Telephone surveys (CATI Survey)

A CATI is very similar to paper surveys, except that the researcher punches the gathered responses to a survey link on a computer. The researcher cannot alter or modify the research questions and must follow a script for the telephonic survey.

Example of telephone surveys

For example, a salon wants to collect customer feedback and give the interview a personal touch. Instead of sending out survey emails that most customers won’t acknowledge, it chooses to conduct telephonic interviews.

The salon can call every customer they have and have a meaningful discussion, especially stressing open-ended questions to gather maximum data.

Uses of telephone surveys

Telephonic surveys are helpful in a more casual setup, in cases where respondents may have a direct relationship with the surveying organization. They are also helpful in reaching out to respondents whose email ids you don’t have. It is a quick way of collecting feedback, especially for a skilled researcher. As most people own telephones and phone numbers are captured at almost every POS, telephonic surveys are a cheap and functional alternative to email surveys

Advantages of telephone surveys:

Here are the advantages of conducting telephonic surveys:

• Immediate response: Unlike emails, telephonic emails gather quicker responses, especially when the audience is vast and does not belong to a research panel.


• Personal touch: Telephonic surveys are more expressive than email surveys, thus adding a personal touch and capturing more responses.


• Cost-effective: CATIs are more profitable, considering the high response rate compared to web surveys.