Online Surveys vs. Phone Surveys

Customer feedback is intensely beneficial in gauging favorable outcome for your product, event, company, or service and in warding off as well the possible pitfalls in the near future. In view of this, such essential feedback is best obtained through surveys. As a matter of fact, for the past four decades, most firms utilized telephone survey approach to be able to accumulate data from their prospects and customers. However, these past few years have been highly penetrated with internet technology, which leads to a shift in the perspective and disposition of many clients and customers. Because of this, many are then confused as to what survey approach is rather more effective in generating factual results. Would it be Online Surveys or the conventional phone survey?  To help you decide which is really which, below are its pros and cons.

Not all low-cost items have low quality. In fact, you can find lots of products out there that are of excellent quality yet efficient. This goes the same way with surveys. Phone surveys are more costly due to several contributing factors like international and local calls, time needed per survey, and phone hang-ups. On the other hand, Online Surveys apparently cost less. These merely involve pop-ups or most often, email surveys wherein the participating individual has to fill out a provided questionnaire completely right directly online. Apart from the mailing expenses and charges in making those pop-ups, the task is entirely on the respondent.     

Doing surveys consume a significant amount of time. Not to mention the effort and time as well in tabulating the results that are accumulated. In phone surveys, unless you allot serious manpower to do the survey task, expect a long tedious process since the interviewer could only accommodate one interview session at a time. Meanwhile, with Online Surveys, hundreds can respond to the survey at the same time regardless of location. Even if you’re utilizing email survey approach in gathering data, a single worker can send out loads of emails in an hour.  

Lastly, results and accuracy. In the case of phone surveys, though there’s a direct interaction with the respondent which is quite good, some may be pressurized in providing quick answers resulting to less accurate feedback. Another factor that lessens accuracy is often human error particularly on the part of the questioners. They usually add their own viewpoints while inputting the responses acquired. With Online Surveys, accuracy of the results is hampered as to whether the participant is legit or not. Respondents might fake out their gender or education level which can interfere with the results. However, barring this drawback, online approach tends to generate more accurate end results since online participants can read questions thoroughly and can answer accordingly without pressure. Plus with the convenience and comfort as the survey is filled out, higher quality feedbacks can likely be acquired.