Customer churn survey
Most churn surveys ask 'why did you cancel?' and get a shrug. This one asks about what people actually did, so you get reasons you can act on instead of polite generalities.
Best for: SaaS founders and PMs running cancellation or win-back research.
Use this template free1 of 7
What were you trying to get done when you first signed up?
A live preview of this template. Click through it. Nothing gets sent.
The questions
- 1What were you trying to get done when you first signed up?Long textAnchors the cancel in the original job-to-be-done.
- 2What did you do the last time you needed that, instead of using us?Long textPast behavior beats hypotheticals — this is the Mom Test move.
- 3When did you first feel like it wasn't working for you?Short text
- 4What was happening right before you decided to cancel?Long text
- 5How are you solving this now?Long textReveals the real competitor — often a spreadsheet or doing nothing.
- 6How disappointed would you be if you couldn't use us anymore?Single selectVery / Somewhat / Not disappointed — the Sean Ellis signal, even on the way out.
- 7What would have had to be true for you to stay?Long text
How to run it well
- Send within 24 hours of cancellation — memory decays fast.
- Lead with behavior questions; save the rating scale for last so it doesn't anchor the open answers.
- Tag responses by plan and tenure — week-2 churn and month-12 churn have different causes.
- Quote the exact words back in your roadmap. 'Too expensive' usually means 'I never hit the value'.
FAQ
How many churn responses do I need?
The same reasons usually start repeating after 15–20 open-ended responses. Below that, treat each count as an early sign, not a conclusion.
Should churn surveys be anonymous?
Tie responses to the account so you can segment by plan and tenure, but tell respondents you won't use it for a sales pitch — honesty rises when there's no upsell coming.
Related templates
- User interview script (Mom Test)Mom Test questions that get the truth instead of polite encouragement.
- Product-market fit surveyThe Sean Ellis 40% test, plus the questions that find your best segment.
- NPS surveyThe 0-10 question plus the open follow-up that explains the score.
- Customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveyMeasure satisfaction on a real interaction, not a vague overall rating.