Ask about the operating context

Discuss the reference customer’s scale, team structure, use case and implementation effort. Ask which parts of the service they actually use. Avoid treating a well-known logo as evidence that every feature was deployed successfully. Focus on specific experiences such as onboarding, support and change management. Respect the reference customer’s time and do not request information they are not permitted to share.

Look for transferable lessons

Ask what took longer than expected, what internal preparation helped and what they would do differently. Compare those conditions with your own organisation. A positive experience is informative but does not guarantee the same result elsewhere. Record the lessons alongside other evidence rather than treating one conversation as the entire evaluation. Follow up with the vendor on material differences or unresolved questions that the reference call raises.

Put the guide to work

Prepare questions in advance but leave room to follow an unexpected detail. A reference may reveal an implementation condition the buyer had not considered. Record the lesson without turning one customer’s experience into a universal claim about the supplier’s performance.

Imagine this

Hypothetical example

A reference customer praises a smooth rollout, then explains that a dedicated administrator prepared all content beforehand. The buyer recognises that its own team lacks that role and includes content preparation in its implementation plan before approving a wider deployment.

Make it practical.

Use this checklist as you read. Checks are not stored.

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