# Academic Surveys about Grills



## ajb7041 (Feb 18, 2013)

Hello fellow grill enthusiasts!

As I mentioned in my introduction, I'm a graduate student at NC State who is conducting research with grills!  In particular,   I am studying product design in the context of mass customization, which is a business strategy that aims to create products to meet the needs of individual consumers.  I am exploring (1) how to develop customization options, or options that allow customers to modify a product's design to better satisfy their individual needs, and (2) how product flexibility affects a company's ability to offer customization options.  

To conduct this investigation, my adviser and I have created several, sequential surveys about *grills*.  These surveys will be used to gather consumer price and preference information, and the research conducted on the gathered data could help American companies produce grills that better meet the grilling needs of American consumers than foreign manufacturers.

I'm hoping that some fellow grill enthusiasts will take my surveys.  The link to the first survey is here:  NC State SDO Lab Grill Price Questionnaire  This survey asks price-related questions for 7 different grills in order to explore the price sensitivity and market awareness of potential grill customers.  It should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete.  At the end of the survey, respondents can provide their e-mail address if they would like to participate in a follow-up survey.  This next survey will be used to obtain consumer preference information for grills.

Thanks for helping me with my grill-related research!


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## Janet H (Feb 18, 2013)

Interesting survey (I admit to being partial to the kettle).. Do we get to eat now?


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## Griff (Feb 18, 2013)

Indeed, an interesting survey.  Main problem was that it assumed you have only ONE grill.


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## bbquzz (Feb 18, 2013)

I guess I didn't find it interesting enough to want to finish it.


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## Bob In Fla. (Feb 18, 2013)

Where's my money for completing your survey?  It took up some of my valuable time.



Griff said:


> Indeed, an interesting survey. Main problem was that it assumed you have only ONE grill.


 

Yes! What's up with that? It didn't like most of my answers either.



bbquzz said:


> I guess I didn't find it interesting enough to want to finish it.


 
If I hadn't read your response, I probably wouldn't have _toughed-it-out _either. 

BOB


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## ajb7041 (Feb 20, 2013)

Thanks to all of you who took the survey!  This will really help me with my thesis research.  I know this survey can be a little tedious, but it will help refine the next survey, where all you do is pick on product from a list of products.

Bob In Fla. what do you mean that it didn't like most of your answers?


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## Bob In Fla. (Feb 20, 2013)

I'm thinkin you should spend a little time reading the posts in this forum BEFORE you come up with another survey.  You know?  Get to know your audience?  
Most of us don't use gassers and it seems to me that most of your questions were about gassers.

I mean it kicked me back _with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back explaining what each one was._

And WHEN was the last time anyone in this forum lived in a dorm?

BOB


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## ajb7041 (Feb 20, 2013)

The survey was created for potential grill buyers that could be interested in charcoal and gas grills alike.  I tried to make the survey even with 3 gas grills, 3 charcoal grills, and 1 gas-charcoal mix.

And this survey was sent out to college students as well; hence the dorm option.

I'm sorry about the trouble you had with the survey.  When did it kick you back and give your circles/arrows?


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## Bob In Fla. (Feb 20, 2013)

You still need to get to know your audience.

I don't remember exactly and "it" won't let me back in to re-read the questions.

It might have been when "it" was talking about only one and I was trying to give an honest answer with regards to MY situation.

BOB
copy the part I have in italics about the circles and arrows and load it into Google.  It's caled humor!


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## ajb7041 (Feb 20, 2013)

Okay, thanks for letting me about your situation, and I thought it was actually giving you some weird error.  I didn't get the humor, ha!


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## Bob In Fla. (Feb 20, 2013)

It WAS giving me an error...It wouldn't accept my answers and made me go back and change them.  It would NOT accept honest and truthful answers.  It made me generalize and water-down my actual answers.  It does NOT accurately represent my answers/feelings, so it is a flawed survey and of no actual use.

BOB


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## ajb7041 (Feb 20, 2013)

I'm sorry that the survey was not working for you.  As long as you entered in numbers for the price questions, it should have accepted your answers.  The background questions should have accepted any response (excluding the zip code which requires a US postal code format).  I haven't had any issues arise from other respondents taking the survey.


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## Nick Prochilo (Feb 20, 2013)

Can't add "$" or .00. It wouldn't take the answer with either of those


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## ajb7041 (Feb 20, 2013)

Thanks Nick for letting me know.  It won't take $ because that is not a number.  I've made the questions clearer that I'm looking for $.

However, it should take up to 2 decimal places, as along as there is a number out in front, such as "199.00"  I've got responses that are like this from other respondents.


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## Max1 (Feb 22, 2013)

Yes I agree with Bob, you need to know your audience. Most of the people on this forum use more than one type of grill, smoker, BBQ. Myself in mind I have 4 smokers, 3 kettle grills, and 2 gasers. Maybe you could change this up so you can select all that you have instead of just being able to select one. Another thing is that grills are not just grills. All of my outdoor cooking equipment get used all year round. So just constructive criticism....


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## ajb7041 (Feb 22, 2013)

Max, thanks for the constructive criticism!


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## ajb7041 (Feb 22, 2013)

*Desirable Grill Features*

For additional help in building my second survey, what features/aspects of charcoal and/or gas grills do you look for when making a purchase?


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## Max1 (Feb 22, 2013)

Will it have good air flow, how much charcoal will it use, can the heat be adjusted so I can hit really low temps, as well as high temps for searing. How big is it, can I store it easily? Basically common sense things.


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## ajb7041 (Feb 25, 2013)

*Survey Reminder*

First, I wanted to thank those of you that took my survey.  I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to do so.  Second, I wanted to encourage everyone else to please take the survey by the end of this week, as I plan to stop collecting responses on Saturday, March 2.  The link to the survey is:  XPost: NC State SDO Lab Grill Price Questionnaire  Thanks again for your help, and thanks Max for your last response!


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## ajb7041 (Mar 8, 2013)

*Discrete-Choice Survey*

Hello BBQ and grill enthusiasts!

First, I would like to thank you for taking my first, price-based survey about grills.  This survey helped me create and refine a second survey, which will be used to gather consumer preference information.  The link to this survey is here:  NC State SDO Lab Discrete-Choice Conjoint Survey

It will ask you to complete a few demographic questions and 14 choice-based questions.  Each choice-based question will present 3 different grill profiles and a "walk-away" option, and you are asked to select one of these four options.  The entire survey should take no longer than 14 minutes to complete.

At the end of the survey, you will be asked to provide your e-mail address if you would like to participate in a final follow-up survey.  This next survey will be used to obtain consumer preference information about grill customization options.  I would be very thankful if you would take this survey, which will be posted in late March or early April. 

Lastly, if you could encourage other people you know to participate in this survey and the follow-up survey, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you for your support!


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## ajb7041 (Apr 23, 2013)

Hello BBQ and grill enthusiasts,

First, I would like to thank you for taking my first two surveys about grills.  The data from these surveys will help me complete my graduate degree.  

Recently, I have created the last, and most important, survey for my thesis project, and I am again asking you to please participate.  This survey, located at NC State SDO Lab Discrete-Choice Conjoint Survey, is about customizing a specific grill, and it is the same format as the last survey.  First, it will ask you to select one grill from a set of grills.  Next, the survey will ask optional, demographic questions.  Finally, it will present questions with 3 customization options each and ask you to select one.  In all, the survey should take no longer than 12 minutes to complete.

If you would please take this survey and encourage others you know to take it, I would greatly appreciate it.  I plan to collect responses for approximately the next 2 weeks before closing the survey.

Thanks again for your help!

P.S. - Just a heads up, this survey is about LP grills, as the majority of the majority of the respondents were LP users.  If you despise gas grills or simply don't use them, you can still participate in the survey; it will just be a lot quicker for you to take.


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