Recruitment and Participants Guidelines
- We will be asking additional questions on all recruitment screeners to ensure participants are not only aware of our new guidelines but that they may also be screened and disqualified for potentially being at risk, exposed or having COVID-19.
- Participants will be asked to wear a face mask upon entering the facility. We will provide one for those who do not have one.
- Participants must be willing to remove their masks during the study should the client prefer this. Please also note that face shields and countertop sneeze guards will be available for every person at the focus group room table.
- Participants will be informed that their temperatures will be checked upon arrival with forehead touchless thermometers. Must not have a temperature above the current CDC guidelines to be on-site (100.4F / 38 C).
- Participants will receive an electronic liability release form related to COVID-19 which they must sign via DocuSign before attending their session.
- The seating area in reception is configured for appropriate social distancing and to avoid crowding. Instructions and/or markers will be visible to ensure participants abide by this new set-up.
- Participants will only be provided with bottled water; no snacks or other materials will be available in the reception area.
- No outside food or drinks will be allowed.
- They will be asked to bring their own pens or pencils. Any pens, pencils or pads provided the participants will take with them. These items will not be reused.
- If a client wants food for participants, it will be limited to a boxed lunch (served as delivered) and must be eaten in the focus group room.
- Participants are encouraged to do all pre-work before they arrive at the facility. Incentives are virtual – no transferring of materials.
Staff Guidelines
- Staff temperatures will be checked upon arrival as described above.
- Staff will wear masks continuously during the study and gloves (when appropriate) during the study.
- Staff will sanitize between each group with extra time allotted for thorough cleaning of all surfaces.
- Staff to maintain continuous cleaning of all areas of facility – reception area, doors & doorknobs, tabletops, chair handles, counters, kitchen area, etc.
- The building housekeeping staff is providing additional cleaning services during the pandemic.
- There is monthly atomized disinfecting with aerosol over all surfaces (this disinfecting works continuously between treatments).
Client Guidelines
- Clients temperatures will be checked upon arrival as described above. Clients will also be asked to have on face masks. We will provide one for those who do not have one.
- Clients will also be required to sign a liability release form via DocuSign related to COVID-19.
- Customized client supplies will be provided as requested by clients. Clients are free to take these items, or they will be disposed of accordingly.
- Client food will be individually packaged orders, handed directly to the client; served as delivered, and no re-plating. Individually packaged dinnerware provided.
- Physical distancing will occur for groups as well as clients and we will keep the number of personnel in any space below maximum levels set by the state/locality.
- Group size will be limited to a max of 6 participants and 1 moderator to maintain a safe distance of 6 feet without barriers, and plexiglass countertop (sneeze guards) for closer proximity.
- In-person viewing by clients will be limited as much as possible; client viewing rooms would be distanced to accommodate 4 – 6 clients max per viewing room.
- Client viewing room/lounge capacity will be limited based on physical distancing and state/local requirements. When necessary, other rooms may be utilized for viewing via monitors.
- Even though we have more than one focus group room, we will only conduct/host one project per day. Rooms not used, as mentioned above, will be used as additional client viewing rooms or as additional waiting areas.
- Clients/visitors (including outside moderators, videographers, etc.) who have encountered someone who has been exposed to the virus in the last 14 days should be asked to monitor, moderate, etc. online, or simply not physically enter the facility.
- To reduce the need for clients to travel for their in-person research, we are offering our own IBM HD Streaming to you at a 50% discount for $500 per day until December 31, 2020. This is to aid clients while supporting best practices to reduce the possible spread of infection.
- If you are in need of local moderators, we are able to provide both English and Spanish speaking moderators at a 20% discount or match a more competitive price until December 31, 2020.
Cancellations and PostponementsWe stand by our promise that safety and health for everyone come first. If at any time, you need to cancel or postpone your project, we will work with you to find an alternative date and/or an alternative solution.
If you are not able to conduct the in-person sessions in 2020, we will honor that credit until December 31, 2021. We want to make sure you have options and as much flexibility as possible.
Please note that we have access to various online platforms and tools, and thus can help you conduct research for any type of methodology (i.e. telephone or online interviews, online focus groups or surveys, mobile ethnographies, bulletin boards, etc.).
We are here and ready to plan and execute your research projects. As marketers, it is time to reset, restart, and reopen. We will be here to provide you with solutions and ideas to make sure your business keeps moving forward while keeping safety and health our utmost priority. If you want to discuss any upcoming opportunities, please contact us at 281-815-4970 or info@connexionresearch.com
Note: We are also abiding by the guidelines set by the Insights Association