On-boarding is the focus of so many of us but how do we handle off-boarding? A topic that has a lot less discussion and thought. Here are my thoughts:
- Make it easy and simple. I have seen so many off-boarding experiences that are the modeled on a Soviet era system: painful, punitive, unclear and as challenging as possible. After all they are leaving us, right? The heck with them! When I experience this (think any cable provider) my goal is NEVER patronize them again and spread my negative experience every chance I get.
- No tricks or traps. Yes, it's your data and we will give you a full export, unformatted. Or without any directions, knowing full well that few will have any idea what to do with it. Ha! Nothing ticks me off more as a consumer than the bait and switch, or outright lies that are told to get in the door. That half-price offer? That expired last week, sorry we forgot to tell you when you sat down! Never do this to customers. Always be upfront and honest during off-boarding.
- With grace, style and integrity. It is never fun to lose a customer. Often it has nothing to do with usage or getting value out of it. Mergers, or a change of leadership are out of our control. When you burn a customer and make them jump through hoops, or try to trick or trap them, they will NEVER BE BACK and spread the word of the lousy experience everywhere they go, for life. You want advocates who remember you if not fondly, without anger or hatred. Ones who might say, yes, that was good software and we should consider it.
