Customer Cancellation and Retention Workflow

Why should we automate customer cancellation handling instead of managing it manually?

Manually tracking cancellation requests across email threads and spreadsheets makes it easy to miss retention windows or delay billing changes. This workflow captures every request as a record with a status and timeline, so account owners, CSMs, billing, and support always know what stage a cancellation is at. It also standardises the retention assessment step and routing logic, helping reduce inconsistency between how different team members handle similar requests.

What is the ROI of using this workflow compared to ad hoc retention efforts?

By routing retention assessment to the account owner before a cancellation proceeds, the workflow creates a consistent opportunity to present a save offer, which can support higher retention rates than an unstructured process. It also reduces administrative time spent chasing billing and access removal tasks by assigning and tracking them directly on the record. Because each step and decision is logged, teams can review outcomes over time to see how retention offers are performing.

Who is involved in assessing and approving a retention offer?

The account owner is the first person involved, recording contract and notice terms, save potential, and any retention offer details. If the offer value exceeds $500, a customer success manager reviews it and approves or rejects it before it is sent to the customer. If there is no offer to make, or the offer is below the threshold, the workflow proceeds without the CSM approval step.

What happens if the CSM rejects a proposed retention offer?

The workflow routes based on the CSM's decision: approved offers move forward to be sent to the customer, while rejected offers are routed differently within the workflow. The specific downstream path depends on how the workflow has been configured for rejected offers in that workspace. Every decision and its outcome is saved on the record so the reasoning and result remain visible in the timeline.

How does the customer respond to a retention offer?

The customer receives an emailed form containing the retention offer details, along with fields to record their decision and any comments. They do not need an account to respond; the workflow waits for their reply before continuing. Their decision and comments are then saved directly onto the record.

What happens if the customer accepts the retention offer?

If the customer accepts, the record status is set to Retained, and a confirmation email is sent letting the customer know the agreed offer has been applied and their account continues. This closes out the cancellation process without triggering the billing stop or access removal steps.

What happens if the customer declines the offer or there is no offer made?

If the customer cancels or no retention offer applies, the record status moves to Cancelling, and the workflow assigns tasks to billing and support. Billing stops recurring charges and issues any final invoice, recording the date this was completed, while support removes the customer's access and records that date as well. Once both tasks are completed, the status updates to Cancelled and a confirmation email is sent to the customer.

Can we customise the retention offer approval threshold or the form fields?

Yes, changes like adjusting the $500 approval threshold, adding fields to the request or offer forms, or changing email wording can be made by describing the change in plain English or editing the steps directly in the workflow editor. Earlier versions of the workflow are kept, so changes can be reviewed or reverted if needed.

How do we track the status of cancellation requests across the team?

Each cancellation request is a record with a reference number, a current status such as Received, Offer Made, Retained, Cancelling, or Cancelled, and a timeline showing what happened at each step. Table views and dashboards display records grouped by status, making it straightforward to see which requests need attention. Workspace activity related to the workflow is also logged.

Does this workflow handle billing and access removal automatically?

The workflow assigns stopping recurring billing and issuing a final invoice to the billing team, and assigns access removal to the support team, waiting for each task to be completed and recording the date. If the workspace has connected its own Stripe account for payments, a payment step would need to be added to the workflow to use it; the current workflow tracks completion dates for these tasks rather than processing payments itself.