The methodology that would become InfoQuest® was first conceived in the late 1980's. The design objective at the time was to create a survey that would overcome and eliminate the inherent weaknesses found in the conventional survey processes of that era. A survey was needed that people would respond to, that could handle a sufficient number of questions to provide a detailed customer base profile, that would eliminate the factors that undermined candor and accuracy, and that would not break the corporate bank in the process.

After several years worth of product development and refinement, the one solution for meeting all of those objectives was created. The result is pictured below.

The InfoQuest survey is a three-dimensional plastic box with five compartments. Each compartment is labeled with dual scales of satisfaction and agreement, each allowing for a response ranging from Totally Satisfied to Totally Dissatisfied or Fully Agree to Fully Disagree.

A deck of cards, each about the size of a business card, is included in the box. Each card contains either a satisfaction question or a statement. The participant simply reads each card, then drops it into the appropriately labeled compartment to record their response.

Respondents also have the option of providing written comments, of which the majority takes advantage. All necessary return mail material and postage is included in the survey, allowing the respondent to easily return it to us when completed.

While "the box" has been characterized as visionary, and as a gimmick - both of which we embrace as accurate - no other survey that we know of can even come close to the following performance -

While the novelty of the survey itself is a major component of that unparalleled response rate, other factors make subtle contributions as well.

• Participants are "pre-validated" through a multi-step process. That in turn creates top of mind awareness of the process.
• Unlike paper surveys, which tend to get purged with the "junk mail", the size and perceived value of InfoQuest surveys gets it past gatekeepers to the intended recipient.
• Unlike paper surveys, it doesn't get lost on the desk of busy recipients once delivered. Its sheer size provides a constant reminder.
• Because the survey is viewed as "like a game", respondents enjoy taking it.
• Unlike phone surveys, which are highly intrusive and conducted at the convenience of the interviewer, not the customer, ours is conducted when the respondent chooses.
• We suggest customers be informed at the outset that when the survey is completed, you intend to share with them both the results of the survey, as well as your plans for addressing issues identified by the survey. Unlike offers of cash or token gifts, which produce virtually nothing in the way of increased responses, an offer of feedback is highly effective for creating customer interest in the process.

	WRITTEN	TELEPHONE	InfoQuest
Response Rate	5-10 %	10-45% (depending on time required).	70%+
Time Required	10-20 minutes. The more time required, the lower the participation rate.	5-15 minutes, conducted at interviewer's pace.	10-12 minutes, conducted at respondent's pace.
Interruption Factor	None.	Very high. Conducted at interviewer's convenience.	None.
Respondent Benefit	None.	None.	Feedback on results and action plans.
Acceptability and Interest	Unengaging. Soulless. Regarded as a process.	Intrusive, disliked and over-used. Associated with Marketing ploy.	Fun. Unique. Tactile and engaging. Viewed as like a game.
Perceived Cost	Low. Often associated with junk mail.	Low. Often associated with telemarketing.	High. Looks professional. People feel guilty about discarding box.
Number of Questions	1-2 pages max.	12-15 before time becomes a factor.	36-60 questions plus written comments.
Visibility & Delivery	Unsolicited paper, easily lost. High secretarial guardianship limits access.	Voice mail and secretarial guardianship make access difficult.	Visible attention-getter. Gets past gatekeepers, does not get lost on busy desk.
Completion Factor	Medium. 10% or more "run" categories and must be discarded.	Low. Time becomes a factor, ending many interviews before completion.	High. Participants are pre-validated, creating commitment.
Anonymity	None. Forms often not considered valid without respondent's signature.	None. Respondent's identity is clearly known.	Most respondent's assume anonymity, enhancing candor and accuracy.
Formatting	Questions asked in groups. Prior answers visible and compared, undermining candor.	Questions asked in groups, promoting patterned replies.	Questions and subjects randomized and viewed one at a time, producing more accurate responses.
Accuracy	Low. Influenced by sub-conscious tendencies to symmetrically pattern responses. Low response seldom statistically valid.	Low. Lack of anonymity produces strong positive bias on answers. Skill of interviewer can influence, even alter results.	High. Patterned responses eliminated. Interviewer induced biases removed. Participant's assumed anonymity produces very candid replies.
Ability to Target Participants	None.	Somewhat, but limited to short surveys only.	High response rate enables targeting of top revenue generators only.