
13/01/2025
When your health score fails: Why "healthy" customers can still cancel
Written by Deborah Knight
"I can't believe it - our biggest client just cancelled. The same one who's been at every webinar, showing fantastic adoption stats, and was lined up for a £50k expansion..."
Let me be honest - this conversation hits close to home. I've been there, both giving and receiving this news. That moment when a seemingly perfect customer partnership suddenly shifts course? It's a powerful catalyst for transformation.
Here's a sobering reality: only 1 in 26 customers will actually voice their concerns before churning. The rest? They'll simply leave without saying a word. This means that for every customer who raises their hand with an issue, there could be 25 others silently reconsidering their partnership with you.
Here's what I've learned about looking beyond the surface:
Those impressive adoption stats? They're valuable indicators, but they're just the start of the story. The real opportunity lies in understanding how these metrics translate into your customer's version of success.
That reassuring green health score? Think of it as chapter one in a longer narrative about your customer's journey and aspirations.
Your engaged programme participant? They're offering valuable insights, but the story needs to reach decision-makers too.
That exciting expansion opportunity? It needs to be co-created and nurtured with your customer, not just planned for them.
When a "healthy" customer champion becomes an unexpected departure, it's easy to focus on what went wrong. But I've found these moments often reveal our greatest opportunities to evolve and strengthen our approach.
Let's be real for a moment - business decisions aren't made purely on metrics and data. Our customers are humans first, and their journey with us is as much emotional as it is logical. That green health score? It can't measure how your customer feels about their last interaction with support, or their confidence in your product's future direction.
This is your chance to:
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Reimagine your health score as a dynamic tool for understanding customer ambitions
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Transform your advocacy programmes into platforms for meaningful partnership
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Develop renewal and expansion strategies that put customer outcomes first
I've learned that success isn't about perfect metrics - it's about building genuine partnerships that drive mutual growth. By focusing on authentic connections and real business impact, you create relationships that thrive through change.
Let's turn these challenging moments into opportunities for transformation. Because every unexpected departure holds the seeds of stronger, more resilient customer partnerships.
Enhance the experience,
see the growth
Get in touch today using the form and we'll show you how we can help.