Lost Opportunity—Take The Time To Learn From Defecting Customers

I sent an email into the company asking to cancel the service (I’ve paid for the full month, so I asked that it be cancelled effective the end of the month). The company’s customer service organization sent me a nice note saying my account has been cancelled. Other than the minor irritant of having a couple of weeks that I have paid for down the tubes, the transaction was handled efficiently.

However, the company lost a major opportunity. They could have cancelled the service and asked me why I was cancelling. They could have asked me to take a survey, they could have had someone call me to learn why I was dissatisfied. I would have been delighted to have done any of those.

So what has the company learned about my experience and why I cancelled? Could I have been recovered, perhaps I was doing things wrong and could have been coached on how to get what I done. Perhaps there were some fundamental things about the service that would also impact their potential success or retention of other customers.

Sometimes it isn’t comfortable speaking with defecting customers, but it can be one of the most valuable experiences in learning how to improve and grow your business.