IVR Surveys: Overview

In survey research, IVR enables the researcher to deploy voice surveys in the form of automated phone calls and then capture that survey data as mentioned by the respondent in the survey tool for further analysis. Using IVR surveys, the researchers define the audience they would like to use, integrate an IVR tool with the survey platform, and then deploy automated surveys. This helps collect quick responses from a large sample without manual intervention. The tool captures the responses accurately and, thereby into the survey platform.

There are several advantages of using IVR surveys to collect data from a target audience remotely. IVR surveys can be a powerful tool for collecting data from many people. IVR systems are fast, efficient, and cost-effective, making them ideal for large-scale surveys. They also allow respondents to participate in a survey at their convenience without needing to make an appointment or be available at a particular time.

How to Conduct IVR Surveys: The Steps

In this article, we go through the steps of creating effective IVR surveys.

1. Plan your survey, from the research objective

The first step (which applies to all types of research) is to determine the research objective properly. You could be looking for information on a particular topic, such as “what is the impact of the ongoing research on food availability in Somalia?” or you might want to know more about how people behave when using a brand’s product or whether they think it’s valuable and helpful. Before you conduct surveys, you must clearly understand what you want to achieve with your research. This will help you determine the right questions to ask and the most effective way to collect data.

Whatever your objective is, start with some general questions that will help guide your research, such as:

• What do I want my audience’s answers to be?
• What kind of responses will I get from them?
• What do I want to learn about my audience? What information do I need?
• What kind of data do I need to answer my research questions?
• How much time do I have to complete the research?
• How will I collect the data? What are the advantages of using IVR over other modes in this specific scenario?

Answers to these questions will help determine the purpose of the survey, the target audience, the questions you want to ask, and the interview length. Remember, one of the essential considerations in survey design is choosing the right target population. This includes defining the geographical area, age group, and other characteristics of the people you want to reach.

2. Create your IVR survey

Once you have planned your survey, you will need to create your IVR survey, which involves building the questionnaire, recording the audio questions, and creating the IVR menu.

Make the survey simple and short, with one question per call. The longer your survey session, the less likely it is that people will complete it—and they won’t remember what they did or didn’t do if they can’t answer your questions quickly. Keep in mind that you don’t have time to get into all the small details you would during a phone or face to face conversation. Rather than asking them about their personal life or emotions (which could be easily answered by reading between the lines), focus on the practical needs of the survey.

In a nutshell:

• Decide on the questions you want to ask – keep them short and simple.
• Prepare the script that the IVR system will read out.
• Set up your call flow – determine the flow on which the questions will be asked.
• Test your system – before going live, it is essential to test your IVR survey to ensure everything is working.

3. Conduct your Survey

Once your IVR survey is created, you will need to conduct your survey. First, you’ll need to set up a call center with the necessary equipment, software, sample phone numbers, and people. Then, deploy the survey, which involves calling the target sample and asking them to participate in the survey

Keep in touch with the metrics in real time. Some of the KPIs you could consider are:

• Response rate: How many people actually took the time to respond?
• Completion rate: How many people completed your survey?
• Completion time: How long did it take for them to complete the survey? Was there a lag between when you called them and when they finished their responses or did they finish quickly and you had some downtime before being put back on hold (because there were more calls)?
• Call abandonment rate: If someone left before completing their portion of the survey, how often did that happen over an hour or day-long period?
• Average call time on hold (COT): If you have an IVR system, this is calculated by taking all calls waiting for a customer agent during an hour and dividing them by total calls made during that same time frame. For example, if the IVR attempted a thousand phone numbers but only 50% were answered within 5 minutes; then this would be 50/1000 = 4%.

4. Analyze your Results

After you have conducted your survey, you will need to analyze the results. After your survey is complete, it’s time to collect and analyze the data, which can be done manually or with specialized software, depending on the data volume and the analysis’s complexity.

This step includes cleaning the data, analyzing it to determine the survey’s overall results, and then creating an actionable report from the data, as Brian Kiprop explains in this GeoPoll Talks podcast.

Conduct IVR Surveys Using GeoPoll

A good research provider will walk you through the process of creating and executing a successful interactive voice research survey. They’ll help you with:

• The design of your questionnaire
• The scripting of questions so they’re straightforward to understand
• Setting up an account with their company
• The scheduling and management of your research
• The reporting of your results so you can act on them

GeoPoll provides an end-to-end research service using IVR or any other mobile-driven data collection. We’re always happy to answer questions and walk you through the process of creating a successful survey. Contact us today.

The post How to Conduct IVR Surveys: A Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on GeoPoll.

In this article, we go through each GeoPoll mobile survey mode, in summary, highlighting their best use cases and benefits.

Short Message Service (SMS/ text message)

SMS surveys are self-administered surveys sent to respondents one question at a time (see an example here). SMS surveys do not require respondents to have internet connectivity or airtime credit, and the survey invitation is received even if the phone is turned off or out of service range when sent. Respondents can also answer the questions at their leisure, ensuring privacy when taking surveys with sensitive questions.

Learn more about SMS surveys >>>

Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI)

CATI surveys are administered through experienced call center interviewers based in the country they are calling. GeoPoll interviewers undergo rigorous training for each project they administer and are overseen by dedicated in-market call center supervisors and GeoPoll’s senior team. GeoPoll’s proprietary mobile application for CATI interviewers facilitates interviewer flow, data collection, and interviewer oversight and can be utilized on any smartphone or tablet. Features of our CATI Application include offline mode, call recording, multi-lingual support, and more.

Learn more about live call interviews >>>

Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI)

Built on the same system as GeoPoll’s CATI application, GeoPoll’s CAPI application facilitates face-to-face data collection in the field, removing the need for paper questionnaires and manual data collation. The CAPI application does not require interviewers to have internet access when conducting surveys and provides interviewer metrics for overseeing projects.

Learn more about face to face interviews >>>

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IVR is a self-administered survey method in which pre-recorded voice surveys are initiated via phone call, and respondents key in answers on their dial-pad. IVR is useful for reaching illiterate populations through voice calls without training call center interviewers and can therefore send a mass amount of surveys at once through automated software.

Learn more about IVR >>>

Mobile Web

Mobile Web surveys are self-administered surveys requiring respondents to have internet-capable phones with an active WiFi or data connection. Respondents are sent an initial SMS message with a link to a survey, which drives respondents to their web browser to complete the survey. Mobile web surveys support GPS location, video/picture questions, and matrix/ table/ grid format questions.

Learn more about GeoPoll mobile links >>>

Mobile Application

Mobile app surveys require a smartphone, although the mobile application does allow for offline use. Respondents who download the GeoPoll mobile application are sent notifications to participate in surveys through GeoPoll’s mobile app. The mobile app includes, with respondent consent, additional capabilities such as GPS location, picture taking, and passive data collection.

Learn more about the GeoPoll App >>>

Focus Groups

GeoPoll can implement focus group research through mobile chat groups overseen by an experienced moderator. Focus groups allow for sharing video and picture content, structured discussions, and other tasks and can be maintained over a more extended time than in-person groups.

Learn more about MROCs >>>

WhatsApp Mode

WhatsApp is GeoPoll’s latest survey mode and one of the most robust owing to WhatsApp’s reach, affordability, and ability to conduct rich media surveys within an environment most respondents are familiar with. Surveys on WhatsApp can be longer and more complex than SMS, and we can use audio and visual stimuli, meaning we can send picture or video content for respondents to answer questions about and even get photos and recordings back from respondents.

Learn more about GeoPoll WhatsApp surveys >>>

Conduct mobile research in emerging markets

At GeoPoll, we have spent years studying how to best connect with survey respondents in emerging markets worldwide. Picking the correct mode for accomplishing your research goals is one of the most important decisions before data collection begins. Contact GeoPoll today to discuss what research mode is best for your project.

The post GeoPoll’s Mobile Survey Modes and How Each Works appeared first on GeoPoll.

Similarities between IVR and CATI Research Modes

IVR and CATI are modes most often used to collect survey data, and they both leverage voice calls to collect responses from survey respondents. Voice calls are preferable to other phone-based research modes such as text message in certain circumstances, such as when the target population has high illiteracy rates, as is often the case in rural areas. Respondents for either mode may be recruited through a research company such as GeoPoll, a pre-identified list of beneficiaries or customers, or by random digit dialing, in which phone numbers are randomly generated in order to gather respondents from a wide area.

IVR and CATI surveys both start with a phone call to the respondent’s phone number that they must answer in order to take part in a survey, and this is followed by a series of questions that the respondent must answer. However, the two modes start to diverge once the respondent picks up the phone and starts answering questions.

Differences between IVR and CATI Research Modes

The biggest difference between Interactive Voice Response and Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing is that IVR methods rely on a pre-recorded voice recording to ask questions to respondents, while CATI requires trained interviewers to make live calls to respondents. In IVR, respondents must key in or speak answers to an automated system, similar to the ones commonly used when calling customer service hotlines. After each question, a new pre-recorded segment is relayed to the respondent until the survey is completed.

In the CATI research mode, interviewers make calls themselves, and they are the ones noting down the respondents’ answers and reading the next question from a script. CATI interviewers use specialized software to dial phone numbers, record the answers they are given, and read the next question based on any skip logic that is included. Because they are administering surveys themselves, CATI interviewers must be trained, and they often operate out of a physical call center that has to be maintained, neither of which is needed for IVR calls.

Due to the ways in which surveys are administered in IVR and CATI modes, there are also large differences in the number of respondents each can reach in a set period of time. Automated IVR software makes it a good mode for calling very large sample sizes, while CATI requires live interviewers, and cannot accomplish the same number of calls in the same time period without a huge number of interviewers. Because of the costs required to train and host CATI interviewers, it is often assumed that CATI is much more expensive than IVR. This can be the case, however, it is important to note that IVR often has very low response rates, and the cost of airtime to make enough calls to get the desired number of completed surveys can add up quickly. Below are some pros and cons of IVR and CATI to consider:

Pros of Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

• Can reach large sample sizes quickly
• Can be more cost-effective than other voice-call modes
• Can reach illiterate populations
• No need to train interviewers

Cons of Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

• Low response rates may lead to longer timelines and higher costs
• The respondent must pick-up when the call is administered
• Restrictions on what types of questions can be asked due to recorded nature
• Long surveys are difficult to administer due to high drop-off rates

Pros of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing

• Can reach illiterate populations
• Longer surveys can be administered due to higher engagement levels with an interviewer
• Can ask open-ended questions to gather qualitative data when needed
• Interviewers can offer to call respondents back at more convenient times
• Can use multiple interviewers (for example, male and female, or with different dialects) in order to reach all demographic groups

Cons of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing 

• Requires interviewer recruiting and training by yourself or through a research agency
• Costs can be high due to the need for interviewers and call center space
• The volume of calls made in a time period depends on the number of interviewers hired

Conduct Voice Call Surveys with GeoPoll

GeoPoll conducts voice calls surveys through CATI, using our own CATI software, trained interviewers, and call centers, and can also conduct surveys via IVR. Leverage our database of respondents throughout the world and expertise in conducting voice call surveys by contacting us for your next research project.

The post Interactive Voice Response vs Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing for Survey Research appeared first on GeoPoll.

Interactive Voice Response, How It Works

IVR surveys use very basic mobile phone technology to connect with respondents. Any phone that can receive a phone call can be used by a respondent to participate in an IVR survey.

With this mode of research, the survey enumerator is a pre-recorded voice message. A series of voice recordings guide the respondent through how to participate in the survey as well as the subsequent question and answer portion. After recording the questionnaire, GeoPoll uses an automated system to send survey invitations to our panel of respondents via phone calls. When the phone call is answered, the voice recording plays through the device and explains to the user that they were selected to participate in a GeoPoll survey. The recording goes on to have the user opt-in or opt-out of the survey, then proceeds to the question and answer portion if the user is interested in participating.

Respondents provide their answers to the opt-in message and the survey questions by keying-in their answer choice on their phone’s keypad. GeoPoll receives the survey responses that were keyed-in by the respondent. When enough respondents have completed their surveys, GeoPoll can go ahead with organizing the data for analysis.

Pros of IVR

Interactive Voice Response is a wonderful mode of research when a project requires survey responses from illiterate populations because it requires no reading by the respondent. Also, due to advances in technology becoming more widely available in emerging markets, basic phones that contain call and text message capability have become affordable to the average person, even those living with very little income. The accessibility of affordable basic technology is key in this survey mode because it allows for IVR surveys to reach people across many socioeconomic groups.

Cons of IVR

Interactive Voice Response surveys, although cost effective, typically have a longer turnaround time from survey dispatch to project completion. If you have a project requiring a quicker turnaround where you also need to reach illiterate populations, Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing, known as CATI, is is the best choice. CATI surveys also reach illiterate populations through voice on mobile, yet the enumerators are speaking with respondents live, rather than through a recorded message like IVR surveys.

To learn more about GeoPoll’s research modes, download GeoPoll’s Guide to Conducting Research in Emerging Markets. There you will find full descriptions of the pros and cons of GeoPoll’s various survey modes, as well as information on special considerations to make when performing research in emerging markets. GeoPoll offers a variety of remote, mobile-based survey research mode options to clients. Our team of experts is committed to finding the best mode of research for your individual project needs. GeoPoll’s research process is a quick and cost-effective way to reach populations of people in emerging markets across the globe, contact us today to learn more about how GeoPoll can help your company accomplish research goals.

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Thanks to the high adoption of cell phones in developing countries, across all socio-economic classes, this is a reality for more people than ever before. Today, there are more cell phones in Asia and Africa than toilets, according to BluePlanetNetwork. What this means for the survey world is revolutionary; for business and for global change.

These new opportunities allow partnerships like our recent collaboration with IST Research. We were able to collect 248 responses within four days for a Teacher Survey in Afghanistan. We used Interactive Voice Response (IVR) for these surveys. IVR is a voice-based survey used to reach marginalized populations with low literacy rates.

We asked them general demographics questions, finding that 68% speak Dari and 75% are male. We also asked them questions about their living conditions, learning that over half of the teachers lived within five KM from the school, but 22% still lived over 16 KM away. Then we asked about their incomes, discovering that 66% of teachers receive their paycheck by hand, and almost 75% would prefer to receive them through their mobile phones.

Mobile-based surveys, whether SMS or IVR, provide real-time data for a wider range of demographics. They offer faster results than traditional survey styles and a wider sample size than web-based survey styles.

The surveys collected in Afghanistan will provide data that is generally hard to find and will provide quicker insights which allow for short-term action.

When it comes right down to it though, it’s not about the data, the survey responses or the opportunities that are uncovered. What it all comes down to are the people. The chance to give them something that many take for granted—a voice—and a chance to use that voice to advocate for change. Of course, the data is nothing to ignore, but the ability to revolutionize the way that data is collected in order use to make the world a better place is worth so much more.

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GeoPoll is changing the way data is collected. GeoPoll connects researchers to mobile phone users in just about every country in the world, reaching people from dense urban areas to remote villages. GeoPoll’s user base and global reach allows you to identify, target and understand the world faster and more accurately than ever before.

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