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COVID-19: Phase 5 Safety and Business Continuity Plans

Dear Phase 5 Clients and Partners,

Like many of our clients, team members, partners and suppliers, Phase 5 is concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and its impacts. We wanted to take this time to inform you of some of our plans to continue service while doing our part to protect health.

  1. Working from home. Our staff are set up to work from home while following our standard data security and privacy protocols. We have implemented a mandatory work-from-home policy starting March 16 and will re-evaluate the situation weekly.
  2. Minimizing travel. Phase 5 is following Government travel directives, and evaluating all travel on a case-by-case basis.
  3. Encouraging remote research. In addition to tried-and-true telephone interviewing and conferences, we have technological solutions that will allow us to continue to move qualitative projects forward. As a reminder, these approaches include:
    1. Real-time in-depth qualitative and usability research: Our Remote Research Protocol allows us to interview research participants from the comfort of their homes or workplace. It includes video interviewing, screen sharing, recording, and observation by clients.
    2. Real-time online focus groups:  Our Remote Group Protocol allows us to conduct research with up to eight participants per group, and as many as 20 client observers. The protocol allows group collaboration, playback of key research findings by the moderator and other in-the-moment techniques we use in in-person groups.
    3. Online community research: Our Online Community platform allows for group and one-on-one investigations spread out over hours, days or even weeks. We have used this platform for ethnographic studies, journey mapping, ideation, message testing and large-scale pilot studies of digital apps and other solutions.
    4. AI based moderation: We have used interactive, AI-enabled chat-bots to quickly and cost-effectively gather qualitative feedback on a range of topics, from customer experience to name and message testing.  
  4. Utilizing Web-based client meetings. We understand that many of you have chosen to work from home. To that end, unless circumstances truly require in-person meetings or presentations, we will be using Web-based meetings.

There’s no denying that these are times of uncertainty, but we are confident that we will get through them together.

If you have any questions or suggestions, or would like to learn more about research options, please do not hesitate to get in touch with any of us at Phase 5.

Sincerely,

The Phase 5 Team.

Written by Stephan Sigaud

Stephan Sigaud, MBA, is Phase 5’s Chief Marketing Officer. Stephan is passionate about partnering with clients to address their challenges and opportunities around customer centricity. He has more than 25 years’ experience in Market Research and Customer Loyalty and Experience. A past Board Director of the Insights Association, he has also been volunteering with the Customer Experience Professionals Association (as past Chair of the CXPA Toronto Network) and the Canadian Marketing Association (as member of the Leaders Network and past co-Chair of the CMA CX Council).