Marketing Surveys Lecture: 10-15 min 29.2

Constructing the Questionnaire A questionnaire has validity when the questions asked measure what they were intended to measure. It’s VALID Reliability exists when a research technique produces nearly identical results in repeated trials. It’s RELIABLE Ask: in what other class might you have seen these terms? (science) Reliability: - requires that the questions ask for the same type of information from all respondents - questions should be clear and easily understood so that all respondents interpret its meaning in the same way

Conducting the Questionnaire Questions should be clear and easy to understand All participants need to understand that question in the same way

Sample Questions Was your food hot? How often do you eat out? Spicy? Temperature? How often do you eat out? At sit-down restaurants? At any place other than home? Ask: - Is this a valid question? - Is it reliable? - How can we improve this question?

Types of Questions Open-ended questions ask respondents to construct their own response to a question. Generates a wide variety of responses Sometimes responses are difficult to categorize Ask: How are questions like this incorporated into the quizzes and tests you take? Give me an example of an open-ended question. What kinds of problems do you see these types of questions presenting to marketers? (lots of different answers, might get irrelevant answers)

Types of Questions Forced-choice questions ask respondents to choose answers from possibilities given on a questionnaire. Formats include: Two-Choice Questions (Yes/No) Multiple-Choice Questions Rating or Ranking Scales Level of Agreement Scales Ask: Who will share an example of a two-choice question? When do you think these types of questions should be used? Give me an example of a multiple-choice question. What is the difference between a rating/ranking scale and a level of agreement scale? Give me an example of how you might use a rating scale. How about a ranking scale? Level of agreement? Two-Choice: - Use when asking for a response on ONE issue - Most often used as filter questions Multiple-choice questions: - options should be mutually exclusive (only one answer applies) and comprehensive (all options are covered) - many surveys include a space for “other”… increases reliability by eliminating misleading results that occur from omitting the question or selecting any answer Level of Agreement Scales: - good for assessing attitudes or opinions

Two-Choice or Yes/No Questions Should be used only when asking for a response on one issue Example: “Was our facility clean?” “Were the grounds well maintained?” NOT – “Was our facility clean and well maintained?” WHY NOT?

Multiple Choice Questions It is important to make the options: Mutually exclusive - Can’t both be true at the same time Comprehensive – includes all possible responses Most surveys will include “other” to be sure all options are covered

Multiple Choice Questions Example: “When given the choice between all of the rental car companies listed below, which do you prefer? (check only one) Alamo Avis Budget Dollar Enterprise Hertz Other __________________ Adding “other” increase the reliability. If it was not an option customers might just choose any of the ones listed

Rating Scale Questions Asking respondents to rate a product or service Examples: From very unsatisfied to very satisfied From excellent to poor How would you rate your reception by the front desk staff? Helpfulness Excellent Good Fair Poor Check in speed Informative

Level of Agreement Questions Used for assessing attitudes or opinions Commonly used options are strongly agree to strongly disagree Indicate your level of agreement with each statement. “I am extremely health conscious.” Strongly agree agree neutral disagree strongly disagree “I do not like vegetables.” “Eating healthy is important to me.”

Poor Questions Leading questions – a question that suggests a correct answer Example: “Do you prefer X or the more reasonably priced Y?” Bias questions – encouraging one answer over another “Don’t you agree that school parking is a problem?”

Poor Questions Avoid questions that could cause respondents to guess How many students at Stone Bridge drink coffee on a daily basis? Less than10% 35% 75% 100%

Basic Guidelines for Writing Questions Questions should be clear and concise. Consistent ranking or rating scales should be used for similar questions. Lecture: 10-15 min Ask: What is a leading question? (a question that suggests a correct answer) Ask: What is bias? (encourages one outcome or answer over the others; creates systematic error) Ask: What do we mean by pre-test your questions? How would you go about doing that?

Formatting the Questionnaire Use dark ink, preferably black. Use light paper. Use fonts and types that are easy to read. It should be short enough to answer quickly. Use section headings and numbers where appropriate. Your questionnaire needs to have good visual appearance and design in order to appeal to respondents.

Formatting Content Directions for completing the questionnaire must be clear for each section or group of questions. General demographic questions are typically grouped together at the end of the questionnaire. Ask: What are demographic questions? Give me an example of a demographic question. What kinds of demographic questions were asked on the Pop-Tarts survey? Why do you think these questions are grouped at the end of the questionnaire? - respondents are more likely to answer personal questions after completing other questions (might skip over them if they are at the beginning) Under what circumstances might you choose to place demographic questions at the beginning of a questionnaire? - if it is necessary to qualify respondents

Administering the Questionnaire All surveys should have deadlines for completion. Surveys should always include a brief explanation of purpose. What information is the survey attempting to collect? Who is eligible to participate? Many questionnaires offer incentives for participation. Ask: What kinds of incentives can marketers offer to encourage customers to provide feedback or participate in surveys? - coupons - rebates - (enrollment in loyalty programs) - (free product samples) - (free giveaways, like tshirts for credit card applications)

See What You Know! Pull out the Pop-Tarts survey that you completed at the start of class. Next to each question, label the type of question that is used. Types of Questions Open-ended Two-choice Multiple-choice Rating Ranking Level of Agreement 5 min to complete 5 min for review/discussion Ask: Which types of questions were NOT represented on this survey? What is an example of a rating question that might have been used on a survey like this? Ranking? Level of agreement?