Retention calls: who to call, when, and what to say so customers don’t leave
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
A retention call goes to a customer who shows a sign of leaving, before they actually go. The signs are simple: no repeat purchase in the usual time, a membership or contract about to end, a recent complaint, or using the service less. Don’t sell on this call; ask first: “Is everything all right?” Listen, note the reason and offer one fix that fits it. If they have decided to leave, thank them and leave the door open. Each month, tally the reasons and fix the main problem.
Warning signs: who to call
- No repeat purchase in the usual time: for example, they came every month and have been silent for six weeks.
- A membership, subscription or contract ends in one or two weeks.
- A recent complaint, or a call that went unanswered.
- Using the service less: fewer visits or orders.
- Went quiet after a price rise.
Pull this list from your CRM or sheet every week. The earlier you spot a sign, the easier it is to keep the customer: someone who has settled in elsewhere is harder to win back.
How the call goes
- Introduce yourself and say honestly why you’re calling: “You haven’t been in for three weeks, so I’m calling to check everything’s all right.”
- Ask one open question and listen without interrupting: “Is there something you stopped liking?”
- Write the reason down in a word: price, time, quality, moved, went elsewhere.
- Offer one fix that fits the reason: another time, a pause, a different stylist or trainer. A discount only if the reason is price.
- Agree the next step, or thank them and say a warm goodbye: “We’ll be glad to see you whenever you come back.”
Sample call
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, this is Malika from Kuch fitness club. Am I speaking with Jasur aka?
Caller: Yes, that’s me.
Sado: Jasur aka, your membership ends next week, and you haven’t been in for the last three weeks. I’m calling to check everything’s all right.
Caller: My shift at work changed, I can’t make it in the evenings.
Sado: I see. We open at seven in the morning. Or we can pause your membership for two weeks. Which suits you better?
Caller: Pause it, then I’ll switch to mornings.
Sado: Fine, I’ve noted it: your membership will be paused for two weeks. We’ll call you again that day. Have a good day!
The operator didn’t offer a discount: the reason was time, not price. The right question led to the right fix.
What not to do
- Don’t offer a discount straight away: if the reason is something else, it won’t help, and it teaches customers to wait for discounts.
- Don’t argue or make excuses: what the customer tells you is free advice.
- Don’t turn the call into a long survey: one or two questions are enough.
- Don’t call every week. If they say “don’t call me”, don’t call that number again.
What to measure
The key number is how many of the customers you called stayed: renewed or bought again. For example, 80 customers called in a month, 28 renewed. Compare that with a similar group you didn’t call. These numbers are only an example.
The second benefit is a table of reasons. At the end of the month, count how often each reason came up: lots of “time” means changing your schedule; lots of “quality” means fixing the service.
Handing these calls to an AI operator
With AI outbound calls you take the list of at-risk customers from Excel, Google Sheets or a CRM stage and set the calling hours. Sado’s operator talks with each customer live in Uzbek or Russian, asks the company’s questions and writes the answers to the portal. If a customer wants to discuss the price with a manager, the call is transferred to staff by your rule.
Results download to Excel, so building the table of reasons is easy. Only people you may call are called; here, your own customers. On working with lists: calls from Excel and Google Sheets. Questions? See frequently asked questions. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
When should we call a customer who shows a warning sign?
Soon after the sign appears: for example, a week before a membership ends or one or two weeks after the usual purchase date. Once they’ve settled in elsewhere, the call is too late.
Do we need a discount to keep a customer?
Only if the reason really is price. For any other reason a discount won’t help, and it teaches your other customers to wait for one.
May we call a customer who has already left?
Yes, once: to learn the reason and to thank them. If they say “don’t call me”, don’t call that number again.