The survey is the central instrument of market research. It is used to record the attitudes, opinions, wishes or experiences of customers. Thanks to these surveys, companies can gain insights into the customer experience as well as their needs and preferences, which enables them to make well-founded decisions based on the data collected.
There are many different types of surveys. Firstly, there is the personal interview. An interviewer sits opposite an interviewee and asks them questions on a specific topic according to a pre-defined questionnaire or interview guide (Häder, 2010). The same principle can also be applied by telephone (ADM, 2024). In this case, the interviewer and the interviewee do not have to be in the same place. These telephone interviews are therefore usually more flexible in terms of location and time than face-to-face interviews.
Online surveys are even more flexible. Here, respondents have the opportunity to complete the questionnaire online from home, usually at a time of their own choosing and at their own pace (Wagner-Schelewsky & Hering, 2022). All that is needed is a computer or smartphone. In principle, online surveys are very similar to traditional written surveys. These are presented to respondents in paper form. This can either be at a fixed location, or the questionnaires are sent by post or distributed in person and can then also be completed at home at a time of the respondent’s choosing (Reuband, 2022).
Each survey method naturally has advantages and disadvantages. Depending on the desired research objective and the target group concerned, the appropriate survey method should be carefully selected. While older people can usually still be reached by landline telephone, younger people usually appreciate the flexibility and simplicity of online surveys.
At TEMA-Q, we specialize in CATI surveys, i.e. computer-assisted telephone interviews. As this is a conversation between two people, follow-up questions or additional explanations are easy to incorporate. As a result, this survey method makes it possible to ask detailed questions about even complex topics in the B2B sector. As an alternative to the classic telephone interview, we can also conduct surveys via Teams/Zoom etc.
If the focus is less on the level of detail and more on easy access for respondents and a large sample size, we usually recommend online surveys to our clients. Due to the advantages mentioned above, you can reach a large number of participants much more quickly and can proceed much more effectively, especially for quantitative evaluations.
Take a look at our LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/company/tema-q/ to gain exciting insights into the world of customer and employee experience in the future.
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Häder, M., Empirische Sozialforschung, 2010, S. 187f.
ADM, Neue Herausforderungen – Markt- und Sozialforschung im Wandel, 2024
Wagner-Schelewski & Hering, Handbuch Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung, 2022, S. 1051f.
Reuband, Handbuch Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung, 2022, S. 1033f.