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Instructions to interviewers

1. Each relevant Thursday, withdraw the number of covers corresponding to the number of interviews you have been asked to carry out next  week. Pick the covers according to respondent number and always select the lowest respondent numbers. Please note that the lowest numbers might be on covers left over from earlier omnibuses. Deviation from the rule of lowest numbers is not allowed.

2. Find the respondents’ telephone number and write it on the first page of the cover.

3. Write name and address of selected respondents on envelopes and mail letters of notification immediately. Please be careful and select the right letter, depending on whether respondent has telephone (letter A) or not (letter B). To start with, do not mail more letters than the number of interviews to be carried out. However, send a letter to an extra respondent for each person, who do not have a telephone.

4. As soon as the letter has reached the respondent, you can call and agree on a suitable time for interview. The interview might take place any time, day or evening, during one week starting Wednesday evening and ending Tuesday evening the following week. If the respondent wishes to be interviewed on a Sunday, this is allowed. Do not make appointments before Wednesday evening, since the questionnaires will not for sure reach you until then. The main rule is that at least half of your interviews should be mailed back to Sifo on Sunday evening at the latest and the rest Tuesday evening at the latest. In extraordinary circumstances you might interview on the Wednesday, which is an extra day.
Please note: When you call to make an appointment, do not ask if or when you can come. You should suggest a time and ask if it is suitable. Remember that the best way to get an interview is to assume that the respondent consents.

5. Mail letter B to respondents without telephone. If you have not heard from the respondent within four days, you should leave this respondent until next week and mail the report “no contact with respondent” to Sifo. In the next omnibus, if you still have not heard from the non-telephone respondent, you might make a personal call at his/her home on the day and time you write in a follow-up letter (letter C). You could also pay a visit if you are close to this address for another interview.

6. You should make a visit to the person who reluctantly refused an interview. This should be done during the following weeks, even without a new telephone call. Reasons for “absolute refusals” should be noted on the first page of the cover under the heading “Contact attempt”.

7. For each person selected, who could not be interviewed in this week´s omnibus, you should continue and pick another respondent among the covers you have and send letters of notification. Always choose the lowest respondent number from the covers you have. No deviation from the rule of lowest number is allowed.
Try always to do the number of interviews you have been asked to do.

8. Mail completed interviews in their right covers. Interviews made during Wednesday to Saturday should be mailed Sunday at the latest. Interviews made during Monday and Tuesday should be mailed Tuesday at the latest.

9. If you cannot get an interview with this respondent:
a) keep the cover until next omnibus
b) tear off the report from the back of this cover completed with reason for no interview this week. Always remember to write in number of respondent, number of stratum and zip-code from the label on page 1 of this cover.
c) if a cover has been in use for four consecutive weeks without an interview, you should return the whole cover with full information in report 4.

10. Please attach your bill for completed interviews and used-up covers

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