What about testers?

[bombus]

How do you get testers to cooperate?

I have given up on friends as testers. I see them too often, and want to
know their oppinion- when they haven't even used up their current bar
of dial to even try my soap-

So I have recruited groups of employees from a couple of local assisted-
living facilities. Every two weeks I deliver a bag for each participant
containing a sample, an information/instruction sheet, and a questionnaire
about the previous sample. The questionnaires are stamped and addressed.
All they have to do is fill it out & drop it in the mail.

I'm not having much luck in getting those back. I give them two weeks to
return them before I take the next sample. I have written notes on the
info sheets to the people that are a problem, saying that If I do not receive
a survey from them, I will assume that they are not interested in the testing
program- then when I see them in person, they say they want to continue.

I have decided to withhold subsequent samples from the non-compliers.
Maybe not getting the goodie will stimulate them to send in their forms.

Do any of you have testers that really do cooperate?

 

[JenniferSews]

The only way I've gotten testers to cooperate is to make them pay. Then I'd offer a refund of a percentage of the price once I got the survey back. This was common in the industry I sold in, so the testers were used to this. Whenever I've given something away, I got nothing back unless I hassled the person to death.

 

[GoddessMama]

Now I don't sell soap, but I do sell other items. When I had testers I gave them incentives to return the item. Such as free product or coupons etc. I also used Survey Monkey www.surveymonkey.com so it was easy for them to fill it out realy quick instead of trying to remember to fill out a paper and bring it back. ;0) HTH

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Buggers aren't they. :wink: Why don't people understand that you need feedback? I've just recruited my cousin who emailed me asking to buy goat milk soap so she is stoked to be getting it for free in return for feedback and later for distribution amongst her friends.

 

[bombus]

Now I don't sell soap, but I do sell other items.
When I had testers I gave them incentives to return the item.
Such as free product or coupons etc. I also used Survey Monkey
www.surveymonkey.com so it was easy for them to fill it out really
quick instead of trying to remember to fill out a paper and bring it back. ;0) HTH

Thanks so much for the link. I have already designed my next questionnaire there.
I hope this makes it easier to get feedback!

 

[artisan soaps]

..

 

[Bigmoose]

Finding good testers is like pulling teeth. The only ones I have had any luck with were family. And with them I have found that calling them to ask them about the tested product is the best way to get a response. A quick call takes less time than filling out a survey. I recently tested a heavy duty hand soap and gave away several bars to garages and quick oil change places near my home. I told them that I would be back in 2 to 3 weeks to ask them about the soap. Out of 16 bars given out I got 3 good pieces of feedback. From now on when I want to test a product I am going to try members of this forum and I will pay to ship the product to them. I think members who want to test from this forum would be reliable. YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!!!!!!

Bruce

 

[Deda]

I don't use outside (my family) testers anymore. I make soap that I like.

I do keep track of my own sales trends, requests and customer comments, but I think we all do that.

Now, I do test shipping and storage conditions. But that's not subjective and requires no opinion.

 

[bombus]

Yes- Bigmoose put me on your testers list!

People sure like to get free stuff- but I find that if a tester is someone I see
often, I am too anxious to hear a report, and I hate asking when information
is not forthcoming. I don't want to be a pest, but I need to know now! :?

Better when I can separate myself from the process. I have been doing
unscented, but the bars have to be different colors for identification
and discussion purposes. Several of my "annonymous" testers have commented
that a scent would be nice. I don't want to bias results, though.

I like the idea of blind testing for consistency of feedback.

 

[nickjuly]

Honestly the swaps here I think would be better than family or friends. Haven't done one yet but hopefully can the next one. Think other soapers would be better people to get the detail feedback we want and are hoping to hear.

 

[manydogs]

I've been using family and friends as testers and I'm becoming suspicious of their responses. Friends seem to give too many glowing reviews, asking to test more, and family members seem to be uninterested. (One even told me she had enough products and to give them to someone else!) There is a Crafts Fair coming up at my husband's company and I've been thinking of setting up a 'testing table' ... offering bags containing three or four soaps, a questionnaire (with a return postage paid envelope), and a small 'gift' for participating. I'd like to charge a token amount ($2) just so these people would feel like they really are participants and that it's not just a 'give-away'.

Does that sound like something that would be feasible? Has anyone done something similar? Of course, the idea I like best is to ask other "Soapers" to test. That way, you get a truly unbiased review.

Jan

 

[ohsoap]

I think a testing booth is a good idea, but I would charge the cost of the soap, so that you are not throwing money away.
I have a hard time getting feedback as well, especially from family. All I get is I love your soap. When I ask what they liked and explained the types of imput I was looking for I usually get an I don't remember, or I'll let you know the next time I use it. It's sooo frustrating. I will sometimes give two different recipes that I KNOW feel different in the bath and ask which one they like most, still that doesn't make a difference.
I guess I should start signing up for some of the canadian swaps.

 

[manydogs]

Thanks for the tip ohsoap, I really didn't think about charging for the cost of the product. Hopefully, charging will make a difference in getting responses.

 

[Absinthe]

This is not necessarily unique to the soap industry. In other areas people have done peer review contests. For example if it was converted to soap it might look something like this:

Each participant prepares 10 similar samples. They are submitted to a central moderator. Now with 100 samples they are blind marked (with a number so there is no identification to the applicant) Each applicant gets a package of 9 samples and a survey sheet to rate each item on whatever particular qualities are being surveyed for. (One may be doing a round that is themed as well). In addition a score value of subjective preferences is collected as well. In the end, someone wins based on that. However, each participant gets 9 completed surveys.

Sort of. The surveys are all returned to the moderator. Anyone not returning their survey does not get surveys back, and can be disqualified from the subsequent instances of the contest.

Perhaps something like this is done here already. If so, forget I mentioned it. If not, know that your peers will more likely give you better feedback, and even recognize some of why something is objectionable rather than simply "It smelled nice" or "I didn't like it." In general, family, friends and coworkers will have a tendency to simply give polite answers with as much sincerity as they do to the greeting of "Hi, how are you" or "Do you like my new haircut."

I have an associate who is a classically trained french pastry chef (no longer working in that field). He will try out recipes and when he hands stuff out, the response he gets back is constructively worthless. We have discussed many culinary topics (I have worked in that field in a past life... well in my youth not in the woo-woo sort of way) and I have taken the time to discuss texture and mouth-feel and subtle nuances of flavor. These are the type of feedback he has needed, but very few actually can or do give it, they simply appreciate the free yummy.

I think you will find similar situation with soaps. Many people will like or dislike a color or fragrance, or curse that they can't work up a lather or that it falls apart too soon, but can't really put their finger on why they like or dislike it.

 

[ohsoap]

very good point. I've made up a 5 question servey, simple and quick to do, and emailed it to my friends I've recently given my new recipes to. I'll see how that goes.

 

[manydogs]

Absinthe , you've made some really good points to think about. And you're absolutely right in that soap makers (like pastry chefs) need to have pointed, constructive feedback - not just off the cuff comments. Now I'm rethinking my survey questions ....

 

[Absinthe]

In general, with soap and otherwise I do much better with an interview approach. It is my nature to not depend on people doing things that do not directly benefit themselves. I will ask the questions myself directly. Those surveys, and all the users good intentions never seem to make it anywhere.

Here's a bar of soap, I made it with love and a special ingredient. I will call you next Thursday and ask you about it. If you can identify the special ingredient I will take you out to lunch.

Take them out and give them a new bar to try if you believe they used it. If not, let them know you have more for sale if they are interested, and move on to recruit your next tester. You will probably go through about 100 people to end up with 5 really consistent quality testers.

 

[Absinthe]

AND if you perfect a recipe because of a tremendous amount of feedback from a particular tester, and especially if they like it... Name it after them, or let them name it.

 

[manydogs]

VERY good idea!!

 

[honor435]

good info.
I use my daughters and one of my daughters hubbys( he makes comments like" oh that 10 grit soap", had strawberry seeds in it!, or the one that smells like pledge.) i wont be using him anymore! My daughters and Dad tell me the truth if they like it or not, but I test everyone of my soaps, Im on my 100th batch(today!!!), so i think i have it down ,what ingredients i like.