Customer churn survey template: 3 questions
Why did they cancel?
A churn survey asks customers why they are cancelling, at the point they cancel. People who have already decided to leave will answer a few questions, not many, so the Great Question template keeps it to three: why they are leaving, anything more they want to say, and how likely they are to recommend you. Run it continuously and the reasons build into a pattern you can act on.
Questions it can answer
- Why are customers leaving?
- What could we be doing better?
- Where should we improve our product or service?
What is a customer churn survey?
Customer churn surveys explore why a customer has canceled a subscription or stopped using a product. They gather valuable real-time feedback on the reasons why people are choosing not to continue using a product or service. Continually running a Churn Survey enables patterns and trends to be identified around what is causing people to leave. People completing Churn Surveys have already decided to leave, so ensure they’re short to maximize uptake.
Related guide: For counting and comparing the reasons, see our guide on how to analyze survey data.
Do it faster with a Claude skill: Survey designer. Builds a first draft of this study in Claude that you can edit before you send it.
The questions in this template
These are the questions in the Great Question churn survey template. Replace the text in angle brackets with your own.
Why have you decided to stop using <insert product or service>?
Multi Select
- I found a better solution
- I wasn't using it enough
- It was too expensive
- It was hard to use
- I don't need it any more
- Something else
Is there anything more you can tell us about why you chose to stop using <insert product or service>?
Long Text
How likely are you to recommend <insert organization / product / service> to a friend or colleague?
Linear Scale
Not at all likelyExtremely likely
Questions you might add
These are our suggestions, not part of the Great Question template. Add them only if you will use the answers.
Is there anything that would have made you stay? Open text, optional.
Which product are you switching to? Short text, shown if Q1 is "I found a better solution".
Would you be open to a 20-minute call about your experience? Yes, No. Use the Yes list to recruit customer exit interviews.
How to run it
When to send. In the cancellation flow, before the cancellation is confirmed, with a clear option to skip. Don't make the survey a condition of cancelling. If you miss people there, send it by email shortly afterwards.
Length. Three questions is about right for people on their way out. Each extra question lowers the number of people who finish.
Sample size. Churn surveys collect slowly in most businesses, so let responses build over a quarter before reading percentages. Report the count alongside every percentage so a reason chosen by 4 of 20 people is not read like 40 of 200.
How to analyse. Q1 is multi select, so people can pick more than one reason and the percentages will add up to more than 100. Count each reason by month and by segment (plan, tenure, company size). Read the Q2 answers for each reason; "It was too expensive" often turns out to mean "I wasn't using it enough", which is a different fix. Q3 shows whether people leave on good terms, which matters for referrals and win-back.
Advantages
- Easy to track over time
- Short survey
- Alerts teams to problems
Limitations
- Might not be enough data
- Hard to get responses
- Could get skewed feedback
Frequently asked questions
What questions should a churn survey ask?
Why they are leaving, with a list of common reasons and "Something else", an open question for anything more they want to tell you, and how likely they are to recommend you. That is the whole Great Question template; add a question about what would have kept them if you plan to act on it.
When should I ask customers why they are cancelling?
In the cancellation flow, before they confirm, with a skip option. Response rates are highest there. A follow-up email reaches fewer people.
How do I get more responses to a churn survey?
Keep it to three or four questions, make the first one quick to answer, don't force answers, and don't make cancelling depend on finishing the survey.
What is the difference between a churn survey and an exit interview?
A churn survey gets short answers from many customers and shows which reasons are most common. An exit interview is a conversation with a few customers to understand the reasons in depth. See the customer exit interview template.