25 Customer Interview Questions That Actually Work

Why Questions Matter

The quality of your customer research depends entirely on the questions you ask. Leading questions give you false confidence. Vague questions give you vague answers. Great questions reveal the truth — even when it's uncomfortable.

Here are 25 questions organized by research goal.

Discovery Questions (Understanding the Problem)

These help you understand if the problem exists and how people experience it:

1. "Tell me about the last time you dealt with [problem]." Opens with a specific story, not abstract opinions.

2. "Walk me through your process for [activity]." Reveals the reality, not the idealized version.

3. "What's the most frustrating part of that?" Finds the emotional pain point.

4. "How are you solving this today?" Shows current alternatives (your real competition).

5. "What happens if you don't solve this?" Reveals urgency and consequences.

6. "How much time/money does this cost you?" Quantifies the pain.

7. "Have you tried to fix this before? What happened?" Shows past attempts and why they failed.

Validation Questions (Testing Your Solution)

These help you understand if your solution would work:

1. "If this problem disappeared tomorrow, what would change?" Tests if the outcome matters.

2. "What would a perfect solution look like?" Reveals their mental model.

3. "What would make you not use a solution like this?" Surfaces objections early.

4. "Who else in your company cares about this?" Maps stakeholders and buying process.

5. "What would you need to see to believe this works?" Identifies proof requirements.

Competitive Questions

These help you understand the landscape:

1. "What other solutions have you looked at?" Direct competitive intel.

2. "Why did you choose [competitor] / not choose them?" Reveals positioning gaps.

3. "What do you wish [competitor] did better?" Finds unmet needs.

Buying Questions

These help you understand the purchase process:

1. "How do you typically evaluate tools like this?" Maps the buying process.

2. "Who else would need to approve this?" Identifies decision-makers.

3. "What's your budget for solving this?" Tests willingness to pay.

4. "What would make this a no-brainer purchase?" Reveals key value drivers.

5. "What would make you cancel after trying?" Surfaces retention risks.

Message Testing Questions

These help you refine positioning:

1. "How would you describe this to a colleague?" Tests if your message sticks.

2. "What does [your tagline] mean to you?" Tests comprehension.

3. "What questions do you still have after reading this?" Finds messaging gaps.

4. "What would make you click on this ad?" Tests hooks and angles.

5. "On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you be to try this? What would make it a 10?" Quantifies interest and barriers.

Questions to Avoid

• "Would you use this?" — Everyone says yes.
• "Do you think this is a good idea?" — Opinions aren't behavior.
• "How much would you pay?" — Ask about budget instead.
• "Don't you think [leading statement]?" — You're answering for them.

How to Use These Questions

Don't read from a script. Pick 5-7 questions based on your research goal. Let the conversation flow naturally. Follow up on interesting answers with "Tell me more about that."

The best interviews feel like conversations, not interrogations.

Getting Started

Schedule 3 interviews this week. Use questions 1-7 to understand the problem. Take notes on exact phrases — these become your messaging later.