Abstract:

The paper concerns with the practical aspects of telephone interviewing, but does not attempt to enter discussion concerning the characteristics of the telephone owning population. The authors have had experience over the past two years of using the telephone interviewing medium to conduct long and short interviews in both the domestic and business sector. On the basis of this experience the case is argued for telephone interviewing from central locations on the grounds of quality control, increased interviewer efficiency, cost efficient sampling methods, speed of reporting, reduction in administration costs and the use of specialised equipment. The paper suggests ways which have been found in overcoming possible problem areas in terms of administering questions that would usually require visual stimuli, obtaining and recording open-ended responses and obtaining personal classification details. Finally the paper argues that consumer interviews of up to 25 minutes in duration can be conducted effectively.