IDIs / Depth / Face-to-Face Interviews

MRFGR conducts individual research interviews to explore people's views and experiences in detail. An interviewer follows the topics agreed for the project and asks follow-up questions to understand the reasons behind each answer. We can help with recruitment, interview delivery and the analysis of the findings.

IDIs / Depth / Face-to-Face Interviews

We offer Depth or Face-to-Face Interviews to give you a real understanding of what people think and feel. Our one-on-one interviews dive deep into consumer opinions, helping you get clear insights into what drives their decisions and how they interact with products like yours.

Depth interviews in a nutshell

  1. Recruit the relevant people

    Define the participants and eligibility criteria needed for the research question.

  2. Explore in depth

    Use a discussion guide and individual conversation to investigate experiences, motivations and views.

  3. Bring the findings together

    Agree recording, analysis and reporting needs so the interviews inform your next decision.

Share the audience, research questions and preferred interview setting, and specify recruitment or moderation support needed.

Personal Engagement: Real Conversations, Genuine Insights

Our interviewers are trained to make participants feel at ease—like they're just having a chat with a friend. This relaxed atmosphere encourages open and honest communication, providing us with genuine insights from real people.

Flexible Formats: Tailored for Your Research

Every project is different, so we shape our interview approach to meet your specific needs. Whether you need straightforward answers to specific questions or more open-ended discussions that explore broader topics, we tailor our approach accordingly.

Observational Insights: Beyond Words

Meeting face-to-face lets us pick up on the little things that aren't said out loud—like hesitation, excitement, or uncertainty. These subtle cues often tell us more than the spoken word, helping us understand the full picture.

From Start to Finish: We've Got It Covered

We manage the whole process for you—from finding the right people to talk to, right through to analysing what they say and delivering insights you can actually use. We make sure everything runs smoothly, so you don’t have to worry about the details.

Some of the organisations we have worked with

These organisations and the feedback below relate to MRFGR projects across our services.

What clients say about MRFGR

Feedback from other MRFGR projects.

Over the past year, we have had the pleasure of working with MRFGR on multiple projects, and we cannot recommend them highly enough.

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Their communication throughout our engagements has been excellent, always prompt and clear, which has greatly facilitated our processes.

The team at MRFGR, although small, is exceptionally knowledgeable and dedicated. Their expertise is evident in their ability to obtain high sample sizes and deliver well-published results. What sets them apart is how easily their findings are translated into actionable insights, ensuring that we can swiftly and effectively utilise the data.

Their speed of delivery is truly impressive. We consistently receive results in good time, which is crucial for our fast-paced operations. MRFGR has proven to be an invaluable partner, and their service has consistently exceeded our expectations.

For anyone in need of reliable, efficient, and insightful research services, MRFGR comes highly recommended.

MarkHeathrow Express

MRFGR have been absolutely brilliant! The videos we have received from their respondents have been perfect - they clearly brief their people really well and you can tell from the content we receive. They give clear communication & are on hand to help at all times. We give them some crazy tight timelines and they turn things around for us so quickly and without stress - even when the respondents are coming from multiple countries.

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I highly recommend Matthew & Paul - they're fab!

OliviaConfidential Client

When I phoned Matthew at MRFGR I was in a bit of a pickle. I needed to recruit 25 consultant paediatricians for telephone interviews (with minimal incentive) across 8 countries, two of which were non-English speaking. Oh, and I needed to have recruited and completed the interviews in 12 working days. Surprisingly, Matthew wasn't taken aback by this and set about the task with enthusiasm. Even against these challenging timescales, Matthew was able to deliver all 25 consultants - a phenomenal effort.

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I was extremely happy. And, more importantly, so was my client.

SebastianNHS

MRFGR were not the cheapest firm who pitched for our work, but I am happy that I decided to go with them. I feel that their database is extensive and this combined with their excellent client service means that they offer a higher degree of reassurance and peace of mind than other recruitment agencies we have worked with in the past. When we had a problem to resolve at short notice they did this very quickly. I would happily work with them again.

RichardVodafone

Hi Stephen Both groups went very well - a key client attended the first and was very pleased. Very articulate groups, really impressed especially considering it was such a difficult recruit (recruiting Somalis). The hotel was great too, incidentally, a nice place to do groups. Many thanks for your hard work on this - hope you feel it was worthwhile!

LukeSky

MRFGR recruited four focus groups for our research across a variety of settings, including socio- economically deprived urban communities and very small rural communities. Despite the significant challenges these settings posed MRFGR ensured that all our focus groups were fully attended, and with a minimum of fuss. I would have no hesitation in recommending them for recruitment work.

MurrayNottingham University

It's always a pleasure to work with MRFGR. They are a great partner who consistently recruit high calibre respondents to take part in our research projects and workshops. Always professional and very reliable.

SusanneNescafe

Our organisation, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, has used MRFGR to support our recruitment requirements for focus groups and public events and we have always found their service and achievements to be excellent. They have demonstrated a commitment to meet last-minute requirements in a calm and professional manner and we would not hesitate to recommend them.

RichardSolicitors Regulation Authority

I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the work that you recently carried out for us. Stephen Essex and MRFGR were recommended to me by a colleague. It was important for us to find a company who could understand and deliver our brief on a very tight schedule. Stephen demonstrated a level of knowledge and professionalism that gave us the assurance that this would be achieved.

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The result was a report that clearly met the objectives of our brief, was presented in a professional manner, which then enabled us to present the findings to our customer with confidence. We would not hesitate to recommend or use Stephen again.

AmyFebreze

The groups in Chipping Norton went really well thank you. We had a full turn out to both of them. I would just like to say that we have been very impressed with the number of participants you have managed to recruit to these groups, your regular updates on the recruitment progress, and your follow up contact. We have also had very positive feedback from the participants about their contact with you. We will definitely consider MRFGR in future when wishing to recruit participants to similar groups.

RachaelCountrywide

We have used MRFGR to recruit participants for multiple research projects with varied samples sizes and sometimes challenging recruitment criteria. They have a calm and professional manner, providing us with regular updates in the lead up to and on the day of research projects. Multiple touch points with participants approaching the study date ensures drop-out rates are extremely low with replacements usually being found very quickly if necessary. I look forward to working with MRFGR in the future.

Theoe.on

MRFGR is the first external company we have used for sourcing focus group attendees. Although we have organised many groups previously I would definitely use MRFGR again. The costs were reasonable and the attendees we have received have been exactly the right target groups. The level of communication has been satisfactory too with regular updates leading up to each focus group. Matthew has managed all of the groups we have requested and there has been no issues. I would recommend trying MRFGR.

DougConfidential Client

IDIs / Depth / Face-to-Face Interviews FAQs

Selected answers for planning this kind of research. Browse the complete knowledge centre for related methods, audiences and delivery questions.

Browse all FAQs
What are IDIs in market research?

In-depth interviews (IDIs) are one-to-one conversations that explore participant opinions and behaviours in detail.

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Why use IDIs instead of focus groups?

They allow deeper exploration of sensitive topics and avoid group influence, producing richer insights.

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Are IDIs conducted in person or online?

We conduct both, using face-to-face meetings, video calls, or telephone interviews.

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Do you conduct international IDIs?

Yes. We conduct depth interviews worldwide in local languages.

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How long do IDIs last?

Interviews typically last between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

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How are IDIs analysed?

We transcribe and code responses, identifying themes, insights, and verbatim quotations.

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How do you determine the recruitment cost of a market research respondent?

The recruitment cost of a respondent type is generally dependent on three variables, (1) the time frame to recruit, (2) the level of difficulty in terms of the screening requirement/respondent type required, and (3) the number of respondents required (large scale respondent recruits can qualify for discounts depending on certain factors).

For a quick no obligation respondent recruitment quote (we can usually turnaround a quote within minutes of the request) please call or email the office.

Open FAQ
What are in-depth interviews (IDIs) in market research?

IDIs are one-to-one interviews that explore participant attitudes, motivations, and experiences in detail.

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Discuss idis / depth / face-to-face interviews

Share the audience, research questions and preferred interview setting, and specify recruitment or moderation support needed.

Discuss your project