Customer research call guide

Autochase Call Guide: 8 calls, 30 minutes each

What we're trying to learn

Sam's hypothesis has three parts, and each can fail separately: 1. Cost: Late payment hurts in money or time, not just annoyance. (34% of invoices are late, but that doesn't mean it hurts.) 2. Behavior: People already try to fix it. Only 12% of accounts used the manual Send reminder button, so we need to know why the other 88% didn't. 3. Willingness: They'd let software message their clients, and pay $10 a month on top of $12 for Pro.

Interviews can't settle price. They can tell us whether it's worth testing.

Who to talk to

Sam's plan (the 300 heaviest button users, first 8 to reply) would only find people who already like reminders and respond fast to email. Recruit against quotas instead:

• 2 heavy button users (Sam's list is fine for these)
• 3 accounts with several late invoices in the last 90 days who never used the button
• 1 who filed an Autochase support ticket
• 2 agencies (3+ people) and 2 solo freelancers. These overlap with the groups above.
• Mix of Pro and free accounts, with at least 2 free.

Screen for at least one invoice paid late in the last 90 days. Pick people to fill the quotas, not first come first served. Offer a $50 gift card.

Call structure

0:00–0:03 Intro. "We're learning how people get paid, and we're not selling anything. There are no right answers, and critical feedback helps most. Okay to record?"

0:03–0:05 Context. What do you do, how many clients, how many invoices a month?

0:05–0:15 The last late invoice (the core of the call) 1. Tell me about the last time a client paid you late. Probe: how late, how much, what happened first, what did you do, how did it feel? 2. Walk me through what you do between sending an invoice and getting paid. Probe: what tool, how often, who does it? 3. What did that lateness cost you? Probe: hours, cash flow, bills or contractors you had to delay.

0:15–0:21 Current behavior 4. (Button users) What made you use Send reminder? (Non-users) What do you do instead, or why not just let it go? 5. Is there a client you would never chase? Why? 6. Have you tried anything else, such as late fees, deposits, shorter terms or other tools? What happened?

0:21–0:27 Concept. Read this, don't demo it: "Suppose Paydeck automatically emailed your client at set points after the due date, getting firmer each time." 7. What's your first reaction? What worries you? 8. What would have to be true for you to switch it on? Probe: tone, control, per-client exceptions, seeing the emails first.

0:27–0:30 Money and wrap 9. What do you pay for today that helps you get paid or run your finances? 10. "We'd likely charge extra for this. Would you want early access when it's ready?" Note the exact response. Hesitation counts as data. 11. Anything I should have asked? Anyone else we should talk to?

Why Sam's questions changed

• "How frustrating is chasing?" and "Would it be useful?" invite polite yes answers. Past-behavior questions don't.
• "$5, $10 or $15?" anchors people on our options and measures nothing real. Questions 9–10 are better evidence.
• "Would your clients be annoyed?" asks for a guess about someone else. Question 5 asks what they've actually avoided.
• "What other features?" is off-topic. Drop it.

Notes for first-time interviewers

• Split roles. One person asks and the other takes verbatim notes. Swap halfway through the 8 calls.
• Ask about the past, not the future. "What did you do last time?" beats "Would you ever...?"
• Don't pitch or rescue. Don't name Autochase until minute 21. If they struggle to answer, wait, then ask "Can you say more?" Silence is fine.
• Follow the story. Ask "why?" and "what happened next?" more than you ask the next scripted question. The script is a backstop.
• Discount compliments. "That sounds great" is worth little. Specific past actions, money spent and workarounds built are worth a lot.
• Stay neutral if they criticize the product or the idea. Don't defend it.
• Debrief within 30 minutes of each call. Write down three surprises and the best quotes. Do a practice run with a colleague first.

What we'd need to hear

Count only the people who had a late invoice.

Go (build, or run a paid pre-sale test): - At least 5 of 8 describe a specific recent late payment that cost real money, stress or more than about an hour a month. - At least 5 already chase manually or with workarounds, including people who skip the button, and can explain why the button doesn't work for them. - At least 4 would turn on automation given controls we could build, and at least 3 say yes to early access for a paid add-on.

Stop or rethink: - Most shrug lateness off, or say it comes from a few clients they'd never automate against. - The real problem is something else, such as clients not opening invoices, wanting deposits, or needing a payment link, and reminders wouldn't fix it. - Most won't let software contact their clients, or wouldn't pay anything for it.

Mixed results (for example, it only matters for agencies, or only with tone controls): narrow the target segment and run a second round of calls.

Even a clear "go" from 8 calls only justifies a cheap next test, such as a fake-door button or a pre-sale. It doesn't justify committing the quarter.

Autochase Discovery Calls: Interview Guide

Interviewers: Mei and Tomas | Calls: 8 × 30 min | Week of: [date]

Why we're doing this

Sam's hypothesis is that late payments cost our users real money, and chasing them is painful enough that they'd pay $10 a month to automate it. The data leaves room for doubt. 34% of invoices are paid late, but only 12% of accounts used "Send reminder" in the last 90 days. Either chasing isn't painful, or people chase outside Paydeck, or they avoid chasing altogether. These calls should tell us which.

Learning goals

1. Cost: How much do late payments actually hurt (cash flow, hours, stress)? Is this a top-three problem or a mild annoyance?
2. Current behaviour: How do people chase today, with what tools, and why do most not use our reminder button?
3. Barriers to automation: Would they let software chase their clients? What would make that feel safe or risky?
4. Willingness to pay: Do they already spend money or time on this, and who (freelancers or agencies, Pro or free) feels it most?

Who we talk to

Draw from accounts with at least one invoice paid 7+ days late in the last 90 days, then fill these slots:

• Aim for at least 5 Pro accounts, since the add-on is priced against a $12 plan.
• Include at least 2 agencies.
• Invite about 15 people to get 8 who show up.
• Hand-pick from the people who reply. Don't just book the first eight.
• Offer a thank-you, such as a free month of Pro.

Why this differs from Sam's plan: Emailing only the 300 heaviest button users would reach people who already chase inside Paydeck. They're the most likely to say yes, so a yes from them wouldn't tell us much. Booking the first eight repliers adds another bias toward the most engaged users.

The call (30 minutes)

0–3 min: Open - "Thanks for your time. We're trying to understand how you get paid. We're not selling anything, and there are no wrong answers." - Ask permission to record.

3–8 min: Context - "Tell me about your business. Who are your clients, and how many invoices do you send in a typical month?" - "Walk me through what happens after you send an invoice."

8–18 min: The last late invoice (the heart of the call) - "Think of the last time a client paid you late. What happened?" - "When did you notice? What did you do, and when?" - "How did it get resolved? How long did it take?" - "What did it cost you: time, money, other plans, stress?" - "Is that typical, or was it unusual?"

18–24 min: How they chase today - "What do you usually do when an invoice is overdue?" - "What tools do you use: email, phone, our reminder button, anything else?" - If they haven't used the button: "Have you seen our 'Send reminder' button? Why or why not?" - "Is there anyone you chose not to chase? Why?" - "What worries you about chasing clients?"

24–28 min: Value and alternatives - "Have you tried to fix this: templates, other software, an assistant, late fees?" - "What did that cost, and why did you keep or drop it?" - "If this problem disappeared tomorrow, what would change for you?"

28–30 min: Close - Describe Autochase in one or two neutral sentences: "automatic reminders for overdue invoices, sent on a schedule you set." - Ask for their reaction. - Then ask: "Would you want to join a paid beta when it's ready?" A yes should come with a real next step, such as their email for the beta list. - Finish with: "Anything I should have asked?"

Why this differs from Sam's questions: Questions like "Would this be useful?" or "How frustrating is it?" invite polite yeses. Offering $5/$10/$15 anchors people on our numbers. Asking what their clients would think gets guesses, not evidence. "Other features" takes the call off topic. Asking what actually happened last time gives us far more reliable answers.

Notes for first-time interviewers

• Split roles. One person leads and the other takes notes. Swap after each call.
• Ask about the past, not the future. "What did you do?" beats "What would you do?"
• Follow up before moving on. "Tell me more," "Why?" and "Can you give an example?" are your best questions.
• Get comfortable with silence. Count to five before filling a pause. People often add the useful part then.
• Don't pitch or defend. If they criticise Paydeck, say "That's helpful, go on."
• Treat compliments as noise. "Sounds great!" means nothing. Look for money spent, time lost and workarounds built.
• Write down exact quotes. Mark the ones about cost or emotion.
• Debrief for 10 minutes right after each call. Cover the top three surprises, the evidence for or against each learning goal, and whether they meet the go signals below.

Decision criteria

We're agreeing these before the calls so we don't rationalise afterward. Eight calls give us direction, not proof. Treat the results as a reason to prototype or to drop the idea, not as a sizing exercise.

Go ahead (build a prototype next quarter) if: - At least 5 of 8 describe a recent late payment with a concrete cost, such as a cash-flow squeeze, hours spent chasing, or a delayed bill of their own; and - At least 4 already use a workaround (templates, calendar nudges, another tool) or have paid for one; and - At least 3 give a real commitment at the close, such as joining the beta list or asking when it launches; and - Relationship worries come up but sound solvable, for example with control over tone, timing or which clients get reminders.

Stop or rethink if: - Most treat late payment as normal and tolerable ("they always pay eventually"); or - Most avoid chasing on purpose to protect client relationships, and automation makes them more nervous; or - The pain is real but they're satisfied with what they already use; or - Interest is limited to the ticket-filers and heavy button users.

Possible middle outcome: People want the feature but balk at paying extra. That points to making it part of Pro rather than a $10 add-on, which nearly doubles the price. Flag this if you hear it.

After the calls

Mei and Tomas share a one-page summary with Sam within two days. It should cover each learning goal, the go/stop tally, and the three best quotes.

Welcome to user research week! Mei and Tomas, running these calls is one of the highest-leverage things you can do this quarter. Don't worry about being first-timers; your fresh eyes are an asset. Here is your battle-tested guide for next week.

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1. Learning Goals

We need to answer two core questions before committing engineering time to Autochase: 1. Pain: Does chasing late invoices cause enough operational friction and cash flow anxiety that users want it off their plates completely? 2. Value: Is automation worth $10/month, or do users prefer control (e.g., hitting a manual button)?

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2. Who We Should Talk To

Per Sam’s plan: We are emailing the 300 Pro accounts that used the manual 'Send reminder' button most frequently last month and booking the first 8 who reply. * Why: These users already feel the pain. If they won't pay for automation, nobody will.

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3. Notes for First-Time Interviewers (Read This Twice!)

• Do not pitch Autochase early. If you pitch it, they will be polite and say yes. Sell the problem, not our solution.
• Past behavior beats future promises. When people say "I would pay $10 for that," they are often lying to be nice. Ask about what they currently do and what they've paid for in the past.
• Embrace silence. After you ask a question, stop talking. Let them fill the silence. The best insights live in the second minute of their answer.
• One person leads, one takes notes. Mei, take the lead on questions today; Tomas, focus on verbatim quotes and body language (and vice versa for call #2).

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4. The 30-Minute Call Guide

#### Phase 1: Context & Warm-up (5 mins) Goal: Build rapport and understand their business. * "Tell me a bit about your business—what do you do, and who are your typical clients?" * "Walk me through how invoicing and getting paid works in your workflow today."

#### Phase 2: Past Behavior & Pain (10 mins) Goal: Uncover the true emotional and financial cost of late payments. * [Replace Sam's Q1] "Take me back to the last time an invoice went significantly past its due date. What happened?" * "How did you handle it? Walk me through the exact steps you took to chase them." * "How does chasing clients for money impact your relationship with them, or your peace of mind?" * Data check: 34% of our invoices are paid late (median 16 days). Ask: "Does that match your reality?"

#### Phase 3: Current Workarounds & Solution Testing (10 mins) Goal: See how they solve this now, then introduce Autochase. * "You’ve used our manual 'Send reminder' button recently. How is that working for you? What do you wish it did that it doesn't?" * The Reveal: "We’re exploring a feature called Autochase that automatically sends escalating reminders on a schedule you set until the invoice is paid. Based on what you've told me about your workflow, how would something like that fit into your business?" * [Replace Sam's Q4] "Some freelancers worry automated reminders might annoy their clients. How do you feel about that risk for your clients?"

#### Phase 4: Pricing & Wrap-up (5 mins) Goal: Test the $10/mo price point and wrap up. * [Replace Sam's Q2/Q3] "We're looking at pricing this as a $10-a-month add-on. When you think about the time it saves or the awkwardness it avoids, does $10/mo feel like a bargain, too expensive, or about right?" * "Before we wrap up, is there anything else about getting paid by clients that drives you crazy that we didn't touch on?" * Thank them warmly and end the call.

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5. Go / No-Go Criteria

After 8 calls, Mei, Tomas, and I will sync. We move forward to build Autochase next quarter only if: 1. At least 6 out of 8 interviewers describe late payments as a top-3 operational headache (not just a minor annoyance). 2. Users unprompted mention spending hours a month on this, or losing sleep over cash flow. 3. At least 5 out of 8 react to the $10/month price point as reasonable or cheap relative to the value.

We stop and pivot if: * Users say, "I actually like reviewing and sending reminders manually because I customize the tone per client." (This kills the automation thesis). * Users think $10/month is wildly overpriced for a reminder tool.