So I’ve been On Tour this week doing groups in Viewing for a Top Secret Retail Thing.
As a compare-and-contrast exercise I’ve certainly come to wonder at the difference in décor, welcome and catering across different viewing facilities. Perhaps we need some kind of star rating for them? One star if you can’t swing a cat in the viewing room, they offer you a VHS recording of your groups and the buffet reminds you of family picnics aged six but four stars if they have excellent catering, get the MP3 on a memory stick before you’ve had chance to clear your stuff up and send you home with box of luxury chocs.
the 4* facilities at Wyoming Studios in Watford
This whole research studio décor thing is complex. On the one hand you want the studio to look like someone’s living room (that just happens to have ten chairs, a video camera and an enormous mirror in it) so that your respondents relax and don’t feel like they’re in a meeting. On the other hand, you don’t want the room to look like a student common room (knackered chairs, peeling wallpaper) or your AB ladies are going to feel a bit uncomfortable.
Anyway, my point is that perhaps someone needs to write a Buyers Guide for viewing facilities? Oh, wait, someone has already done that…OK, does someone want to write an honest, warts-and-all guide to viewing facilities? GroupAdvisor? Anyone?
PS thanks to Sarah for the title
You are always welcome ;o) Is the grand tour over now then?
I’d happily contribute to the warts and all guide, but only on the provisio that we can include workshop facilities as well. I already have a few that would be on my blacklist – as well as some which are totally awesome :D
So maybe this list needs to be by-email-request only rather than online in order to avoid being sued for libel :)