Booth Research is a marketing and survey research organization experienced in virtually all research methodologies, including telephone, mail, intercept surveys, and qualitative studies, as well as focus groups and in-depth interviews. The firm offers exceptional client service through its extensive experience and comprehensive in-house capabilities, which include the Booth Research WATS Center, a modern facility designed and built for the express purpose of marketing and survey research. It includes a 75-station computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) research center, mail survey processing facilities, and field study assembly accommodations.
Like all market research firms, Booth Research improves its revenue margin by increasing productivity and consequently maximizing its revenue per hour. To maintain productivity throughout its call center operations, Booth needed a solution that would:
Booth Research turned to SPSS Inc. to increase the efficiency of its market research operations. Today, the company has increased its revenue per hour by improving its survey completion rates, increasing the efficiency of its survey operations, more effectively tracking sample quotas, and more quickly tabulating data.
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The world of telephone-based market research has changed significantly in the past decade. Research clients increasingly ask for more qualified survey respondents, and refusal rates continue to rise while market research revenues remain level. The only way to respond to these changes—and continue to make money—is to increase efficiencies within the calling operation.
Booth Research first faced this problem in the early 1990s. Working with outdated research equipment that operated on large mini-computers, company officials knew they had to become more efficient to survive.
“By 1991 and 1992, we were limping along trying to upgrade,” says Peter Booth, president of Booth Research. “We needed faster hardware and software.”
A consultant recommended Quantum tabulation software from SPSS Inc. because of its ability to operate on Sun™ workstations rather than more expensive mini-computers. This allowed Booth to buy the necessary hardware for 75 percent less than the price of replacement with larger computers and to save on maintenance costs.
Booth Research tested the equipment, conducting a month-long side-by-side comparison of Quantum with its current system. Quantum came out miles ahead.
“Prior to using Quantum, we were getting one completed survey every 10 or so hours on some low-incidence surveys. Using Quantum, we completed seven surveys every 10 hours —a huge increase in productivity.”
Prior to using QTS, we were getting one completed survey every 10 or so hours on some low-incidence surveys. Using QTS, we completed seven surveys every 10 hours - a huge increase in productivity.
“The first thing that opened our eyes was that tabulation using Quantum took 30 to 40 seconds compared to 30 to 40 minutes with the competition,” Booth says. “We found that our staff had been knitting or reading while waiting for the system to tab—or running two screens at once to gain maximum efficiency. Quantum eliminated that problem.”
Additionally, Beth Wilson, Booth’s vice president of operations, estimates that one programmer can now prepare basic tabulation jobs in 10 to 15 percent less time using Quantum—and 50 percent less time with more complex programming jobs.
“If someone was in the market for tabulation software, I would definitely tell them to get Quantum,” Wilson says. “I’ve used three other systems, and none of them compares to Quantum when it comes to ease of use, efficiency, and capability.”
The company again turned to SPSS Inc.—specifically to its QTS (Quancept Telephony System) for automated dialing— to combat productivity issues in 1998. “The goal is to maximize revenue per hour,” Booth says. “But this is increasingly difficult because of tremendous turnover with interviewers. In addition, refusal levels keep going up.”
With the cost of labor rising an estimated 50 percent in the last five years, Booth found that the “only way to optimize revenue is to put dialers in.” So Booth installed QTS to increase call center efficiencies.
Using the dialer, Booth has gained amazing efficiencies in surveys for which the qualified sample size is only about two to three percent of the population. “With increased refusal rates, we needed to spin numbers more efficiently, and QTS helps us do that,” Booth says.
For instance, Booth used the dialer for a low incidence survey on women’s health. “Prior to using QTS, we were getting one completed survey every 10 or so hours on some low-incidence surveys. Using QTS, we completed seven surveys every 10 hours—a huge increase in productivity,” Booth says. “You put the dialer on it and, instead of spending a thousand hours on a survey, suddenly you’re spending a couple of hundred hours.” In standard surveys, Booth estimates he has experienced productivity gains of about 15 to 20 percent.
Booth also uses the product’s sound feature to incorporate such items as product concept statements into surveys so that each respondent hears the same information delivered in an identical manner—thus ensuring that every participant receives identical exposure. QTS also interacts with Quancept’s sample management system feature to manage the telephone sample and monitor quotas, actually cutting off the study when interviewers reach their target quotas. Supervisors at Booth can also access information on how many calls have been made, the number of completed calls and quota status, and can change these parameters as needed.
“The secret of doing business in any industry is to get a decent margin,” Booth says. “QTS helps us achieve that.”
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