Abstract:

The 3 vital areas in the use of a consumer field force for interviewing in mass industrial markets are, firstly: - selection of the right interviewer. Under this heading careful attention should be paid to: - previous productivity; - quality of work; - availability to do the work. Secondly, having selected the interviewer, he or she must be trained in: - the cultivation of a telephone manner; - gaining an understanding of the basis for which the information is required and the relevance of the method of collection; - gaining an understanding of the mechanics of the questionnaire and finally, realising the importance of selecting the correct respondent. Thirdly, there must be careful control over the fieldwork covering: - sample control; - editing procedures; - the use of and response to open ended questions - and finally, respondent control.