FAQ

What are the advantages and disadvantages of mail surveys and telephone interviews?

Manual Distribution / Mail Reply

Advantages

• No outgoing postage costs
• No toll charges for telephone calls
• Less expensive than telephone methodology per survey issued
• Builds goodwill with customers / patients: they like to be included
• Complete saturation: everyone receives a survey
• Customers / patients have the opportunity to write freely about their problems
• Survey may be completed at customers' / patients' convenience
• A greater number of questions can be included on the instrument
• Disadvantages

No control over timely completion

• Within - unit sampling is comprised
• Respondents not required (or likely) to answer every question
• Questions cannot be changed interactively when necessary
• Can be more expensive per survey completed if response rates are low
• Lack of initiative can reduce response likelihood
• No control over sampling distribution because of voluntary returns

Telephone Interviews

Advantages

• Firm, structured sample control - random sampling within units
• Total control over completion time and dates
• All appropriate / applicable questions are answered and qualified
• Less expensive than personal interviews or focus groups
• Refusals significantly reduced - surveys cannot be discarded
• Able to validate that each interview is conducted with actual customer / patient
• Solid quantitative analysis tool, allows within-unit analysis
• Immediate changes to survey instrument possible when required

Disadvantages

• More expensive per survey issued than mail methodology
• Bias can occur if questions are not asked exactly the same way of each participant
• Bias can occur if answers are not recorded exactly the same way for each participant
• Call timing may be intrusive to participants daily routine
• Reduced qualitative response opportunity
• Toll charges may be incurred