Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Market Research Agency

We are a researchers project management and follow-through team.  We act as a consultative support team for custom primary research, both qualitative and quantitative. Our primary services are online interviewing, telephone interviewing, both qualitative and quantitative recruiting , programming of surveys, cross tabs, coding, and research design consultation. 

Who works with CFR? 
Our customer base is made up primarily of these types of people

1. Research Consultants - Independents or small firms that need competent project management and a team that knows how to execute primary research recruiting and data collection
2. Full service firms - Some full service firms want their people focused on design and analytics.  When the day-to-day of research setup and fieldwork is tough to prioritize in house we are there.
3. Corporate Researchers - Client-side researchers come to us directly to get the job done when a full service firm is overkill or they need an economical research vendor option. Often there is no time to be worried about managing the day-to-day of the project or the tedious details of the research process which we take care of.
4. Marketing Agencies and Consultant groups - A research partner that can work with your people to manage research and follow through on the service delivery outcomes sold is irreplaceable.
5. Academics and Non-profit researchers - Nearly all of our customers have post-graduate degrees and high level expertise in their field.  For those researchers that expect a competent counterpart to help them manage their research plans, we can help.

What contact list sources does CFR use?

When all other variables in our control are taken care of the success of a project often comes down to the accuracy and completeness of the contact list.  We are extremely resourceful at acquiring the best list available and knowledgeable about how to get the most of the contacts we have. 

How does CFR handle respondent incentives?  

We are glad to consult on how to and how much to compensate respondents for their participation in a research study. We know from experience when it is worthwhile to offer an incentive based on the project specifications and target audience.  We can manage incentive processing internally or work with you to get them out accurately and in a timely manner.

What countries does CFR service? Does CFR use 3rd party contractors in any of these areas? 

Our quantitative and qualitative research agency primarily performs research in the US and Canada.  Our expertise with international research falls into two areas. First, assisting firms from outside the US with research in the US.  Second, managing translations and online survey language overlays allowing multiple vendors from multiple countries to utilize one central online program for consistency in data collection.  

Internally we only perform interviewing in English.  We have long-term partnerships with a Quebec field service firm for French Canadian and a US based field service for Spanish and bilingual English/Spanish recruiting and interviewing. 

What research organization affiliations does CFR have? 

Marketing Research Association (MRA) and American Marketing Association (AMA) membership

Technology Capabilities and Software

At CFR, not only the technical person (programmer or analyst) knows how to use our software and customize output to meet a client's needs. Our leadership can have in-depth conversation about technical topics. The project managers and people our customers work with are competent at understanding the research needs and producing reporting on relevant data that assists decision making.

What survey software does CFR Run?      

CATI (Computer assisted telephone interviewing) software is CfMC Research Software we are presently using version 8.3. For custom online surveys we primarily utilize CfMC Survent

How many call centers does CFR have? Where are they located? 

We have 2 call centers. One is located in Steelville, Missouri; and the other is in Waynesville, Missouri.

Does CFR have the capability to do digital voice recording that can be sent for analysis? 

Yes, we can record audio as mp3 files at the highest quality so they are easy to download and can be sent by email. 

Does CFR use freelance programmers or does CFR have programmers on staff? 

We have full-time programmers for custom programming on staff.  Our standard survey programming and testing time is less than three business days.  Sometimes we use trusted freelancers to supplement ourselves.

Do customers have the opportunity to test CFR’s program before implementation? 

Yes, we will send you access to your specific survey. Our programming and testing processes are built to develop respondent and/or interviewer ready output the first time a customer sees it.

Quality Control

How does CFR provide Quality Control?

For telephone surveys, we utilize extensive training, briefings, supervision, as well as remote and onsite monitoring. Quality control is important in every aspect of our business. We address it on each Service page.

Proposals & Pricing

What format does CFR use for bids/proposals?

Primarily we form proposals that are 1-3 page executive summary style documents.  The Research Specifications section outlines the expected design, methodologies, target audience, and approach.  Then we define CFR's responsibilities.  This includes a description of services and deliverable outcomes. We also include timeline and pricing information in that document.

What is CFR’s typical turnaround time for proposals?

You will be in immediate contact with a knowledgeable decision maker that will work to understand what you are doing and match it up with the service we will provide.

After initial contact you can expect one of us to get back to you with what we think, feedback, and questions within a few hours. Most of the time a written proposal is turned around in under one business day.