How much do you charge for your services?

Telephone survey billings are based on three factors: 1) the number of interviews completed, 2) the average length of an interview, and 3) the incidence rate of the population being polled. For example, a typical 15-minute interview of voters may cost $28 to $29 to complete. Three hundred $28 interviews would be billed to the client at $8,400.00. Surveys of less common or low-incidence populations (for example: frequent flyers, specific radio station listeners, potential automobile buyers, parents of school-age children, etc) will cost more because extra calls must be made to locate qualified respondents. The costs of telephone samples or travel to poll presentations, if required, are billed separately. HRC can prepare a customized price for your project at no obligation.

Mail surveys or intercept interviews are unique and require a custom quotation. Call us for an estimate that gathers the information you need to collect.

Focus groups typically run $4,900 to $5,000 per group.

Prices for opposition research and competitive intelligence studies are based on hourly charges plus the costs charged by providers for access to certain databases. Contact us for an estimate on your project.

How many people should I survey?

There is no single answer to this question. One must take into account your goals and objectives, as well as your budget and needs for accuracy, to answer this question. HRC recommends samples of no less than 500 to 600 for statewide surveys that will be released publicly. Media are not interested in smaller samples. For congressional district polls and some market research surveys, samples of 300 to 400 can be adequate. Nationwide samples tend to be 800 or larger.

The margin of error for some common sample sizes is shown in the table below.

Sampling error for common sample sizes,
Based on simple random samples with 95% confidence intervals, assuming a worst case (50%-50%) split in opinions.

Sample Size   Margin or error (±%) 100   ±10% 200   7 300   6 400   5 500   4.5 700   4 1000   3

Do you extend credit terms to clients?

The professional fees of Hill Research Consultants are billed on a project basis. Prior to the execution of any project, clients are given a written estimate of the fees that will be charged. Project billings require 60% advance payment. The balance of 40% is due and payable at the time that a final presentation of results is made.

How long does it take to complete a poll or telephone survey?

HRC has had clients call in the morning, commission a poll we conduct that same evening, and produce results the next morning. But that is the exception. Most good projects require two weeks to complete. Typically, questionnaire design takes 3 or 4 days and the interviewing portion of a project requires 2 to 4 days. Topline results are always available to HRC clients within 24 hours after interviewing is completed. Full analysis comes in 5 business days.

Isn't Hill Research just a "political firm?" Do you really do market research?

About one-half of HRC's billings are for political campaigns. The rest are for non-political projects, including pure marketing research studies.

Who have been some of the best-known clients of HRC?

Some of HRC's best-known corporate clients have included AT&T, MCI, American Medical Association, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Continental Airlines, Denver Broncos, Miami Heat, Rand Corporation, Monsanto, Lufthansa German Airlines, Ogilvy & Mather, Snap-On Tools, Pennzoil, Safeway, Bain Group, US West, Waste Management, and Comcast Cable.

Prominent public affairs clients have included the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Nature Conservancy, American Hospital Association, The State Of Florida, and the Committee for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Dr. Hill has during his career conducted political polls for Dan Quayle, Jack Kemp, Pat Robertson, Phil Gramm, John Engler, Tom DeLay, Jeb Bush, Elizabeth Dole, and Katherine Harris, among others.

Is Hill Research a national firm? Will your interviewers have Texas accents?

Hill Research is a national firm based in Texas. Only a small percentage of our revenues come from Texas clients, although we are proud of our growing number of Texas clients, including Continental Airlines, Belo Broadcasting and U. S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn.

Most of HRC's interviewing is conducted by neutrally accented interviewers calling from telephone centers in Utah, New Jersey, Tennessee and Nebraska. We conduct no interviews from Texas.

How is Hill Research Consultants organized as a business?

HRC is a sole proprietorship owned by David B. Hill d.b.a. Hill Research Consultants.

How large is HRC? What are your revenues?

HRC's annual billings exceed $1 million.

In politics, you seem to work only with Republicans. Why?

Political consulting firms derive significant revenues from political parties. Therefore, the parties expect and deserve partisan fidelity. We have proudly cast our lot with the Republicans.

Where is The Woodlands, Texas?

The Woodlands is a fast-growing, master-planned community of 80,000 residents located approximately 15 miles north of Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Do you have any standards or codes of ethics?

Hill Research Consultants abides by the broad principles outlined in the codes of standards of several professional associations, including the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO). Specifically, HRC is committed to these standards of professional practice and responsibility:

 

1. We will respect survey respondents by:
   • Protecting the identity of respondents, insuring that individuals and their responses cannot be related except for legitimate and reasonable client verification needs.
   • Protecting the respondent from interviews that include incorrect or misleading information; involve sensitive subject matters that might create discomfort or apprehension; are excessive in length; or are initiated at an inconvenient time.

      

2. We will respect clients by:
   • Honestly stating the practical limits of research in answering client information needs.
   • Fully meeting all study specifications and allowing the client to verify all relevant material to confirm compliance with agreed upon operations and procedures.
   • Holding strictly confidential all information obtained about the client's business affairs and research program.

      

HILL RESEARCH CONSULTANTS