Part of the process you are engaging in with a customer when doing an interview is designed to be beneficial for both parties. Certainly, we are keenly aware of the benefits you will receive based on the ability of your past and future customers to help guide you in making successful products and services that they will pay you money for. Of course, the customers also get the benefit of helping to direct a new product offering that will be more closely aligned with their needs by providing input during the development process.

To ensure that you have understood the customer correctly, and documented the key takeaways to be truly reflective of what the customer said, it is often advised to provide a follow-up email/letter to the customer highlighting some of the key findings and observations discussed during the interview. This has the double benefit of double-checking what the customer has said as well as providing you with an opportunity to thank them for their time. This further tells the customer that you were listening to what they had to say and value their input. This helps keep the customer engaged in your process, which could lead to follow-up dialog on one of the key points, providing additional insight.

Further, the small gesture of a follow-up helps solidify the relationship between you and the customer and will make it more likely that they will continue to be a subject for future market studies or analysis.