DIREKT Provider Interview Guide¶

Purpose¶

Understand provider operations, service areas, evidence, devices, customer acquisition, trust concerns and willingness to participate in a verification-led marketplace.

Session profile¶

• Duration: 45–60 minutes
• Participant types: sole traders, informal providers, registered SMEs and established providers
• Minimum category spread: four candidate categories
• Operating models: fixed premises, mobile and hybrid
• Evidence: describe or privately inspect types only; do not copy identifiers into GitHub

Opening¶

Explain that DIREKT is at research stage and that participation does not guarantee listing, approval, customers or payment. Obtain consent and assign a coded participant ID such as PRO-LSK-PLUMB-001.

Section A — Provider and service model¶

1. What services do you provide?
2. How long have you worked in this trade?
3. Do you work alone, with employees, subcontractors or family?
4. Do customers visit you, do you travel to them, or both?
5. Which areas do you normally serve?
6. How do you decide whether a job is too far away?
7. Do you charge a call-out or inspection fee?
8. How do you show availability?
9. Are there emergency or after-hours jobs?
10. What information must a customer provide before you accept a job?

Section B — Customer acquisition¶

1. How do new customers find you today?
2. Which channels produce the best customers?
3. How important are referrals, WhatsApp groups, Facebook, signs, workshops, associations or online directories?
4. What information do customers repeatedly ask for?
5. How often do customers fail to arrive, cancel or provide a wrong location?
6. What makes a lead valuable or a waste of time?
7. Do you keep records of enquiries and completed work?
8. What would make you trust a platform bringing customers?

Section C — Identity, business and qualification evidence¶

Ask open questions before listing examples.

1. What documents or records show who you are professionally?
2. Do you have business registration, tax records, association membership, trade-test results, apprenticeship evidence, qualification certificates, contractor registration, licences or insurance?
3. Which documents expire or require renewal?
4. Which issuing bodies are involved?
5. Can a customer currently confirm the document independently?
6. Have customers ever asked to see these documents?
7. Are any documents difficult or costly to replace?
8. Which documents contain information you would not want public?
9. Are there competent providers in your trade who lack formal documents? Why?
10. What evidence of practical experience could be fairer than formal certification alone?

Record document category, issuer, expiry and verification route—not personal numbers.

Section D — Proposed verification process¶

Present a neutral synthetic process:

1. phone/contact confirmation;
2. identity check;
3. service category and work-history information;
4. optional business/qualification checks where relevant;
5. service-area and premises evidence;
6. possible field visit;
7. periodic renewal and complaint monitoring.

Ask:

• Which steps feel reasonable?
• Which feel intrusive or expensive?
• What should customers be told about each step?
• What should remain private?
• What should happen when a document cannot be independently confirmed?
• What correction or appeal process is fair?
• How much notice is needed before expiry?
• Would you accept a badge stating exactly what was checked rather than a generic “verified” badge?
• What could make providers try to bypass the process?

Section E — Location and premises¶

1. How do you describe your operating location?
2. Is the location permanent, shared, temporary, home-based or mobile?
3. Do customers need the exact premises location before contacting you?
4. Would you allow DIREKT to privately confirm a premises location?
5. What premises evidence is reasonable: map pin, sign, tools, workshop, tenancy, utility record or field visit?
6. What creates safety or privacy concerns?
7. How often do you relocate?
8. How should a mobile provider appear on a map?
9. How should DIREKT represent service areas without implying the provider is always available there?
10. What would make a location check stale?

Section F — Android, data and uploads¶

1. What phone and Android version do you use, if known?
2. Is the phone shared?
3. How many SIMs do you use?
4. Which network works best in your operating area?
5. How often is data unavailable or too expensive?
6. How much free storage do you usually have?
7. Are camera quality, cracked screens, battery life or charging access problems?
8. Can you upload several document and premises photos in one session?
9. Would you need offline drafts, resumable upload or assistance?
10. Do you prefer typing, voice notes, photos or calls?

Section G — Enquiries and contact¶

1. Should a customer call directly, send WhatsApp, SMS or a structured enquiry?
2. What information should appear before you accept contact?
3. Should DIREKT hide phone numbers until an enquiry is created?
4. How quickly can you reasonably respond?
5. How should spam or abusive customers be handled?
6. Would you update lead status such as accepted, declined or completed?
7. What would motivate you to close the loop in the app?
8. Would customer reviews tied to tracked enquiries feel fair?

Section H — Pricing and commercial model¶

Test alternatives separately:

• free basic profile;
• one-time verification fee;
• monthly subscription;
• annual subscription;
• fee per qualified enquiry;
• optional promoted listing clearly separated from verification.

Ask:

1. Which model feels fair and why?
2. What measurable value must DIREKT provide first?
3. What price or condition would make participation impossible?
4. Should informal and newly qualified providers have different entry options?
5. How should failed verification or delayed review affect fees?
6. Would paying providers expect a better verification status? Explain that this is prohibited and record the reaction.
7. How should sponsored listings be labelled?

Do not set final pricing from stated preference alone.

Section I — Complaints, reviews and safety¶

1. What complaints do providers receive most often?
2. How should false complaints be challenged?
3. What evidence should be required?
4. When should DIREKT suspend visibility?
5. Should serious incidents trigger re-verification?
6. How should providers respond to reviews?
7. What support response time is reasonable?
8. What should DIREKT explicitly not guarantee?

Closing¶

• What would make DIREKT valuable enough to use every week?
• What would make you refuse to join?
• Which provider category should be piloted first?
• Which verification step is most likely to fail?
• May we invite you to test the prototype later?

Researcher summary¶

Record:

• operating model;
• service area method;
• available evidence types;
• formal/informal status without identifiers;
• evidence and privacy objections;
• device/connectivity constraints;
• preferred contact model;
• pricing reaction;
• key fraud/abuse concern;
• implication for assumptions and evidence matrix.