How to Choose Field Suppliers - Six Tips
Quality field suppliers providing consistent performance and outstanding customer service are hard to find. Even harder to find are suppliers who are true partners in your quest for quality fieldwork. So reward superior field suppliers with your projects and referrals. Abandon the rest. Here's how to do it:
Tip #1. Ask trusted sources for referrals
Ask colleagues for the names of suppliers with whom they have had good experiences.
Tip #2. Interview potential suppliers
In markets where you are considering conducting research but lack personal experience with suppliers, you can learn a lot by telephoning suppliers and conducting pre-interviews. Was someone available to take your call? If you left a message, was your call returned promptly? Did the representative understand the nuances of your project? Look for suppliers who have experience with projects similar to yours and who are passionate about the services they provide.
Tip #3. Consider more than cost
Field suppliers can be expensive, sometimes excessively so. But choosing suppliers based on cost alone invites trouble. Recruiting respondents is almost always more difficult than not. Rethink using field suppliers whose competitive advantage is low cost alone. You rarely get the highest quality at the lowest price. And cutting corners on quality doesn't result in first-rate respondents. So be cautious when you're weighing quality against cost. You could get less than you bargained for.
Tip #4. Be cautious of suppliers with "flexible" pricing
There are many moving parts to respondent recruiting that are not visible to research buyers. Be wary of recruiters who lower their price simply because you ask. Ask yourself, will they reduce the quality of your work? Will they skip replacing cancellations? Will you beg for recruiting progress reports? Will you be forced to relax specs you weren't planning to relax? Suppliers who lower their price without question or qualification will likely jeopardize your project -- or worse.
Tip #5. Beware of "quick turnaround" promises
Some field suppliers promise they can recruit your low-incidence job practically overnight. Beware! There's a catch: If other field suppliers say they don't have enough time to recruit your job properly, then the supplier promising a quick turnaround is likely expecting you to relax many of your specs. So if you're not willing to relax your specs, beware of field suppliers who promise rapid but unrealistic turnaround times. Doing your job right takes time.
Tip #6. Don't take unnecessary risks
If you can't be certain that there are reputable suppliers in a market, choose another market.
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About Aaron-Abrams Field Support Services
Aaron-Abrams Field Support Services are respondent recruiting and fieldwork management specialists for qualitative market researchers. Aaron-Abrams Field Support Services delivers the right respondents for your qualitative market research with less stress, less hassle and fewer headaches. Sign up for free tips like this at www.aaronabrams.com.
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