mutually
convenient time.

Interviewees usually tend to appreciate this courtesy and are more likely to
cooperate. It is a good policy not to prolong the interview beyond the time originally
stated. As mentioned earlier, another disadvantage of the telephone interview is
that the researcher will not be able to see the respondent to read the non-verbal
communication. Interviewing is useful in data collection.

Mall-Intercept Personal Interviews 

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Personal interviews conducted in shopping malls are referred to as mall intercept interviews.
Interviewers generally stop and attempt to question shoppers at a central point within the mall or
at the entrance. These are low cost. No travel is required to the respondent’s home – instead
the respondent comes to the interviewer, and thus many interviews can be conducted quickly.
The incidence of refusal is high, however, because individuals may be in a hurry.
In mall intercept interviews the researcher must recognize that he or she should not be looking
for representative sample of the total population. Each mall will have its own customer
characteristics of customers.

Personal interviews in the shopping mall may be appropriate when demographic

factors are not likely to influence the survey’s findings or when target group is a
special population segment, such as the parents of children of bike-riding age. It is
socially acceptable - people feel that a mall is a more appropriate place to do research than their
home,potential for interviewer bias , fast, easy to manipulate by completing multiple
times to skew results

Mail Interviews 
In the traditional mail interview, questionnaires are mailed to preselected potential respondents.
A typical mail interview package consists of the outgoing envelope, cover letter, return envelope,
and possibly an incentive. The respondents complete and return the questionnaires. There is a
verbal interaction between between the research and the respondents.

However before data collection can begin, respondents need to be at least broadly identified.
Therefore an intial task is to obtain a valid mailing. Mailing lists can be compiled from telephone
directories, customer rosters, or association membership rolls, or purchased from publication
subscription lists or commercial mailing list companies. Regardless of its source, a mailing list
should be current and closely related to the population of interest. The research must also make
decisions about the various elements of the mail interview package. Mail surveys are used for a
variety of purposes, including measurement of consumer preferences. A mail survey is a self
administered questionnaire sent to respondents through the mail. This paper-and pencil method
has several advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of Mail Questionnaire

1. Geographic Flexibility

Mail questionnaires can reach a geographically dispersed sample simultaneously and at a

relatively low cost because interviewers are not required. Respondents in isolated areas or those
who are otherwise difficult to reach (executives) can be contacted more easily by mail.

2. Sample Accessibility

Researchers can contact participants who may otherwise be inaccessible. Some people, such as
major corporate executives and physicians, are difficult to reach in person or by phone, as
gatekeepers limit access. But the researchers can often access these special participants by mail
or computer.
3. Self-Administered Questionnaires save Time

Self-administered questionnaires can be widely distributed to a large number of employees, so

organizational problems may be assessed quickly and inexpensively. Questionnaires may be
administered during group meetings as well as in the class rooms. The researcher can establish
rapport with the respondents, can stay there for any clarifications, and may also be for any
debriefing.

4. Saves Cost

Mail questionnaires are relatively inexpensive compared to personal interviews and telephone
surveys. However, these may not be so cheap. Most include a follow-up mailing, which requires
additional postage and printing of additional questionnaires.

5. Respondent Convenience

Mail surveys and self administered questionnaires can be filled out whenever the respondent has
time. Thus there is a better chance that respondents will take time to think about their response.
Many hard-to reach respondents place high value on responding to surveys at their own
convenience and are best contacted by mail. In some situations, particularly in organizational
research, mail questionnaires allow respondents time to collect facts (such as records of
absenteeism) that they may not be able to recall without checking. In the case of household
surveys, the respondents may provide more valid and factual information by checking with
family members compared with if they are giving a personal interview.

6. Anonymity

Mail surveys are typically perceived as more impersonal, providing more anonymity than the
other communication modes, including other methods for distributing self administered
questionnaires. Absence of interviewer can induce respondents to reveal sensitive or socially
undesirable information.

7. Standardized Questions

Mail questionnaires are highly standardized, and the questions are quite structured.

Disadvantages of Mail Questionnaire

1. Low Response Rate

Mail questionnaire has very low rate of return of thee filled questionnaires.

2. Low Completion Rate

There are chances that respondents leave many questions as unanswered, either because they did
not understand the question or they shied away.
3. Increases Cost

The researcher keeps on waiting for the return. When enough response is not there, then the
reminders are sent, and again there is a waiting time. With the reminders copies of the
questionnaires are sent. All this adds to the cost of the study.

4. Interviewer’s Absence

Respondent may have different interpretations of the questions. Due to the absence of the
interviewer, the respondents are unable to get any help for needed clarifications.

5. No Control on Question Order

In a self administered/mail questionnaire, the respondent usually reads the whole of the
questionnaire prior to answering the questions. The latter questions may influence the answers to
the earlier questions; thereby it is likely to bias the data. In interview the questionnaire remains
in the hands of the interviewer, and the respondent does not know what question is likely to
follow. Therefore, in interview there is a control in the question order.

6. Cannot Use Lengthy Questionnaire

Mail questionnaires vary considerably in length, ranging from extremely short postcard
questionnaires to lengthy, multi-page booklets requiring respondents to fill thousands of answers.
Lengthy questionnaires are usually avoided by thee respondents. A general rule of thumb is that
it should not exceed six pages.

Electronic Method 
Email Interviews:

The abbreviated form of an Electronic mail is 'E-mail'. E-mail is a system of creating, sending
and storing textual data in digital form over a network. Earlier, the e-mail system was based on
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mechanism, a protocol used in sending the e-mails from
one server to another. Today's e-mail technology uses the store-and-forward model. In this
model, the users sends and receives information on their own computer terminal. However, the
computer is used only for connecting to the e-mail architecture. The creation, transmission and
storage of e-mail takes place, only when the connection with this e-mail architecture is
established.

E-mail is one of the many technological developments that has influenced our lives. It has
changed the medium of communication. So, it becomes necessary for us to check out the benefits
and harmful effects of this popular tool used on the Internet.
Advantages of Email

The benefits of e-mail are huge in number.

• Easy to use: E-mail frees us from the tedious task of managing data of daily use. It helps
us to manage our contacts, send mails quickly, maintain our mail history, store the
required information, etc.
• Speed: The e-mail is delivered instantly, anywhere across the globe. No other service
matches the e-mail in terms of speed.
• Easy to prioritize: Since the mails have subject lines, it is easy to prioritize them and
ignore unwanted mails.
• Reliable and secure: Constant efforts are being taken to improve the security in
electronic mails. Thus making it one of the secured ways of communication.
• Informal and conversational: The language used in e-mails is generally simple and thus
makes the communication informal. Sending and receiving e-mails takes less time, so it
can be used as a tool for interaction.
• Easier for reference: When one needs to reply to a mail, there is a provision in the
mailing system to attach the previous mails as references. This refreshes the recipient's
knowledge, on what he is reading.
• Automated e-mails: It is possible to send automated e-mails using special programs like
the autoresponders . The autoresponders reply back to the sender with generalized pre-
written text messages.
• Environment friendly: Postal mails use paper as a medium to send letters. Electronic
mail thus, saves a lot of trees from being axed. It also saves fuel needed in transportation.
• Use of graphics: Colorful greeting cards and interesting pictures can be sent through e-
mails. This adds value to the e-mail service.
• Advertising tool: Many individuals and companies are using e-mails the advertise their
products, services, etc.

Disadvantages of Email

The e-mails, though beneficial in our day-to-day life, has got its own drawbacks that are off late
coming to the fore.

• Viruses: These are computer programs having the potential to harm a computer system.
These programs copy themselves and further infect the computer. The recipient needs to
scan the mails, as viruses are transmitted through them and have the potential to harm
computer systems.
• Spam: E-mails when used to send unsolicited messages and unwanted advertisements
create nuisance and is termed as Spam. Checking and deleting these unwanted mails can
unnecessarily consume a lot of time, and it has become necessary to block or filter the
unwanted e-mails by means of spam filters. Spamming includes, sending hoax e-mails.
E-mail spoofing is another common practice, used for spamming. Spoofing involves
deceiving the recipient by altering the e-mail headers or the addresses from which the
mail is sent.
 • Hacking: The act of breaking into computer security is termed as hacking. After the e-
mail is sent and before it is received by the desired recipient, it "bounces" between
servers located in different parts of the world. Hence, the e-mail can be hacked by a
professional hacker.
• Misinterpretation: One has to be careful while posting any kind of content through an e-
mail. If typed in a hurry, the matter could be misinterpreted.
• Lengthy mails: If the mail is too long and not properly presented the reader may lose
interest in reading it.
• Not suitable for business: Since the content posted via e-mails is considered informal,
there is a chance of business documents going unnoticed. Thus, urgent transactions and
especially those requiring signatures are not managed through e-mails.
• Crowded inbox: Over a period of time, the e-mail inbox may get crowded with mails. It
becomes difficult for the user to manage such a huge chunk of mails.
• Need to check the inbox regularly: In order to be updated, one has to check his e-mail
account regularly.

Personal In-home interviews 

Advantages:

• respondents are interviewed in person, in their homes (or at the front door)
• suitable when graphic representations, smells, or demonstrations are involved
• often suitable for long surveys (but some respondents object to allowing strangers into
their home for extended periods)
• suitable for locations where telephone or mail are not developed
• skilled interviewers can persuade respondents to cooperate, improving response rates

Disadvantages:

• very high cost

• potential for interviewer bias
• the geographically limitations they may impose on the surveys and the
vast resources needed if such surveys need to be done nationally or
internationally.

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