What is CATI research and how to apply it to your company

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The CATI survey is also known as Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing and consists of a quantitative data collection technique that uses an interviewer and software, personalized or not, according to the answers provided. The questions are programmed into software and may contain instructions for the interviewers, which minimizes errors in applying the question.

The main characteristics of the CATI Phone Number List survey include the agility and objectivity of execution, considering that these two pillars are essential for the interviewee to get to the end of the questions. Increasingly sought after by companies, it brings different benefits in its approach, despite being a field with some limitations that reduce access to a more specific profile of respondents.

Considering the aforementioned dynamics, you may wonder if CATI research is the same as telemarketing. The answer is no, despite the medium being the same – the telephone. The approach is different in each of the processes and the objective of the study is to collect data for analysis and not to sell products or offer services directly. On the other hand, the tools and methodology can be used for both tasks.

To help you better understand how CATI research can be useful in your business, this article from Instituto QualiBest will explain the application of the study and the advantages for your company.

When should I use a CATI search
CATI research can be applied when you need to have more control over the information collected.

Furthermore, despite having a significant scope, this type of study can be more effectively applied in contexts where it is necessary to carry out a mass application to an unknown audience. It can also be used to check the level of satisfaction of a specific customer base, for example.

Agile, quality responses are the objective and also the challenge of CATI research, which can count on humanized service. Having a trained interviewer to speak to this consumer can also help the brand's relationship with its consumer, since the customer feels close to the company and how important their voice is to it.

How to Conduct a CATI Survey
The CATI survey has two essential elements: the interviewer and software that can be customized according to who will carry out the study. From there, it is possible to use anything from a Call Center to a person working directly from their home office with their home phone.

In addition to the program developed specifically for the interviewee to select the answers to the questions, there are a series of tools that facilitate a deeper analysis of what is happening in the market , allowing you to cross-reference the data collected through the CATI survey with other statistics that lead to important insights for your company.

This type of study also allows for well-organized questionnaire scripts, attracting quality results. To do this, you need to think carefully about the objective of the questions and formulate them clearly, with closed answers most of the time.

Another highlight of the CATI survey is that it can be administered as anonymous or named . That is, it can be applied to people selected in a more random way and from sources that only contain their telephone numbers, in the first case, or to a database that brings different information about each of the respondents for a more specific profile, in the second.

Advantages of CATI research
– Telephone research minimizes either side’s misunderstanding of what is conveyed.

– The humanized and empathetic tone of voice helps to collect sincere responses from interviewees.

– The software records the information and saves it securely.

– Despite being mostly quantitative, it is also possible to ask open questions (without answer options), with more spontaneous and longer answers.

– It is a quick process, since the analysis can be carried out immediately after completion. And even a preview during fieldwork.

– Reduces errors by not requiring manual processing.