Customer Interview Guide

Open-ended interview script for jobs-to-be-done research with do/don't list and synthesis sheet.

# Customer Interview Guide ## Goal of this interview [One sentence â what decision will the research synthesis support? If you can't answer this, don't run the interview yet.] ## Interview type - [ ] Discovery (problem exploration, JTBD) - [ ] Concept test (reaction to specific idea) - [ ] Usability (task observation) - [ ] Win/loss (closed-won or closed-lost retrospective) ## Pre-interview - [ ] Researched the participant (role, background, recent work) - [ ] Reviewed any prior contact with this customer - [ ] Sent calendar invite with agenda + recording consent - [ ] Prepared recording tool and notes doc - [ ] Drafted questions but ready to abandon the script ## Opening (3-5 min) - Thank participant for the time - Re-introduce yourself and the team you represent - Frame the conversation: "I'm not here to sell you anything. I'm trying to understand [topic] so we can [purpose]." - Ask permission to record - Set expectations on duration ## Warm-up question "Tell me about your role and what you spend the most time on." (Listen. Most participants need 2-3 minutes to settle into telling stories.) ## Core questions Frame each as an open question; avoid yes/no. The pattern: ask about the past (concrete behaviour) before asking about the future (aspirations are unreliable). 1. "Walk me through the last time you did [task / experienced situation]." 2. "What was hardest about that?" 3. "What did you try? What worked, what didn't?" 4. "If you could wave a wand and change one thing about [process], what would it be? Why that and not [alternative]?" 5. "Have you tried [category of solution]? How did that go?" 6. "Who else is involved when [situation] comes up?" ## Probing techniques - "Tell me more about that." - "What did you mean by [their word]?" - "What was going through your mind at that moment?" - "What did you do next?" - (Silence â count to 5 before filling the space. Often produces the best insight.) ## Wrap (5 min) - "Is there anything I should have asked you about that I didn't?" - "Who else would be useful for me to talk to about this?" - Thank-you + describe next steps ## Synthesis (within 24 hours) For each interview, capture: - Verbatim quotes (5-10) - Surprises (things that defied your hypothesis) - Confirmations (things that supported your hypothesis) - Themes (1-3 from this interview) Cross-interview synthesis kicks in once you have 5+ interviews. Use affinity clustering, not statistical aggregation â N is too small. ## Do / don't **Do:** ask about specific past behaviour; ask "what was hardest?"; embrace silence; thank participants tangibly. **Don't:** lead the witness; demo your product; ask "would you buy this?"; argue with a stated experience.

Price: Free
State: approved