CATI — Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing

High-volume data collection with the human touch of live interviewers.

Why CATI Still Matters

While online panels dominate many studies, telephone remains the fastest way to reach — and truly random-sample — people who are offline, time-poor, or simply tired of digital surveys. CATI combines interviewer rapport with a survey engine that auto-rotates questions, enforces logic, and streams data straight to your dashboard.

Typical Project Specs

End-to-End Workflow

1. Precision Sampling

   • Dual-frame RDD (mobile + landline) or client-supplied lists

   • Stratified quotas to mirror true population distributions

2. Questionnaire Programming & Soft Launch

   • CATI scripts coded with skip logic, randomisation, and auto-timers

   • 50-complete soft launch to validate flow and incidence

3. Live Fieldwork & Real-Time Monitoring

   • 80-seat call centre 

   • Supervisor dashboards flag outliers within minutes, not days

4. Layered Quality Control

   • Silent monitoring of 10 % of calls + automatic call recording

   • Post-field validation: duplicate checks, logic violation scans, open-end sense-checks

5. Clean Data & Top-Line Report

   • Weighted data files delivered in SPSS, Excel, or CSV within 24 h of field close

   • Optional flash deck highlighting key frequencies and early trends

When to Choose CATI

• National or regional opinion tracking where representativeness is non-negotiable

• C-suite or B2B studies requiring personal outreach and gatekeeper navigation

• Sensitive topics (health, finance) where a trained interviewer builds trust and clarifies wording in real time

• Crisis or recall testing when speed of fieldwork directly impacts brand decisions