There may be no market research methodology better for obtaining in-the-moment feedback than an intercept survey. An intercept survey or an exit survey is a type of research conducted offline, typically after some type of an event or action has taken place.
This could be a moderator interviewing people immediately after they have attended a concert, made a purchase at a grocery store, ate at a restaurant, traveled through an airport and so on.
By speaking to an audience directly after an action has occurred, researchers are able to collect immediate, relevant feedback unmatched to an online survey or follow up phone survey taken place days, weeks, or months later.
An intercept survey is a great market research methodology for collecting immediate and in-the-moment data. Watch as we discuss 4 tips for conducting this type of qualitative research.
Tip #1: Play the part
Play the part and dress the part when conducting intercept surveys. Due to the nature and process of intercept surveys, people are a little wary of giving their feedback to complete strangers.
Wear a shirt and lanyard that clearly displays the sponsor or the research company's name and logo. This exudes professionalism and legitimacy among intercept survey moderators.
For example, a concert venue is conducting intercept surveys among attendees to learn about their experience immediately after they have attended a concert. A moderator wears a shirt with the research company's logo and an identification tag. The moderator is deemed more credible and approachable among concert-goers.
Though a small addition, this attention to detail will lead to a higher response rate.
Tip #2: Numbers game
As an intercept survey interviewer, get ready for rejection. While intercept surveys are great for collecting immediate, in-the-moment feedback, this will only come from willing participants who have time to answer your questions.
People leaving an event are often ready to get in their car and go home or to their next destination. They do not have the intention of stopping to discuss their recent experiences. Offering an incentive for participants will likely help with response rates when conducting intercept surveys.
Whether you are offering some type of incentive or not, intercept survey interviewers should be ready for some rejection. Unless you're George Clooney, of course.
If you are rejected or ignored, be respectful and move forward with speaking with other willing intercept survey participants. It will not be a good representation of the sponsor or market research company if you react in a harsh and negative way.
Searching for the ultimate guide to intercept surveys? In this post we describe the what, how, and why of intercept surveys.
Tip #3: Keep it short
Again, intercept surveys are just as they sound - intercepting participants as they are leaving an event or have taken an action. Keep this in mind when deciding the length of an intercept survey discussion guide.
What's the sweet spot? Our intercept survey company believes 2-3 minutes is best, but 5 minutes at an absolute maximum. Anything longer and participants are rushing through answers or ending the survey early to get back to their busy schedules.
For example, a gas station is conducting intercept surveys while people are pumping their gas. The intercept survey lasts only as long as it would take someone to pump a full tank of gas, knowing most people will not want to voluntarily make their quick errand any longer than anticipated.
Tip #4: Go offline
Go offline? The horror! Stay with me here. If you are surveying at a busy event, such as the intercept surveys Drive Research conducts at the New York State Fair, make sure your survey platform offers data collection with no Wi-Fi or satellite connection needed.
At large events such as a major league baseball game or a music festival, people are all competing for access to the same Wi-Fi network. It will be impossible to move quickly through an intercept survey if you are constantly waiting for a page to load or are constantly getting kicked off the shared network.
Instead, offline intercept surveys eliminate the need for a Wi-Fi or network connection, while still allowing the use and ease of mobile device or tablet. Intercept survey responses are collected through an app and are downloaded once the device has access to an open, trusted Wi-Fi provider.
Drive Research is a market research company located in Syracuse, NY. Our team has the knowledge and tools to design a robust market research study, should it be the right fit for your business.
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