Customer Interview Questions
A collection of essential customer interview questions to get deep insights from your UX research & product discovery interviews
Fraser Deans
Founder, Insight Pipeline
Last updated1st March 2025
Delving into the world of digital product development, customer discovery stands as a cornerstone for successful innovation. It's the secret sauce for tech giants and startups alike, fueling their UX research and product discovery efforts.
The magic, however, lies in posing the right question.
For the UX researcher, product manager, product marketer, or designer in search of that spark, I've curated a compilation of excellent customer interview questions. Each query is a stepping stone to insightful conversations with your users.
These product discovery questions focus on unravelling honest customer stories. Emphasising past customer behaviour and desired future progress.
With each question, I outline the expected outcome, the criteria of an excellent answer, and a snapshot example.
Warm up
Start with these questions to build rapport and understand context
Tell me a little about yourself
Help the partipant relax, build rapport and establish context about the participant's background.
Good answer criteria
Includes relevant personal and professional details. Even better if the participant smiles or laughs.
Example answer
I'm a project manager in tech with a keen interest in productivity tools. I love spending time in nature and walking with my dogs.
What were you using before <product/service>?
Identify previous solutions and their context.
Good answer criteria
Names the product/service and usage scenario.
Example answer
I was using a dog walking service called WalkMyDog. And before that I was part of a local dog walking community on WhatsApp.
Why did you start looking for something new?
Understand triggers for change.
Good answer criteria
Explains dissatisfaction or new needs.
Example answer
Sometimes I needed a dog walker at short notice. Like one time I had an emergency and couldn't take the dog. No one in the community was able to help.
What worked well?
Identify strengths of previous solutions.
Good answer criteria
Highlights positive aspects or features.
Example answer
I met so many local dog owners and made friends with a few too. I feel more connected to the town.
What was the biggest issue with the old solution?
Pinpoint critical weaknesses leading to the switch.
Good answer criteria
Details major problems or limitations.
Example answer
Its lack of collaboration features made it inadequate for team projects.
First thought
Understand when and how the problem first became apparent
When did you realise you first needed to solve <problem>?
Learn when the problem became big enough to care about.
Good answer criteria
Specifies a clear event where the problem became obvious.
Example answer
I was really stressed at a meeting with my boss. They'd asked why I hadn't met my sales target. I froze.
What triggered you to think about this?
Understand what events created the problem or created awareness of a pre-existing problem.
Good answer criteria
Share a clear event where the problem became obvious.
Example answer
People at my sister's birthday party were talking about marathons they had run and I felt really unfit.
Were you with someone? What did they say?
Understand the social influences on the decision.
Good answer criteria
Includes details about others' reactions or comments.
Example answer
I was with my friend on our weekly walk and talk. They encouraged me to buy it. They said it would help me exercise more often.
What else do you remember from that day?
Capture additional details and context from the event day.
Good answer criteria
Specific, includes feelings, activities, and unexpected occurrences.
Example answer
I recall feeling stressed due to back-to-back meetings and the system crash during a crucial task.
What were you doing, or trying to do, when this happened?
Learn the customer's original intention.
Good answer criteria
Provides specific activities and objectives at the time.
Example answer
I was trying to get the latest sales figures but the data was in hundreds of systems.
Looking
Learn about their search process and evaluation criteria
Tell me about how you looked for a product to solve your problem. Walk me through each step of your search.
Understand the user's search process and criteria.
Good answer criteria
Describes search methods, criteria for choices, and decision points.
Example answer
I started on Google, then came across a directory with a ton of solutions. There were some product reviews on YouTube too. Then I started receiving ads.
What kind of solutions did you try? Or not try?
Identify attempted and considered solutions.
Good answer criteria
Lists tried solutions, reasons for trying or rejecting them.
Example answer
I tried a free trial of a budgeting app but found it too complex. Then the free trial expired and I never thought about it again.
Did you compare the purchase you were about to make to any other products?
Understand the full competitor set.
Good answer criteria
Gives details on what other products were considered.
Example answer
Yes, I compared three different smartwatches for battery life and app compatibility.
Deciding
Understand their decision-making process
What about <product/service> stood out to you most?
Identify key features or aspects that attracted the user.
Good answer criteria
Specifies unique attributes or benefits.
Example answer
It looked like a piece of art. I could put it anywhere in my home and it would be great. It's a hoover!
Why did you choose <product/service> vs. the alternatives?
Understand decision-making factors.
Good answer criteria
Explains reasons based on comparisons.
Example answer
They just had a better selection of films for children. My kids love watching anything to do with animals and they had a ton.
When you discovered <product/service>, what first made you interested in trying it?
Learn about initial attraction points.
Good answer criteria
Mentions first impressions or features that sparked interest.
Example answer
The positive reviews and the free trial offer made me interested in trying it out. I thought why not!
Buying
Learn about the purchase experience and decision
Tell me about the moment you bought <product/service>
Understand the purchasing experience.
Good answer criteria
Describes emotions, context, and decision triggers.
Example answer
I felt excited but hesitant; it seemed expensive. I wasn't making much money on my projects but I knew it would pay for itself.
Did you ask anyone else what they thought?
Understand the influence of social proof or opinions.
Good answer criteria
Indicates if and why others' opinions were sought and what they said.
Example answer
Yes, I asked a friend who's an experienced product manager and works in a similar company. He said that it reduced their customer service backlog by 50%!
Did you have any anxiety about the purchase? What was it? Why did it make you nervous?
Identify fears or concerns related to the purchase.
Good answer criteria
Specifies concerns and reasons for anxiety.
Example answer
I worried about compatibility with my system, fearing wasted money and time.
Consuming
Understand their experience using the product
How does using <product/service> compare to your initial expectations?
Evaluate satisfaction and product/service performance.
Good answer criteria
Reflects on expectations vs. reality.
Example answer
It exceeded my expectations with its ease of use and efficiency.
If <product/service> disappeared tomorrow, what would you miss most?
Identify most valued features.
Good answer criteria
Highlights the most impactful elements. Specifies specific benefits to their life.
Example answer
By blocking social media, it makes me more present in my day-to-day life when I'm with friends. I'd miss that.
How has <product/service> made your life better?
Understand the positive impact or value added to their life.
Good answer criteria
Describes improvements or benefits experienced.
Example answer
It's streamlined my workflow, reducing stress and freeing up time.
Marketing snippets
Collect quotes and insights for marketing materials
How would you describe the experience of the <product/service> to a friend?
Understand user satisfaction, summarize experience and collect interesting customer quotes for marketing.
Good answer criteria
Describes benefits and feelings in customer friendly language.
Example answer
It's a tool that you use to stay focused throughout your busy day, no distractions. You'll complete your work twice as fast and go home earlier.
Who would you say the <product/service> is for?
Understand who else the customer sees this being useful for.
Good answer criteria
Gives specific details about people that will benefit from the product.
Example answer
It's for product managers in fast-paced technology companies that are tired of dealing with pushy sales people.
Why is <product/service> perfect for people like that?
Justify product/service fit for the target group.
Good answer criteria
Explains features or benefits in customer friendly language.
Example answer
UX researchers will love it because the automated responses are really personalised and the daily reporting shows them exactly the reliability of the data.