Focus Group Discussions: Customer Feedback

Focus Group Discussions (FGD)

• FGDs help collect ideas, information, and experiences from customers
• The goal is to improve products and services by collecting customer feedback

Learning Objective

• Validate customer-related concerns through a focus group discussion

Key Aspects of Focus Group Discussions

• Benefits include gathering data before presenting final outputs
• Challenges may arise during group discussions

Definition of Focus Group Discussion

• Gather a small group of people that share common backgrounds or experiences
• Purpose is to discuss a specific topic

Facilitation of Discussions

• Participants are guided by a facilitator
• Facilitator moderates topics
• Facilitator helps the group participate in a lively discussion
• The facilitator aims to generate maximum discussion and opinions

Applications for Entrepreneurs

• Entrepreneurs can use focus groups to gather customer insights
• Good for learning about product preferences or reactions

Choosing Participants

• Homogeneity in groups is important
• Gender is a factor, as women may be uncomfortable discussing maternal health with men
• Age can be a factor, as younger individuals may not want to speak about their drinking habits in front of older people
• Hierarchy is a factor, as students may not want to talk about teachers in front of the principal
• Homogeneous groups with participants of the same gender, age bracket or hierarchy can help people feel more comfortable

Types of Focus Group Discussions

• Single: One facilitator asks questions to a group
• Two-Way: Two groups, one observes the other answering questions and draws conclusions
• Dual-Moderator: Two facilitators, one ensures smooth session flow, the other ensures the topics are covered
• Dueling Moderator: Two facilitators take opposite sides to stimulate discussion
• Respondent Moderator: Participants take turns as facilitator
• Mini-Focus: Smaller group of four to five respondents
• Online: Participants share information online

Questionnaire Creation

• Probe questions: Introduce the topic, make participants comfortable sharing
• Follow-up questions: Explore the topic in more depth
• Exit questions: Make sure all topics have been covered

Example Questionnaire Scenario

• An entrepreneur wants to know which of two promotional programs attracts his customers better

Probe Questions Examples

• How familiar are you with our promotional programs?
• How often do you avail of our promotions?
• What promotions do you usually avail of?

Follow-Up Questions Examples

• What do you like most about promotion mechanics for program A/B?
• How much do you usually spend when we have promotions?
• If we were to remove one loyalty program, what would you suggest?

Exit Question Example

• Is there anything else you would like to say about our promotional programs?

Advantages of Focus Group Discussions

• Cheaper than other data gathering techniques
• Participants learn as they hear others' responses
• Results in more data by giving participants a chance to rebut during discussions

Disadvantages of Focus Group Discussions

• May be difficult to manage with a large number of participants
• Shy participants may be intimidated by assertive ones
• Data analysis may be challenging

Focus Group Discussion Process

• Set goals
• Define the target audience
• Find a venue
• Recruit participants
• Design questions
• Moderate the group
• Analyze

The Moderator's Role

• The moderator serves as the facilitator of the discussion
• Moderator can have a partner to record answers and assist with other needs