A one-on-one, typically open-ended conversation with a current or prospective customer, used to gather in-depth qualitative insight about their needs, motivations, and experience.
Why it matters
Customer interviews often surface insight that no amount of aggregate quantitative data can reveal on its own — the specific words a customer uses to describe a problem, or an unexpected reason they chose a product, can directly shape messaging and positioning in ways a survey response rarely does with the same clarity.
In a sentence
"A single customer interview revealed they'd chosen us specifically because a competitor's onboarding felt too complex — a detail that ended up shaping our own messaging around simplicity."
Related terms
- Often confused with: Focus group (a customer interview is one-on-one and typically more open-ended and exploratory; a focus group involves multiple participants discussing together, which can surface group dynamics and reactions that a solo interview wouldn't).