Devoted to the call center industry, the agents on the phones, and their managers

My first introduction to the call center industry was that I worked for a Market Research Phone Survey and data firm to help put my way through college. Most of the surveys were taken by hand and we had a team of data entry people that would enter all the data from each and every survey all night long into a computer so we could have the results for the client the first thing in the morning.

We did both political surveys as well as commercial market research. We would do the phone surveys, compile the data, and at times even do some of the data analysis, which include cross-tabs and compiling and editing open ended questions. Most of the heavy analytic work would be done by a big full service Market Research firm. We would also usually have the survey designed by a Market Research consultant or by the full service Market Research firm.

If you are looking for a call center to do marketing research, there are two main areas within Market Research industry to consider. One is the Full Service Firms. These firms will do everything from create a unbiased survey, by their guy who has a PHd in survey design, to obtaining a statistically defensible sample, to running and managing a their own in-house call center. There are also firms that specialize in just the data collection aspect of this process and all they do is the interviewing and phone survey work.

You can also work with a Market Research consultant. He often will do part of the work of Full Service firm, but he does not have his own in-house interviewing staff. He will subcontract this work out, but he does the management and supervision of the data collection house (survey phone center).

The question is often asked: Can I use a traditional telemarketing company to do survey work? The answer is best determined by how rigorous and statistically defensible do you need your data. Most telemarketing centers that I am familiar with can do a decent job at collecting data, doing customer satisfaction surveys, etc. However, if I needed a project where I needed the results to be as precise as possible, few telemarketing firms have the discipline and strict procedures in place, and I would look to a Full Service Market Research firm or a Market Research Data Collection house.

These firms will know how to rotate questions and responses, they will know how to do unbiased probes for open-ended questions, they will know how to manage complex samples and quotas, and they will know how to edit and code the open-ended responses. They are also used to very tight turn-around times and very strict reporting requirements. And usually, Market Research firms will be very cost competitive with Telemarketing firms.

Most Market Research firms will be able to give you a cost per interview (CPI) range as part of their quote and bill. Most telemarketing firms will seek to get paid an hourly rate.