Wendell explains that his iPhone X is dropping calls. Which of the following is an open question that would best help you further evaluate the issue with Wendell?

Question

Options

• AHow is the rest of your experience with the iPhone, aside from the dropped calls?
• BDo you find that you are driving in a car when these dropped calls occur?
• CAre you in an elevator or a parking garage when the iPhone drops the calls?
• DCould you please tell me about the situations when your iPhone drops calls?

• A
  12% (4)
• B
  3% (1)
• C
  6% (2)
• D
  79% (27)

Explanation

Option D is the only truly open question because it uses the phrase "tell me about the situations" - inviting Wendell to describe freely in his own words what happens, without steering him toward any particular cause. This gives the most diagnostic value because you don't yet know enough to form a hypothesis.

Why the distractors fail:

• A redirects away from the problem entirely, asking about general satisfaction rather than the dropped calls themselves - it's a deflection, not a diagnostic follow-up.
• B is a closed (leading) question - it suggests a specific scenario (driving) and can be answered with a simple yes or no, which limits the information Wendell can provide.
• C is also a closed/leading question - it narrows the cause to two specific locations before you have any evidence, which risks missing the real cause entirely.

Memory tip: Open questions start with words like "Tell me about," "Describe," "What," or "How" - they cannot be answered with yes/no and don't suggest an answer. If your question contains a specific scenario the customer can just confirm or deny, it's closed. On the exam, eliminate any choice that proposes a specific cause; the best diagnostic question leaves all possibilities open.

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