Stop Emailing Bad News
A lesson in client retention
When I used to run subscriber renewals, we had a season ticket program, typical of most performing arts and sports venues. What you call it and how it’s packaged is another subject, but at the end of the day, they were season tickets. Every year a person either renewed their seats or requested a different location, so every year that subscriber was going to be notified whether or not they got the seats they requested. It was at this time that there were always “chargebacks,” people who did not renew at all because they did not get the location they wanted. A common theme emerged with the chargebacks: they were notified of their locations via email.
Two rules I used to follow about breaking bad news to a client:
It should always be a phone call.
It should happen right away.
Most of the chargebacks were people who were disappointed with their seating and, deep down, were upset they were not given a personal call with an explanation. When we transitioned the process to phone calls, the retention rate of these scenarios increased.
This is applicable to any business and any setting. You’ll keep the client and you will actually strengthen your relationship.