At the Scale Up Collective we’re big believers in the power of customer feedback. But asking for feedback isn’t just about what you ask – it’s about when you ask. Timing matters, and the right moment can make all the difference in the quality of the insights you gather. 

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Here’s a simple guide to some of the key times to ask your customers for feedback. These moments will provide you with the insights you need to keep improving your product and service, and highlight any burning areas that will help your acquisition and retention. 

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So let’s jump in…

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1. Right after sign-up / first purchase 

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The moment someone signs up is a goldmine for feedback. Their reasons for signing up are still fresh in their minds, and they can tell you exactly what drew them in. Use this time to ask:

• How did you hear about us? 
• What problem are you hoping to solve? 

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This is your chance to understand what initially attracted them to your product, giving you valuable insights into your messaging and positioning. 

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Tip: Why not? This is one of the most insightful questions - if they've started the buying journey but not completed to purchase, or they're cancelling a subscription.

• Why you chose not to purchase/ register? 
• What did you chose instead? 

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This helps you understand what’s working well and where you might need to improve in the early stages of the customer journey.

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3. After period of inactivity 

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If a customer hasn’t engaged with your product or service for a while, it’s important to check-in and understand why. Re-engagement feedback can give you crucial insights into what’s causing customers to drift away. Ask: 

• We noticed you haven’t used [product/service] in a while. Is there something holding you back?
• Does the [product/service] live up to your expectations?

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Understanding the reasons behind inactivity can help you refine your product and retention strategies. 

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4. After reaching a milestone

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When customers reach a key milestone, such as achieving a specific goal, it’s a great opportunity to check-in and gather feedback on how your product has helped them. Ask: 

• How has [product/service] helped you achieve your goals?
• What’s been the most valuable feature or benefit so far? 

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This feedback can help you identify what’s driving success for your customers, so you can do more of what work. 

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5. After a customer cancels or leaves 

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For subscription-based products and services, when a customer cancels, it’s crucial to understand why. This is one of the most valuable pieces of feedback you can get, as it gives you direct insights into where things might be going wrong. Ask: 

• Please could you share why you chose to leave?
• Is there anything we could have done differently to keep you on board? 

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Understanding why customers leave can help you reduce churn and improve your offering to better meet their needs. 

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For example, we recently worked with a client struggling with drop off and the onboarding journey. 

• The problem: After speaking with their customers, we discovered that the barrier to successful conversion was because they didn’t fully understand how the service worked and so were reluctant to sign up and pay a monthly subscription fee. 
• The solution: Using that feedback, we tested and refined the “how it works” messaging until we found the sweet spot that gave customers more confidence in the product. 
• The result? Increased conversion to subscription 🚀

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Here are some of our favourite FREE tools to help you start collecting feedback: 

• Google Forms 
• Tally Forms
• Hubspot Custom Forms (if you’re already using it,  you’re one step ahead!)

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Or, if you prefer to keep things simple, you can always send out personalised emails to a select group of customers and gather feedback directly that way.

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Make the most of these opportunities

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Asking for feedback at the right time is just as important as the questions you ask. These key moments – right after sign up, post-purchase, after periods of inactivity, after milestones, and after cancellations - are when your customers are most likely to provide meaningful, actionable insights. 

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So next time, you’re looking to improve your product or service, improve customer experience, and reduce churn –remember to time your feedback requisitions strategically. If you need help figuring out the best way to gather and act on customer feedback, we’re here to support you. Let’s make sure you’re asking the right questions at the right times.