Search for a market research company in Chennai and you will find dozens of names, many promising the same things. The right partner can save you lakhs of rupees on a wrong decision; the wrong one can hand you a thick report that answers nothing. Here are seven practical questions to ask any market research agency before you sign.
1. Who will actually do the fieldwork?
Many agencies sell the study and then pass the interviews to sub-contractors they never supervise. Ask whether the agency has its own trained field investigators, and who checks the quality of each interview. Data collected carelessly leads to confident but wrong conclusions.
2. Will senior people be involved, or only juniors?
Ask who will design the questionnaire, who will visit the field and who will present the findings. Experienced researchers catch problems early and turn data into practical advice.
3. Can they survey in Tamil and regional languages?
In Tamil Nadu, especially outside Chennai, respondents answer more honestly in their own language. Check that questionnaires are properly translated and tested, and that interviewers are fluent locally.
4. Have they done a similar study before?
A feasibility study for a new plant, a customer satisfaction survey, a mystery shopping audit and a government impact assessment all need different skills. Ask for examples of similar work and the kinds of clients they have served.
5. How will they choose the sample?
A good agency will explain who will be interviewed, how many, in which areas, and why. Beware of studies that talk only to easy-to-reach respondents. The sample decides whether the results can be trusted.
6. Can they handle scale and deadlines?
If your study covers many districts or thousands of respondents, ask how many field staff they can deploy and how they monitor progress. Missed deadlines often mean missed business decisions.
7. Will the report help you decide?
Ask to see how findings are presented. The best reports are short, clear and end with practical recommendations, not just tables. Also confirm that your data and findings will be kept strictly confidential.
How ARS Market Research answers these questions
ARS Market Research Services has worked from Chennai since 2010. We run our own trained field teams across Tamil Nadu and India, our directors personally supervise the fieldwork, and we conduct interviews in Tamil, English and regional languages. We have delivered surveys of 1,00,000+ respondents in 15 days, and our clients include IIT Madras, Panasonic, ITC, CavinKare and Ramraj Cotton, as well as SMEs, schools, hospitals and government bodies.
Our services include market research in Chennai, feasibility and demand studies, customer satisfaction surveys, mystery shopping and impact assessment.
Planning a study? Call 97899 76662 or email admin@arsmrs.in to discuss your requirement.