Churn Post-Mortems: Learn from Every Lost Customer

Losing a customer is tough for everyone.

💡According to a study by Bain & Company, increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%.

But what if you could turn these losses into powerful lessons?

That's where customer churn post-mortems come in.

These reviews help you understand why customers leave and how you can prevent it in the future.

Using a structured template for these reviews makes the process easier and more effective.

It ensures you cover all the important points and can spot patterns over time.

A well-structured post-mortem template typically includes five key components.

And each plays a key role in understanding why a customer left and how to prevent similar situations in the future.

Key Components of a Churn Post-Mortem Template

1. Customer Overview

   • Basic info about the customer, like company size and what they bought from you.

2. Reason for Churn

   • Why did the customer say they're leaving?

   • What other factors might have played a role?

3. Retention Efforts

   • What did we try to keep the customer?

   • How did they respond?

4. Lessons Learned

   • What could we have done better?

   • What should we change going forward?

5. Action Items

   • Specific steps we'll take to prevent similar situations in the future.

Want to explore more customer success strategies? Check out my comprehensive guide on building effective customer success plans.

Quick Tips for Effective Post-Mortems

1. Do them soon after a customer leaves, while the details are fresh.

2. Include people from different teams (like sales, support, and product) to get a full picture.

3. Focus on finding solutions, not pointing fingers.

As Jill Favro Sawatzky, Chief Customer Officer at Thought Industries, said in one of my interviews with top CS leaders:

💡"It's not just about keeping customers happy. It's about ensuring that they are getting the most value from a product or service, which in turn drives retention and growth."

Learn more in my interview with Jill here.

Looking for more ways to boost your customer success skills? Explore my ultimate collection of customer success templates.

Basic Template Example

Here's an overview to get you started:

Customer Name:

Account Details:

Churn Date:

1. Why did they leave?

   • Main reason:

   • Other factors:

2. What did we try to keep them?

   • Efforts made:

   • Customer's response:

3. What did we learn?

   • What went well:

   • What could improve:

4. What will we do differently?

   • Action item 1:

   • Action item 2:

   • Action item 3:

Ready to take your post-mortems to the next level? Learn how to turn boring QBRs into growth rockets with my in-depth guide.

Want the full template in detail?

Upgrade to Premium now and download my Churn Post-Mortem Template to take your analysis to the next level.

Krystel Leal, Head of Customer Success at OneText, highlights the importance of continuous learning:

💡"If you're a customer success manager or just really passionate about customer experience, don't be shy to share your thoughts, ask questions, and share insights on social media or at events. You never know, you might just be influencing someone with what you have to say."

Discover more insights from Krystel in my interview here.

As Peter Drucker, the renowned management expert, famously said:

"What gets measured gets managed."

So start measuring and managing your churn today, better!

For more insights on measuring and improving customer success, don't miss my guide on Net Dollar Retention (NDR) - a key metric for SaaS success.

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💡Need more templates? Check out my 150-page Customer Success Templates Collection. It's an all-in-one resource packed with everything you need, from customer onboarding to renewal planning. Stop wasting time creating templates from scratch— bookmark, and add them to your favorites today!

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Part 2: In-Depth Guide to Customer Churn Analysis

In this section, I’m covering the most advanced techniques, real-world applications, and strategies to make your post-mortems more effective:

1. Detailed Breakdown of Post-Mortem Components

2. Advanced Analysis Techniques

3. Integrating Post-Mortems into Your Customer Success Strategy

4. Overcoming Common Challenges

5. Case Studies

6. Customizing Your Post-Mortem Process

7. Measuring Impact

8. ⬇️Download My Full Post-Mortem Template

No commitment required. Cancel anytime.

"I love how the premium content goes deep into real-world examples. It's like having a mentor in my inbox every week." -Lisa M., Head of Customer Experience

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1. Detailed Breakdown of Post-Mortem Components

Here’s each part of the churn post-mortem template:

a. Customer Overview

…