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This article addresses the process of shipping products to participants for the purposes of testing. It also covers best practices and frequently asked questions related to this process. |
This article applies to: UserTesting
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About physical product testing
When collecting feedback on physical products, you may want to send the product to your participants. Here are some scenarios in which sending products makes sense:
- ONLY send your product to a participant IF it is on the market.
- Do not depend upon whether that product is returned to you.
- You do not want your prototype to fall into the wrong hands or get shared on social media before your company is ready for this product to be on the market.
- You are welcome to send a return label or return-labeled package to enable your participant to mail it back, but we recommend that you plan for the possible event that your product will not be returned.
- You may have a specific product version you need all participants to use and provide feedback on.
- If you want feedback on the experience of unboxing the product, you may want to send the participants a new packaged version.
Note: We highly recommend coordinating with our Professional Services team for physical product testing.
Recommended processes
Note: Choose one of the below processes if you plan to recruit participants from the UserTesting Network. If you are recruiting your participants, you can communicate directly to obtain their shipping information.
Process 1
- Create and launch a test to pre-screen and gain consent from participants to use their mailing addresses.
- As the last screener, be sure to include the following consent question:
If you are qualified for this study, you will be asked to share your full name and shipping address so that the customer can send you a product to test. Are you willing to share this information with the UserTesting customer? UserTesting customers agree to UserTesting’s Privacy Policy, which requires that they do not use your contact information for any purpose other than performing this test and analyzing the results from it.- No, I do not consent to share my full name or shipping address [Reject]
- Yes, I consent to share my full name and shipping address [Accept]
- I don’t know [Reject]
Process 2
- Create and launch a test that includes the screener question above.
- Doing so provides context that participants are being considered for a test that requires shipping them a physical product and includes tasks that ask them for their full name and shipping address.
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You can also include other tasks that confirm whether the participant is a good fit for your test, inform them that you will reach out via the Message Center with tracking details, and instruct them on how to identify the corresponding test on their dashboard.
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Create this test as a Short test if you have that feature available on your account. (Remember: you may not use the participant's name and shipping address beyond this specific test.)
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Ship the product to the appropriate participants. Message them through the Message Center, letting them know when they can expect the package and how to identify the test on their dashboard (in the Other requirements field).
Process 3
- Create and schedule a test that will be used for the actual study.
- You will want to specify those specific participants and be sure to include a note in the Other requirements field that.
- For example, “You were pre-recruited for this test. Please do not start this test until you have received your shipment.”
Reminders:
- You, the customer—and not the participant—bear the sole responsibility for the shipping and tracking of the product.*
- UserTesting bears no liability for goods you ship that become lost or broken.
- Participants will not be charged shipping costs. Additionally, you should expect participants to keep the products shipped to them.
- The UserTesting Support team cannot confirm that participants received the products you shipped to them.
- If you need help with shipping, reminder emails, or any type of coordination with contributors, you’ll need to engage with UserTesting’s Professional Services team.
*We typically recommend that you pay for expedited or upgraded shipping so there is no large time gap between screening and the actual test (Less time to forget that the contributor agreed to participate). It also helps to set the expectations with the participants upfront about when they should expect the item and when they need to complete the test (we give them a date range to agree to during screening).
Best practices
- Plan for a one-month lead time for your first study to ensure ample time for the steps covered above.
- Consider the required environment, if any, of the physical product and any prerequisites the participant might need.
- Recruit and send the product to 25–50% more participants than you think you will need to ensure you get enough people to complete the session. (Some participants may not complete the session, even after receiving the product.)
- As outlined above, run one test to identify participants and collect their shipping information. Then, once you have shipped the product to them, run follow-up tests with those participants. See our training course on diary studies.
- Provide shipping or tracking information to the participants(s) via the Message Center. Sharing such information helps to manage expectations.
- Plan the other facets of the shipping process. You’ll want to decide on...
- The number of products that need to be shipped for a given test.
- The components of the shipping process are the carrier to be used, various shipping timeframes and related costs (e.g., Next Day, Two-Day, Ground), and the process for tracking the shipment.
- Any reshipping process needed should the product not arrive at the participant's location, or arrives damaged.
FAQ
Can I have a participant purchase the product?
No. Doing so violates the UserTesting policy of not having participants expose—aside from their shipping address—any personally identifiable information (e.g., credit card information). Additionally...
- When selected for a test, the participant expects to provide feedback on a product—not to be sold that product—and can get defensive if they feel they must pay to be compensated themselves.
- Participants may become anxious about having to spend their own money on a product they may not really want or haven’t adequately researched.
Such negative emotions can directly impact how a participant behaves during the test and the authenticity (and quality) of the feedback he or she provides.
Are there limitations on what products I can send, such as tobacco/alcohol/other adult products?
What you send must be ethical and follow the laws of the region you live in. We recommend checking your national, federal, regional, or state laws as your source for what can legally be mailed and what cannot legally be mailed, as these likely vary from region to region.
Who ships the products?
You—not UserTesting—will ship the product to the participant. Neither the participant nor UserTesting is responsible for shipping the product or for lost or damaged items.
Where can I ship?
You can ship to wherever your participants are located, whether in the United States or internationally.
Can I expect the product to be returned when the participant finishes the test?
No. Expect participants to keep the products—including participants who did not fully complete the study.
Can I continue communicating with the participant now that I have their contact information?
No. Their contact information is only for your use in the specific test where you need to ship products. Please do not add the participant to your marketing lists or lists of people you reach out to directly for follow-up studies.
Can UserTesting help me recruit participants, or run the project for me?
Yes. You can purchase a project from the UserTesting’s Professional Services team to manage recruitment and/or conduct your test.
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