Interview Script·45 min·10 questions
Understanding why agency clients abandon project tools after three committed months
You're seeing a clear pattern: creative agency clients who seemed engaged with your project management platform are canceling right around month three. You have the usage data and cancellation timing, but the exit surveys aren't telling you why clients who made it past the initial setup and first few projects suddenly decide the tool isn't working for them.
Why standard questions fail here
Direct questions about why people cancelled miss the gradual shift that happens between month two and three. This script reconstructs the specific moments when successful workflows started breaking down, anchoring in actual project timelines and client situations rather than asking people to rationalize decisions they made weeks ago.
Sample Questions
Grounded in The Mom Test and Jobs-to-be-Done.
Moment-Driven methodology: establish context before diving into specific moments
Let them talk freely for 2-3 minutes. Note their language choices about their work and responsibilities.
- How many projects do you typically juggle at once?
- Who else is involved in project coordination?
- Generic company descriptions without personal role details
JTBD: understand the struggling moment that triggered the search for a solution
Use the narrative technique - ask for a specific project story, not general descriptions
- What was the most frustrating part of that process?
- Can you tell me about a specific project where things went wrong?
- Vague generalizations like 'we were disorganized' instead of specific pain points
JTBD: identify the catalyst event that triggered active searching
Push for the specific trigger moment - use the 5 Whys technique if they give surface-level answers
- Was there a particular project or client situation that was the final straw?
- Who else was feeling this pain?
- What did you try first before looking for software?
- Generic answers like 'we needed to be more organized' without specific incidents
JTBD: understand evaluation criteria and decision-making process
Get the chronological story - who was involved, what did they compare, how did they decide
- What other tools did you seriously consider?
- Who was involved in the decision?
- What made our tool stand out?
- Hypothetical 'we looked for the best tool' instead of actual evaluation steps
Moment-Driven: capture the critical onboarding moments that predict retention
Focus on specific moments of friction or delight - ask for day-by-day details if needed
- What was harder than expected?
- What worked better than you thought it would?
- How did your team react?
- Generic 'it was fine' responses without specific moments or emotions
Behavioral journey mapping to identify the critical 3-month inflection point
Use timeline probing - get them to think month-by-month about specific changes in behavior
- What features did you start using later that you ignored initially?
- Which team members adopted it fastest? Slowest?
- Were there any moments where you almost stopped using it?
- Vague timeline descriptions without specific behavioral changes
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