A customer interview script that gets past polite answers.
People are kind in interviews and bad at predicting what they'll do. This script asks about what customers actually did last time, which is the part you can build on.
Ask someone whether they would use a feature and most will say yes, because it costs nothing to be encouraging. Ask them to walk you through the last time they had the problem and you hear what they actually did, what it cost them and what they tried. That is evidence.
So this script spends most of its time on one real, recent example. The opening and closing are short, and there is no pitch. If you want to show your idea, do it in a separate session once you've heard their story.
How to use it
- 01Write the goal first
Fill in 'Before the call' so you know which decision this interview should inform. If you can't name one, you're not ready to book calls.
- 02Swap in your problem area
Replace the words in square brackets with your problem area, in the customer's language rather than yours.
- 03Follow the story, not the script
The questions are a guide. When they say something interesting, ask "what happened next?" or "why?" and let the script wait.
- 04Write it up within the hour
Fill in 'After the call' straight away, while the exact words are fresh. The strongest quote is the thing you'll want in three weeks.
Customer interview script (30 minutes)
Before the call
- The decision this interview should inform
- Who you're talking to, and why them
- Three things you believe that this interview could prove wrong
Opening (2 minutes)
- "Thanks for making the time. We're trying to understand how teams like yours handle [problem area]. There are no right answers, and you won't hurt my feelings."
- "Is it OK if I record this, so I can listen rather than take notes?"
Context (5 minutes)
- "Tell me about your role, and what a normal week looks like."
- "Where does [problem area] fit into that?"
The last time it happened (15 minutes)
- "Walk me through the last time you [ran into the problem]."
Ask for a real, recent example, not a typical one. Typical answers are tidied up; real ones have the detail. - "What happened just before that?"
- "What did you do about it?"
- "What was the hardest part?"
- "Who else was involved?"
- "What did it cost you, in time, money or anything else?"
Stay quiet after they answer. The next sentence is often the useful one.
What they've tried (6 minutes)
- "What have you tried to solve this?"
- "What did you like about it, and what didn't you like?"
- "Have you paid for anything to fix this? What made it worth it, or not?"
- "If that went away tomorrow, what would you do?"
Closing (2 minutes)
- "Is there anything I should have asked, but didn't?"
- "Who else should I talk to about this?"
- "Can I follow up if I have another question?"
After the call (straight away)
- The strongest quote, word for word
- What surprised you
- Which of your three beliefs it moved, and which way
- Follow-up questions
Tips and common mistakes
Avoid "would you use...?"
Hypothetical questions get hypothetical answers. Ask what they did last time instead, and judge interest by what they've already tried and paid for.
Don't ask what they'd pay
Nobody knows what they'd pay for something they haven't seen. Ask what they pay today for the workaround, in money or time.
Don't pitch
The moment you describe your idea, the interview turns into feedback on your idea. Hear their story first, and show the idea in a separate session if you need to.
Talk less than a third of the time
If you're explaining, you're not learning. Short questions, long pauses.
Or let Corha tell you what to ask
Corha reads the conversations you already have, marks what you still don't know about your customers, and drafts the interview guide for each gap. It can transcribe the call live in your browser, and what customers say comes back as evidence against the claims it was meant to test.
Questions about the customer interview script
- How long should a customer interview be?
- Thirty minutes is enough for one real story and what they tried. Longer calls tend to drift into opinions. If you need more, book a second session.
- How many customer interviews do I need?
- There is no fixed number. A common rule of thumb is five to eight per group of customers, then keep going until you stop hearing anything new. Patterns usually show up sooner than people expect.
- What questions should you avoid in a customer interview?
- Hypothetical questions ("would you use...?"), leading questions ("wouldn't it be easier if...?"), questions about price for something they haven't seen, and anything that asks them to design the product for you.
- Should I record customer interviews?
- Yes, with permission. It lets you listen instead of writing, and you keep the exact words. Ask at the start and offer to stop recording if they'd rather.
A persona built on evidence: the job, the trigger, the objections and a quote behind every line
Six questions, about two minutes, built to tell you what to fix
Job statement, job stories and the four forces, on one page
A one-page research plan that starts from the decision, not the method
Skip the blank page.
Start with your website and Corha drafts a first picture of your customers in about a minute. Connect your calls and tickets when you want it backed by real quotes.
Try it with your own website, no account. We read the public page and keep nothing.