The effect of a nominal monetary gift and different contacting approaches on mail survey response among engineers

Increasingly, designers are looking for ways to incorporate the voice-of-the-market into new product designs. Mail questionnaires are one commonly used method to survey user preferences. Research methods which increase response rates and quality of mail surveys can help result in the design of products that more accurately reflect market needs. This study examines the effect of a nominal monetary gift and different contacting approaches on mail survey response rates among a population of engineers. The study found that the inclusion of a nominal monetary gift had a dramatic effect on survey response rates among engineers. Precontact with targeted firms was also found to increase survey response rates. Additionally, this research found differences in the response rates between direct precontact of subjects in target firms versus indirect contact of engineers who were referred as CAD experts in their firms. These referrals were found more likely to answer difficult survey questions and much more likely to volunteer to participate in follow-up qualitative research. Identification of this group of qualified referrals may be useful for design teams working on new, technologically advanced products