A resource by https://www.designforwellbeing.nz Copyright 2026 Design for Wellbeing. --- Connect with your customers Customer experience interviews Learn about your customers experience and the difference you make for them - in their own words. Time needed: allow for an hour or two to prepare,15-30 minutes per interview, then a bit of time after to review. A mindset shift This is all about stepping away from your business role, and your understanding of how customers “should” be engaging with your business. You’ll need to take an outside perspective, try to put yourself in their shoes, and focus on listening to understand, rather than to sell or educate. Which customers should you start with? I’d suggest starting with a strengths based approach - so choose customers who already appreciate your service. 1. Understand whats working and why, so that you can build on these aspects 2. Especially if you’re new to this, to make your own experience a positive one. Process 1. Identify a handful of people to interview and how you’ll invite them 2. Decide on a thank you gift 3. Invitations (explain that interviews are to understand their experience for your business development, rather than a sales call) 4. Interviews! 5. Make a few notes after each one 6. Review what you learned Interview script This is a template for you to adapt as needed Introduction - Thank the interviewee for agreeing to meet with you - Explain that you’d like to understand their experience with your product / service - both positive and negative, and that your overall goal is to better meet customer needs - Make sure they know its OK to pass on answering if they prefer - Check if they have any questions for you before beginning Its a good idea to set up a timer. Question one Ask about their experience using the product/service - how they found it, the steps they took, and what happened. Question two Enquire about what made them decide to look for and try the product/service - what was the need, problem or reason? Question three Ask how they would describe the outcome, or what they ultimately got out of using the service. Be open to hearing about positive and negative aspects. Question four Is there anything they would change, to make it a better experience? Question five Before wrapping up, ask if there’s anything not covered so far that they would like to share. Don’t stress if there isn’t time for all the questions - leave some time at the end to close without rushing. Closing At the end of the session: - Ask the interviewee if they have any questions for you - Offer the thank you gift - Discuss any follow up Thank your interviewee for their time and sharing their experience with you. After each interview While the conversation is still fresh, for each question, think about: - What was interesting or unexpected or surprising? - What contexts or situations were described? - What were the qualities described, and why were they important? - What words were used? Reflection and learning Once all the sessions are done - think back, have a look across your notes, and reflect on what you have learned - and what you could do next. I hope this has been a positive and engaging experience thats given you fresh ideas about your business. Your feedback welcome I’d love to hear how this went for you - please send your thoughts and feedback to: hello@designforwellbeing.nz This resource is the first in a series (to be published through July 2026): Connect with your customers Customer experience interviews https://www.designforwellbeing.nz/resources/customer-experience-interviews/ Using your customers language Words and labels Usability for business The methods behind making your service easy to use Become discoverable Share information about what you offer Customer service as prototyping How great service and information can help you build positive, ongoing relationships with your customers ---