CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) surveys are a widely used data collection methodology in market research.
During a CATI survey, agents conduct interviews over the phone by reading on-screen questions proposed by the survey software for telephone interviews .

It is essential to have a database of phone numbers to call and other demographic information about the respondents to conduct a successful telephone survey.
It is common for telephone lists to include multiple numbers for the same respondent (e.g., cell phone number, office number, home number, etc.).
The presence of multiple phone numbers offers a greater chance of success. However, if not managed properly, they can even be counterproductive to survey management due to possible multiple submissions.

 

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How do I manage survey respondents with multiple phone numbers?

Modern survey software offers multi-number management, a tool that allows researchers to store and manage multiple phone numbers for the same respondent, avoiding multiple submissions.
Phone numbers are associated with the same contact, and the outcomes of call attempts are recorded for each of the numbers associated with the contact.

In addition to setting maximum attempts for each phone number, the survey administrator can prioritize the types of numbers. For example, mobile numbers can have a higher priority than office landline numbers.

An important advantage of multi-number management is that you can reach the respondent using all the phone numbers associated with them. In fact, in the event that a number is not working, for example because it does not exist or is incorrect, the agent can choose an alternative number to contact the respondent.

If the respondent declines to participate in a survey, the “Refuse” outcome will discard the contact from the survey. In this case the respondent will no longer be contacted at any of their phone numbers.

Main advantages of using CATI software with multiple phone numbers management

By using a CATI software that includes multi-numbers management you will:

  • Improve survey management
  • Avoid the risk of multiple calls to the same person
  • Be compliant with local regulations on call attempts
  • Increase the chance of success
  • Optimize the time it takes agents to reach a respondent
  • Improve survey statistics

You can learn more about IdSurvey’s multi-numbers management by reading this article.