AI customer interviews.
An AI interviewer talks to your customers one to one, by voice, from a single link. It follows your guide, asks why until the reason is clear, and builds the picture as people respond. Here’s how it works, when it fits, and where it doesn’t.
In short
AI-moderated interviews give you the depth of a one-to-one conversation without scheduling a single call. Simulatte runs them by voice from one link, then lets you read them side by side with simulated customers, so a fast first read and real voices sit in one place.
What an AI-moderated interview is.
An AI-moderated customer interview is a one-to-one conversation between a real person and an AI interviewer. You write what you need to learn; the interviewer runs the conversation, listens to each answer and decides what to ask next. People take it when it suits them, on their phone or laptop, so there is nothing to schedule.
You’ll also see it called an AI user interview, an AI interviewer or AI-moderated research. The idea is the same: the depth of a conversation, at the reach of a link. At Simulatte the interview is spoken, not typed, because people say more when they talk than when they fill in a box.
How an AI interview works, from question to report.
Here is what happens in Simulatte, start to finish. The AI interviews page shows each step in the product.
See the eight steps
- You askDescribe the decision in plain words: why people pause, which pack reads better, what stops a trial becoming a sale.
- A guide from your contextA research agent drafts the interview guide from what it knows about your products, your past studies and the files you share, plus market and competitor context from the web, with every source shown. You edit it.
- You approve the planNothing goes out until you approve it, and the plan shows the most it can cost.
- One linkSend it to your customers, your list or your team. Don’t have a list? Tell us who you need. We’ll source respondents and quote per study.
- Follow-up probesThe interviewer follows your guide without reading it like a script. When an answer is worth more, it asks why, and keeps going until the reason is clear.
- Show the workPut an ad, a pack or a screen in the guide. The interviewer shows the still at the right moment and asks what people notice, believe and would do.
- Results as people respondEach transcript appears when that conversation ends, and the themes update with every one. You can see where it’s heading long before the last interview.
- A PDF reportDownload a leadership-ready PDF in seconds: the answer, who you asked, the evidence, next steps and the method, with an editable summary and your logo. CSV export too.
On screen: the refill pack. The respondent sees the still while they answer out loud.
Interviews, surveys or focus groups?
They answer different questions. A survey tells you how many. An interview tells you why. A focus group shows how people talk about something together, for better and worse.
Compare the three methods
| Compared on | Survey | Focus group | AI-moderated interview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best answers | SurveyHow many, and which option | Focus groupHow a group reacts and talks | AI interviewWhy one person decides the way they do |
| Follow-ups | SurveyNone beyond skip logic | Focus groupA moderator, shared across the room | AI interviewEvery answer, one to one |
| Scheduling | SurveyNone | Focus groupRecruit, book a room, align calendars | AI interviewNone: people answer when it suits them |
| What you get | SurveyPercentages and charts | Focus groupNotes and a recording | AI interviewTranscripts, themes and quotes, building as people respond |
| Watch out for | SurveyShallow reasons | Focus groupThe loudest voice sets the tone | AI interviewFewer people than a survey; not for sizing a market |
A good rule: run interviews when you don’t yet know the reasons, and a survey when you know the reasons and need to count them. The focus group alternatives guide goes deeper on the room.
Simulate first, then check with real people.
Interviews pair with simulated customers, modelled on real people. Ask simulated customers first for a read in minutes, then send the questions that still matter to your own customers. Or run both at once. Either way, the answers sit side by side, with the places they agree and differ called out.
See an example
| Question | Simulated customers | Real people | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Would you switch to the refill? | SimulatedYes 52% | Real peopleYes 11/20 | ReadAgree |
| What would stop you? | SimulatedPrice per wash | Real people“I’d worry it leaks in the cupboard” | ReadDiffer |
| Where would you buy it? | SimulatedThe supermarket shop | Real peopleThe supermarket shop | ReadAgree |
Where they differ is often the most useful line in the study: it tells you what the fast read missed. See how it works for the full flow.
Limits, honestly.
AI-moderated interviews are good at the why. They are not the right tool for everything.
See the five limits
- Not a headcountTwenty interviews tell you the reasons. They don’t tell you what share of your market holds them. Count with a survey or with simulated customers at scale.
- Who answersYou hear from the people who take the link. Customers who just cancelled may be keener to talk than happy ones, so think about who you invite.
- Voice onlySimulatte’s interviews are spoken, with stills shown on screen. There is no video of the respondent, and people need a few quiet minutes to take part.
- The guide mattersThe interviewer follows up well, but it can’t ask about something the guide never touches. Read the draft guide before you approve it.
- Some topics need a personVery sensitive conversations, or ones that need a trained clinician or a lawyer in the room, are better run by a human.
What stays the same: every respondent in an AI-moderated interview is a real person. Simulated customers are modelled on real people but are not real people, which is why the two sit side by side rather than one replacing the other.
Common questions
What is an AI-moderated customer interview?
A one-to-one conversation between a real customer and an AI interviewer. You set the guide; the interviewer runs the conversation by voice, asks follow-up questions when an answer is worth more, and the results build up as people respond.
Is a person running the interview?
No. The AI interviewer runs it by voice, following the guide you approved. It follows up on what it hears and shows your ad or product still when the guide says so. Every respondent is a real person.
How long does an AI interview take?
Most run 8 to 15 minutes; you set the length when you shape the guide. People take it whenever suits them, so there is nothing to schedule.
Do I need my own list of customers?
No. You can send the link to your customers, your list or your team. Don’t have a list? Tell us who you need. We’ll source respondents and quote per study.
Which languages can people answer in?
English, Hindi, Tamil, Arabic and Spanish. Each respondent picks before starting, and you read the results in English with the original quote alongside. See multilingual interviews.
Are AI interviews as good as a human moderator?
For structured questions about why people buy, pause or switch, an AI interviewer asks every person the same careful follow-ups and never gets tired. For very sensitive topics, or open exploration where the questions themselves are unknown, a skilled human moderator still has the edge.
How much do AI customer interviews cost?
Interviews are priced in credits and charged only when an interview is completed. Sending the link is free. Current prices are on the pricing page.