Customer research
Write a customer interview guide around one question
Choose one thing you need to understand before drafting interview questions. If customers abandon a booking form, ask about the last time they tried to book. Their account of what happened gives you something concrete to examine.
A text to start with
I want to understand [specific customer task or problem]. The decision this research should inform is [decision]. Draft a short interview guide for people who have recently done the task. Start with their most recent experience, ask how they handled difficult steps and suggest neutral follow-ups. Keep questions about my proposed solution separate. Do not invent customer answers.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Customer interview discussion guide
Research question: [ ] Decision this could inform: [ ] Relevant recent experience: [ ] Opening question: [ ] Specific event to ask about: [ ] Follow-up about what happened next: [ ] Question about the difficult step: [ ] Question about the workaround: [ ] Closing question: [ ] Permission and recording arrangements: [ ] Topics to follow if the participant raises them: [ ]
Remove questions that suggest an answer
Read each question as if you were a customer who disagreed with the business. Could you answer honestly without contradicting the interviewer? A question such as "How frustrating was the form?" assumes frustration. Ask what happened at that point instead. GOV.UK's interview guidance recommends open questions and specific examples. Check that your guide also leaves time for details the participant brings up. A long script can cause you to miss a useful explanation because you are busy reaching the next question.
Ask another agent to check the result
Check this guide for leading wording, hypothetical answers and questions that ask two things at once. For every problem, explain how it could distort the answer and suggest a neutral replacement. Identify the questions that would actually help the stated decision. Keep room for an unexpected explanation.
Try the guide before the interview
Read the questions aloud with a colleague and remove wording that needs explanation. Confirm permission for the interview and any recording, including how the material will be used. During the conversation, note which statements are the participant's words and which are your interpretation. Keep identifiable customer details out of an AI review unless you have authority to use them there.