5 Questions Every Product Team Should Ask in Customer Interviews
• 4 min read
Great customer interviews don’t happen by accident. The questions you ask determine the quality of insights you’ll uncover. Here are five questions that consistently deliver valuable results.
1. “Walk me through the last time you…”
Instead of asking hypothetical questions, ground the conversation in real experiences. This question surfaces actual behaviour rather than aspirational answers.
Example: “Walk me through the last time you tried to schedule a meeting with multiple stakeholders.”
2. “What did you try before finding us?”
Understanding the alternatives your customers considered reveals your true competitive landscape—which often differs from what you assume.
3. “What’s the hardest part about [task]?”
This open-ended question lets customers define their own pain points. Resist the urge to suggest answers; let them struggle to articulate it.
4. “If you had a magic wand, what would you change?”
Permission to dream big often reveals the core job-to-be-done that your product should address.
5. “Who else should I talk to about this?”
Every interview should end with this question. It expands your research network and often leads to unexpected insights.
Putting It Into Practice
The key to great interviews isn’t just asking the right questions—it’s creating space for honest answers. Start with these five, and adapt based on what you learn.
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