If you don’t actually know what your customers think and feel about your brand. How on earth can you stop them from silently leaving you when they are no longer happy with your company? In a recent survey by Accenture, consumers were asked if the companies they have left could have done anything to prevent them from leaving. Nearly 50% of respondents said that they had switched providers during the past 12 months; mainly because of poor customer service. A staggering 85% claim that they would have stayed with their providers; if only the companies would have done something about the situation. Just think about how many customers you could have kept if you had only put in a little bit of effort!

If companies focused more on customer experience, many defectors could be saved. Surprisingly, many companies don’t get it; the issues and complaints that consumers raised a couple of years ago are more or less the same as they are today. So the customers have had enough and left, something that often goes unnoticed. By being more proactive and by monitoring the levels of customer satisfaction with suitable surveys, you will gain insight into what you need to change or improve. As well as giving your customers a chance to make their voices heard on a range of matters.

Conjuring a customer churn form

However, when you send out a customer churn form to your previous customers, you have already been abandoned and perhaps replaced by a new provider who might be delivering in the areas where you failed. In your survey, start by asking your customer why they decided to use a different product and service. You can give them a couple of pre-selected responses. But also provide a box where they can give a more detailed answer. People are often happy to provide comprehensive feedback when they are not happy with something. Especially if they can do so online instead of telling you in person or over the phone. It is much better if you can pre-empt keyboard warriors who could potentially damage your brand by leaving negative feedback on social media and review websites like Yelp.

In a perfect world your business’ churn rate would be at 0% but that would hardly be realistic. But if you conduct frequent surveys, both to measure customer satisfaction and also to find out why your customers left you – and do something constructive with the feedback you receive – you will be able to push down your churn rate closer to 0%.