Ending the year by adding to the count

I always like it when I complete at least one interview on the last day of the year. It was especially gratifying this year because I interviewed a person on a project that I have been working on since July. I have conducted a good share of the interviews for the survey myself. The respondents have been difficult to reach and it usually takes 30 minutes or more to do the interview.

We have learned much while working on this project. Such a long interview presents opportunities to learn about nuances of establishing rapport and eliciting cooperation from respondents.We have talked to people from all over the world and have learned a little about their cultures. I am grateful that such a project came along to give me topics to blog about for a long time to come.Some of the experiences we have had will contribute to a sense of camaraderie for those of us who have worked on the project. I am grateful to have the work when things are slow otherwise.

I look forward to more telephone adventures in the coming year.

We're Almost Done

The other day we had a small party in our phone room to mark a project’s 100^th day of dialing. The same day marked another milestone on the project for me: it was the third time I had to ask a pregnant woman her weight. I know I shouldn’t stereotype people – especially when working on a scientific survey – but show me a pregnant woman who is not sensitive about her weight.

The project is a social research study in which we are required to ask respondents extremely detailed demographic information about each member of a respondent’s household, including height and weight. The weight questions are almost at the end of the questionnaire so that an interviewer has an opportunity to build rapport with a respondent. Still, the question comes up rather abruptly. Some respondents are taken aback. We don’t ask female respondents if they are pregnant, but they often volunteer the information early in the interview.

The first pregnant woman on the project to get the weight question gave me the idea to say “We’re almost done” right before the weight question comes up. She was a good sport about it, but she said “What!? Did you just ask me my weight?” when I suddenly asked her “Approximately how much do you currently weigh?” She then laughed and told me her weight. Not only that, but she weighed and measured her two toddlers.

Building rapport on a project in which an interviewer must ask for intimate details of a respondent’s life is often a matter of tone of voice. The interviewer must sound professional and positive, but also nonchalant and not too interested in the answers to the questions. Knowing when to say “We’re almost done” is a matter of timing. Saying this at the right time can mean the difference between completing an interview and not completing an interview. The statement not only helps a respondent to be patient and stay on the phone, but can also give an interviewer the last bit of rapport they need to get answers to sensitive questions. It can soften the abruptness of a question. The third pregnant woman I had to ask the weight question barely hesitated before answering.