When a member leaves your membership website, you already know it’s important to ask client exit interview questions to gather valuable feedback and insights, right? But what questions should you ask when your goal is to maximize member retention rate?
In this article, we take a look at the client exit interview questions you should include, or not include, in your exit strategy and why. So let’s take a closer look.
Client Exit Interview Questions
No one wants to see members leave. But, no matter how good your content is, there will always be members who quit your membership website.
The key to a good exit interview is to uncover problems that you need to address, such as buggy sites, problems with content delivery, a mismatch between your marketing and product, how you communicate with your clients, and even whether you’re missing key features.
Once a number of people point to the same reason for leaving, it’s time to take a look at that area for improvement.
While every online membership community is different, the following are some of the key client exit interview questions you should or shouldn’t ask:
How Would You Rate Our Service Overall?
Asking a general question about your exiting members’ overall satisfaction with your products or services is a good way to establish your performance.
A simple rating scale or open-ended question like, “On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied were you with our services?” can give an overall impression of their general sentiment. It may not be all bad.
Why Would You Rate Us That Way?
Be prepared for both positive and negative feedback with this question. However, it is essential to gain deeper insights into the reasons behind a member’s reason for leaving.
Encouraging members to air their concerns (or compliments) provides valuable feedback for targeting improvements or maintaining the positive aspects of your business.
Being genuine in hearing the former client out, thanking them for their input, and showing that you are taking immediate steps to correct whatever issues they saw will go a long way in preventing bad reviews elsewhere on the internet that could hurt your brand.
What Did You Really Like?
The answer to this question will help you to identify your strengths and the positives in your members-only area from your member’s point of view. You can use this feedback to create marketing strategies and improve areas in which your members are happy with.
What Disappointed You And How?
This question is crucial for giving you the reason for your member’s disappointment and their reason for leaving. It may be difficult to hear what you’re getting wrong, but it is important to know why.
Knowing your member’s reason for leaving your site gives you valuable information about where you can make improvements, which helps to prevent member’s leaving in the future.
What Do We Need To Fix?
Asking what needs to be fixed is a direct question that can prompt your members to highlight any specific issues that are their reasons for leaving. This is important, as you may not even be aware of the problem.
Do you send too many annoying emails or not enough updates?
Does a key page fail to load?
Is your communication style less than friendly at times?
Whatever it is, you can use the answer to address any immediate concerns.
Again, this question also demonstrates your willingness to improve your member’s overall experience by actively responding to and resolving the things you need to fix. Better they blast you on a feedback form than write negative things about you online.
Can You Introduce Us To Someone Who Would Benefit From Our Help?
This question is one to avoid! Why? You are conducting a members exit interview, which means they are leaving your membership website for a reason.
Asking “can you introduce us to someone who would benefit from our help” shifts the focus from the client exit interview questions towards looking for referrals. This may appear opportunistic and irritate your members even more.
Instead, send this question as a follow-up for former clients who had a positive experience with your site and found it valuable. Once they return the survey, wholeheartedly thank them and ask if they know anyone who would benefit from your help.
An exit interview is a valuable part of your marketing effort since it collects key information that you need to shape your delivery and marketing message. Don’t skip this step. It will help you see how your members see you and what you can do to make your business even better.
Read next: How Do I Encourage My Membership Renewal?
