Learn best practices for conducting customer research. Hone your observation skills and avoid the most common mistakes that people make when interviewing customers. Useful for all types of customer research, including Usability Testing, Site Visits (E.g. Follow-Me Home), Customer Interviews, and Focus Groups
2. INTRODUCTION
• To understand the current customer experience
• What they really do, under what circumstances, etc.
• To identify important customer problems
• To identify opportunities for improvement
• To identify opportunities to delight
• To gain insights and inspiration
WHY INTERVIEW CUSTOMERS?
Customer Research Types
Usability Testing
Site Visits (E.g. Follow-Me
Home)
Customer Interviews
Focus Groups
4. INTRODUCTION
1. Plan the study
• Select broad questions you need answered and/or tasks to test
• Find good participants
• Write interview/field guide
2. Conduct the interviews
• Run the sessions
• Debrief with observers
3. Report and communicate results
RESEARCH PROCESS
6. FIELD GUIDE
THE INTERVIEW GUIDE (OR FIELD GUIDE)
A detailed plan of what will happen in the interview
• Questions, timing, tasks, etc.
Transforms questions-we-want-answers-to into questions-we-will-ask
Share with team to align on issues of concern
Helps pre-visualize the flow of the interview
9. RESEARCH ATTITUDE
2. HAVE A CONVERSATION
Instead of interviewing the person formally, try to have a conversation.
Remember, we are there to learn from people, not judge.
10. RESEARCH ATTITUDE
3. ASK WHAT, WHO, WHY, HOW QUESTIONS
Open-ended questions give you much richer responses than Yes/No
Avoid leading questions that imply that you’re expecting a certain response
Leading
Wasn’t that frustrating?
Are you trying to print?
How valuable is it to be able to pay
your bills?
Open-ended
How was that for you?
What are you trying to do?
How do you feel when you are able
to pay your bills? What about when
you can’t?
12. RESEARCH ATTITUDE
5. SHOW THAT YOU’RE ACTIVELY LISTENING
Repeat the facts that you see.
Reflect the thoughts and beliefs that you hear.
“I heard you say that you would rather visit a large city than go to a beach for
vacation. Did I get that right?”
13. RESEARCH ATTITUDE
6. PROBE FOR CLARIFICATION
Avoid making assumptions about beliefs and values without clarifying
“So you mentioned that you don’t set an alarm. Can you tell me why you don’t?”
I don’t like my alarm clock
“Why don’t you like your clock?”
It was hard for me to fall asleep with it near my bed
“Can you show me?”
You see the numbers are so bright, especially with the lights off
14. RESEARCH ATTITUDE
7. MONITOR HOW MUCH YOU ARE TALKING
If you spend too much time asking questions or verbally respond to
everything the participant says, this may make them uncomfortable.
Be comfortable with silence. Sometimes the most interesting stuff comes
when you let things unfold naturally
15. RESEARCH ATTITUDE
8. HAVE THEM SHOW YOU
When possible, ask them to show you what they are doing, rather than talk
about it.
Don’t be afraid to ask, “Can you show me how you do that?”
16. RESEARCH ATTITUDE
9. MIND YOUR NON-VERBAL CUES
Non-verbal cues such as eye contact, nodding, and smiling reassure the
person that you are engaged in what they’re saying.
17. RESEARCH ATTITUDE
10. DON’T GIVE AWAY THE ANSWER
If you tell people what to do, you assess their ability to follow directions,
rather than their ability to understand and use something.
Don’t say
First, you do this…
Register the product (when the
button says Register)
19. PRACTICE
ACTIVITY: EARLY MORNING ROUTINE
1. Pair up
1. One person: Tell the story of coming to work this morning (starting when you
woke up)
2. Other person: Use active listening techniques to identify the pain-points in their
morning, and understand the root cause of those pain-points
3. Switch
2. Group Discussion
21. Each person attends at least 2-3 Follow Me Homes
Start off the conversation by asking them about their business and
then observe whatever it is the business would normally do that day
Take notes and PICTURES!
Document insights
Fill out debrief form immediately after
Consolidate everyone’s notes into one slide together
Upload slides and photos to share drive
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COMMITMENTS
23. NAME, COMPANY NAME: TYPE OF BUSINESS
(WHAT THEY DO IN A BIT MORE DETAIL…)
Enterprise
SW
Purchase
Date
FSP/Gold/Silver/
Platinum
Other service
Payroll
Payments
Customer Profile
Picture
A brief story about a moment during your visit
What you saw that surprised you
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24. Big insight that you want to call out
_ Details
_ Nuances
_ Details
Big insight that you want to call out
_ Details
_ Nuances
_ Details
Big insight that you want to call out
_ Details
_ Nuances
_ Details
Big insight that you want to call out
_ Details
_ Nuances
_ Details
Summary/Insights/Implications
Picture Picture
Key Observation #1 Key Observation #2 Key Observation #3
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NAME, COMPANY NAME: TYPE OF BUSINESS
(WHAT THEY DO IN A BIT MORE DETAIL…)