Editor's note: Mary Ann Vlahac is marketing research director at People's Bank, Bridgeport, Conn. Eric Souza is partner/owner of New England Marketing Research, a qualitative research center in Norwalk, Conn. Rusty Clowes of The Clowes Partnership in Ridgefield, Conn., is a focus group moderator and a member of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA).

THE RESEARCH DIRECTOR

It's not that kinky being behind the one-way mirror.

My observations span a 22-year career in marketing research. Once I tell my friends that I observe focus groups, their innocent questions begin to delve into the dynamics of the situation. Inevitably the fascination is with the one-way mirror. First-time corporate observers (from my experience) are as intrigued as my friends when I tell them about back room comments I've heard over the years, such as:

"You mean they really can't see us?" (Then the new product manager banged on the mirror, thinking it was soundproof.)

"Why would anyone want to sit in front of a big mirror? They aren't giving us honest answers/reactions." (Translation: "I'm uncomfortable listening to how lousy the 'real' customers think my company's prototypes are.")

"Why is the moderator making that gesture?" (Actually she or he was trying to let the observers know that their laughter over a participant's comment was heard through the glass.)

There is nothing more deadly than having to re-watch the focus group tape.

While I routinely review videos as part of my group analysis (whether I observe the group or not), I am very aware that watching a focus group tape - filmed with a stationary camera - can be about as exciting as watching grass grow. Some of my less-experienced corporate product managers or ad agency personnel approach the tape looking for quick sound bites (à la VH1's Pop-Up Videos) rather than the true content analysis required of qualitative research. They will return the video to me with a glazed look in their eyes and inquire when the presentation is scheduled.

When the respondent is not the client or vice versa

There have been times when either the client has ended up on the wrong side of the mirror or the respondent was ushered into the client viewing room by mistake. Now, I know that corporate casual dress can be confusing to focus group facilities, but the need to get the right people on the right side of the mirror is crucial.

Food, glorious food

When I first started in the research business, the excitement of doing the research was more important than anything else. Food in the '70s consisted of a deli tray with pickles. Now it has evolved into a Roman feast in some facilities. And not all facilities are created equal.

If you've raised the food expectation level for some corporate product managers (or continuously hungry ad agency staff), then the probability of corporate attendance depends more on the reputation of the facility's food and not the recruiting job or the work of the moderator. There have been times when I know some key execs did not attend a meeting because of the food (thinking it would be poor).

The "I was there so I know everything" observer

Being a researcher can be a double-edged sword when it comes to managing the back room during a focus group. At one extreme are the quiet observers, the active listeners who take notes and actively participate in the sessions. At the other end are the folks with their cell phones or laptops, calling their families or offices or checking their e-mail during the sessions, perhaps catching every sixth word of the discussion. These technology-driven back room observers will usually be the ones with the quickest (and usually wrong) opinions about what happened during the groups.

Why can't the moderator read my mind?

I admit it: I have the world's worst handwriting. It's a cross between hieroglyphics and Sanskrit, so when I send in a note to the moderator, it can get misinterpreted. The resulting questions to a group have at times been hilarious.

There have been occasions when, to get the interview going a bit faster, I'll send in a note saying, "Is that a wig on respondent X?" It's a ploy to get the moderator to pay more attention to the demeanor of the respondent.

In the back room functions, the moderator and I always have copies of the discussion guide for the observers, but there always seems to be one product manager who wants questions asked that are coming up in the guide. It's just that they haven't read it yet.

Deadly facility layouts

One summer day, I had a crunch project to do in the outposts of my state. There were no tried-and-true facilities in the desired area and the only choice was a newly built, untested facility. Little did I know we were the first users of the place for an evening group, or that the building management turned off all air conditioning at 8:00 p.m. The outside temp had reached 95 degrees that day and the facility was no cooler. The facility manager rushed small fans into the focus group room, but I watched in horror as my back room clients slowly started to strip off clothing (keep in mind this was prior to corporate casual days) to cool off and stay awake (it was 98 degrees at that point). Unfortunately the facility is no longer open, in case you wanted a sauna sometime soon.

THE FOCUS GROUP FACILITY OWNER

And how would you like your steak done?

When the first focus group was conducted, from a kitchen table about 50 years ago, no one thought that someday we would be asking a focus group viewer that question. Sometimes, it seems to me the research industry has broadened its scope of what is expected from facilities - perhaps too much so.

Here are some of the things that I hear in my everyday life as a facility "contact":

"My client is trying to keep costs as low as possible . . ."

Isn't everyone trying to save a buck these days? Please be aware of what you're going to obtain with that least expensive bid. Most of the time, you're going to get what you pay for!

While we're on the subject, let me tell you about my favorite phrase: "We are going to award you with this project." Well, thank you. Hey! Wait a minute! What am I getting an award for?

And then there's the question of what are the five functions of a paper clip.

Have you ever seen this question on a screener? OK . . .and I'm supposed to terminate a qualified respondent who has already spent at least 20 minutes on the phone talking about their personal hygiene just because he or she thought the only use for a paper clip was to clip papers.

I believe that most focus group facilities conduct their business in distinctive ways. Their principles coincide with their philosophy. Myself, I believe in confidentiality. I am, if I may say, a young and responsible professional who has attained the necessary credentials and has the experience required to operate a focus groups facility. Therefore, when you call me to place dates on hold and I ask you to please tell me the subject of your project, please let me know immediately. If I have already booked the nation's second largest telephone company for the same day and your client is the nation's largest telephone company, then believe you me, there is going to be more than just a rate war that day.

No! Respondents are not lined up outside our door waiting to participate in a focus group.

If you "award" us with a project (again, I would like to thank you . . .I'm sorry I keep getting off track, but it's my favorite industry word).

Let's start again. If you award us with a project, please give us a few days to formulate a recruiting strategy before calling and requesting profile sheets. I understand that your client is anticipating an update relative to the recruiting status, but good things do take time. Realistically speaking, calling me 10 times a day doesn't move me any faster. Give us a chance to evaluate the respondents.

Trust in us! Let us screw up before hanging us by the neck. And please, stop using the word "supplier." It implies that we are some type of warehouse supplying you with goods.

Let's be partners and work together to accomplish a successful project.

THE MODERATOR

When a recruit is not a respondent

We're told by the facility or recruiter, "The 7:00 o'clock group is full. Twelve respondents have been recruited." Let's look at a dictionary definition of "recruit": "To supply with new members or employees." Note the first two words: "to supply." Implicit in a recruit is that the person recruited shows up at the job site, whether it be an army post, a sports training camp, or a focus group facility.

OK, so being recruited for a focus group is not the same as joining the army, but why should a facility be paid for recruiting a respondent who doesn't show up (making them a non-recruit, in effect)? It seems to me that the definition of a recruited respondent goes beyond someone who "accepts" an invitation to participate.

Let's give facilities more of a vested interest in finding respondents in their database who will appear at a group or IDI on time and let them begin by charging recruiting fees only for respondents who SHOW UP. (Yes, some - or should I say a few - facilities currently do charge only for recruits who show up.)

Let's go to the videotape, please (for an additional $125 or so).

Stationary videotaping of a group has become an almost universally required component of qualitative research. The advantages of videotaping over audiotaping are evident. The videotape presents us with a more natural experience and makes it easier for us to comprehend and remember the group more completely.

Of course, facilities recognize the superiority of videotaping and therefore virtually every facility offers it. However, why do some facilities charge an extra fee for it? Hasn't it become an integral part of the services offered by any facility? Then why treat it like some cutting-edge technology by charging extra for it? Some facilities that provide lounges and sophisticated communication centers free of charge for clients and moderators still charge for the videotaping. Why not include it as part of the rental fee along with other expected services like audiotaping, sodas, and refrigerators in the client observation room?

"Will all those people holding a blue boarding pass . . ."

At prime focus group time (5:30-8:00 p.m.), some facility lobbies resemble the boarding area at a major airport for a sold-out flight. Don't get me wrong: To be that crowded, the facility must be doing a whole lot of things right. Respondents should, however, arrive in the room relaxed and ready for that discussion rather than looking like harried travelers.

How about cluster seating for respondents? Or better yet, a separate area in the lobby for each group's respondents to meet, talk, and begin to become acquainted.

"We still have TWO whole days to fill groups one, three, and five."

Spotty or infrequent updates on a recruit make for anxious moderator moments. The recruits that are supposed to be a piece of cake often turn into a nightmare. The "Don't worry, we can pull this one off" attitude is hazardous to everyone's health.

If I give a facility two or two-and-a-half weeks for a recruit, I expect them not to squander the time. Begin the recruit early so potential problems can be identified and solved. That way, problems with a particular screener question, with group composition or product usage, or with a faulty client-supplied list of names can be dealt with in a rational manner.

"Now that was a great group!" a.k.a. "They agree with me."

The idea of keeping score during a group runs counter to the whole idea of qualitative research. Even so, group observers with a strong interest in a particular facet of a study keep track of "their" commercial, concept, product/package prototype, etc. The group or respondent that agrees is applauded and deemed a "good group." The group that doesn't agree is relegated to the scrap heap and deemed not worth the time. Too often forgotten is that observers and researchers can often gain more real insights from a so-called bad group or recruit than from the good one, even though the latter is better for the ego.

We need to stress the importance of exploring both the positive and negative reactions.

"Dinner is served."

I love good food, but I didn't major in hotel management. Food service should be a collateral part of a focus group, but it often becomes the most frustrating one. Obviously, determining dietary restrictions for reasons of health, religious, or personal preference should be respected and accommodated. However, let's face it: The vast majority of facilities do not offer gourmet cuisine. Usually it's simple food delivered from a local caterer. Don't go to a focus group facility expecting five-star dining. In spite of claims made in their promotional literature, I have yet to find a facility listed as a "must" in the Zagat Guide.

If you're after a gourmet meal, ask your moderator to include a meal at the best restaurant in town in the bid. Base your selection of a facility on the quality of their work, not on the quality of their food.

The Cameo Client

Now, our clients are busy people and cannot always attend every minute of every group session and that's perfectly understandable. However, every so often, we run into that Cameo Client who attends half of one group but quickly becomes an expert on the entire study.

Perhaps we ought to devise a new "law" that everyone should wear a badge noting how many group sessions they attended. The more sessions attended, the more speaking time allowed.

The Ghost Host(ess)

The host or hostess at any facility is an important person in the focus group process. Responsibilities range from greeting respondents and putting them at ease to answering respondent questions, to administering a sometimes exacting rescreen or pre-group questionnaires, to collecting test product, to knowing when it's OK to bring latecomers into the groups, and to red-flagging a questionable participant who obviously spent happy hour in the local saloon before arriving, etc.

Why do some facilities change hosts or hostesses in midstream? It's unnerving when, after the first group, I go out to check on the next group's respondents and find that the host(ess) I have carefully briefed has gone for the evening and the new host(ess) has no clue about my group or what needs to be done.