“No shows” stink. A few startups recently complained to the author that after diligently planning UX studies and recruiting a great batch of customers, some of their participants just didn’t show up. That’s incredibly frustrating, can be embarrassing in front of the team, and wastes everyone’s time.
Here are a few habits that have dramatically reduced “no shows” at the author’s studies:
- Avoid scheduling interviews on Mondays or immediately before or after holidays
- Offer an incentive that’s big enough to motivate people to show up
- Don’t start recruiting too far in advance
- Send recruits clearly written confirmation emails
- If parking is difficult in your neighborhood, give them specific instructions and assistance
- Ensure all communication (phone calls, emails, etc.) to your participants is respectful, professional, and organized
- Warn recruits ahead of time that the sessions will be 1-on-1 interviews
- Call participants to remind them about their appointments the day before
- Elicit several responses from your recruits in the days leading up to the study
No More “No Shows” — How to Make Sure Your Research Participants Actually Show Up
Leave a Reply