Why I Won’t Renew My Auto-Ship

For Father’s Day, I bought my husband a subscription to a cigar club. Every month, he got a selection of five cigars. He loved it. I loved that he loved it. It was a win-win. Until it wasn’t.

One day, he says to me, “I haven’t received my cigars this month.” I log into the site and find that yes, the subscription has expired. AND I DID NOT GET A SINGLE REMINDER EMAIL. No offers to renew, no “We Want You Back” emails. Nothing. Literally, nothing.

Now, these cigar clubs aren’t cheap. I believe I paid several hundred dollars to keep my husband happily huffing away on cigars. One would THINK that the cigar club would want to retain its customers. But in this case, they didn’t even try.

And it gets worse. I logged into my account and wanted to renew my subscription but again, there was no way to do so. I had to start over, from scratch, to get a new subscription. I was pretty irked. I mean, I’m a paying customer! I’ve been happily using your service for months but zero recognition from the company for my loyalty.

Way too often, companies get so enamored with lead generation that they forget about their loyal customers. Everyone knows the number one rule of marketing: It’s easier to sell more to a current customer than it is to acquire a new one. In your marketing plans, what are YOU doing to recognize, reward, and thank your current customers? What are you doing to make them not just customers, but raving fans of your brand?

Of course this can vary depending on the type of company, product or service, etc., but every company that’s staying in business has customers. It’s important to take care of them. A little recognition can go a long way. Make them feel how important they are to you and your company. It will pay off, I promise.