31 Customer Retention Survey Questions to Reduce Churn & Improve Loyalty

Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey

Why & When to Use

Ever wondered if your customers would actually recommend you? The NPS survey is the gold-standard for measuring this. It doesn’t just tell you who’s happy and who’s grumpy. It predicts which customers will sing your praises (promoters), which might bad-mouth you at dinner parties (detractors), and which are just…meh (passives).

Deploy this survey a few months in, or after big wins for your customers. The results are gold for benchmarking your performance:

• Track loyalty trends over months and quarters.
• Benchmark against your industry (NPS is universal).
• Segment your audience for more targeted campaigns: invite promoters to referral programs and give detractors some TLC to win them back.
• Spot at-risk customers long before they churn.

The NPS is so simple, even a hurried customer will answer it—but ask a thoughtful follow-up and you’ll get the juicy details you need to make real changes.

Sample Questions

1. On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?
2. What is the primary reason for your score?
3. Which feature influenced your rating the most?
4. What could we improve to earn a higher score?
5. How likely are you to renew your subscription in the next 12 months?

Don’t forget: The open-ended follow-up is where you unlock the context behind the score. Look for patterns and use them to fine-tune your experience, icing out the competition one improvement at a time.

A study by Genroe found that a one-point increase in the "Would Recommend" score results in a 7.8% decrease in the risk of customer termination, making NPS 2.7 times more effective than customer satisfaction scores in predicting customer churn. (genroe.com)

Customer Effort Score (CES) Survey

Why & When to Use

The less work your customer has to do, the happier (and more loyal) they’ll be. That’s where the Customer Effort Score shines. It helps you measure how simple (or not-so-simple) it is to complete critical tasks, whether it’s making a purchase, getting help, or setting up a new feature.

Timing is everything. Fire off a CES survey immediately after a process, not weeks later when memories are faded and feelings have cooled. CES questions help you:

• Go straight to the source of friction—where customers bail or get frustrated.
• Prioritize UX fixes for the clunkiest workflows.
• Link low-effort experiences to higher retention and glowing reviews.
• Spot areas where competitors might have a smoother ride.

When CES results drop, it’s a sign your workflows are sneakily scaring away great customers. Remove those extra hurdles and watch loyalty go up—and support tickets go down.

Sample Questions

1. How easy was it to resolve your issue today?
2. The company made it simple to complete my goal.
3. Rate the effort required to set up your account.
4. How much do you agree: I quickly found the information I needed.
5. What step, if any, felt difficult or confusing?

On most CES surveys, a 1–5 scale (from “Very Difficult” to “Very Easy”) works best. Be sure to invite specific feedback for tricky steps so you know exactly what’s tripping customers up.

Loyalty & Renewal Intent Survey

Why & When to Use

Even loyal customers sometimes flirt with leaving. The Loyalty & Renewal Intent survey lets you peek behind the curtain, so you’re never blindsided by lost revenue. Send this survey 60–90 days before a contract ends—the perfect window to tempt customers with upgrades or nip doubts in the bud.

Don’t just wing your retention strategy—let your customers show you where to focus:

• Forecast renewals and flag customers who might bolt.
• Uncover what’s driving renewal intent, from must-have features to price or service.
• Pinpoint which customers are ripe for upsell offers or early contracts.
• Learn what would tip maybe-customers into staying for another round.

Timing matters here. Touch base too early, and their needs might change. Too late, and you’ve missed your shot at saving the relationship.

Sample Questions

1. How likely are you to renew your subscription when it expires?
2. Which factors most influence your renewal decision?
3. How integral is our product to your daily workflow?
4. What additional features would increase the value for you?
5. Rate your overall return on investment from our product.

Track these answers against customer behaviors (like logins or usage spikes) for even more predictive power. Then use what you learn to craft irresistible offers or simply deepen the relationship with your happiest users.

Implementing a "Propensity to Renew" survey 60–90 days before contract expiration effectively forecasts renewals and identifies customers at risk of churning. (metrichq.org)

Churn Risk / Exit Survey

Why & When to Use

Nobody likes a breakup, but when it happens, the churn risk survey is your chance to go full Sherlock Holmes. Trigger this as soon as a customer downgrades or cancels. Embrace the honesty; leaving customers are often your most brutally candid critics—and that’s gold for fixing future churn.

Don’t waste the opportunity to learn:

• Pinpoint the true root causes of churn so you can fix them for future customers.
• Capture competitive intel on who’s luring them away (and why).
• Spot reversible losses—sometimes, a well-timed save offer or promise to address concerns will win someone back before they’re fully out the door.
• Feed all insights directly into product, pricing, or communication adjustments.

Think of exit surveys as your “churn prevention manual”—the sooner you act on feedback, the better your odds of stopping the next exit.

Sample Questions

1. What is the primary reason you decided to cancel?
2. Which competitor are you switching to, if any?
3. What could have convinced you to stay?
4. How satisfied were you with our customer support?
5. Would you consider returning if we addressed your concerns?

Make these questions quick and easy—your departing customer is already halfway out the door. Show empathy, and sometimes you’ll spark just enough curiosity for them to give you another shot down the line.

Product Usage & Feature Adoption Survey

Why & When to Use

Do you really know which parts of your product spark the most joy? The Product Usage & Feature Adoption survey helps you double down on what’s working and rework what’s not. Deploy after users hit certain milestones: the 30th login, first workflow completed, or after a feature-rich update.

Smart product teams love this survey because it:

• Pinpoints highly used (or ignored) features, so you can focus your roadmap.
• Reveals which parts baffle users or go unused.
• Surfaces potential for new tutorials, guides, or power-user tips.
• Guides which capabilities you should shout about in marketing or onboarding.

Insights from this survey help you create a product that’s not just “used,” but “loved”—and that keeps customers coming back.

Sample Questions

1. Which features do you use most frequently?
2. Which feature delivers the most value to you?
3. Are there any features you find difficult to use or understand?
4. What new capability would make the product indispensable?
5. How often do you log in to the platform each week?

Sync the survey with usage analytics to spot disconnects—maybe a beloved feature isn’t well-promoted, or something rarely used could shine with a little love.

Onboarding Experience Survey

Why & When to Use

First impressions matter—a lot. The Onboarding Experience survey is sent right after your new user’s first 7–30 days, so you can seal the deal early and reduce early-stage churn. It’s your chance to check if your setup flows make sense and your welcome materials are actually, well, helpful.

This survey is a retention lifesaver because it:

• Validates onboarding resources: Are your guides and walkthroughs clear?
• Shows if users are achieving “first value” fast enough to keep them hooked.
• Highlights which steps are confusing or time-consuming, so you can streamline.
• Drives updates for self-serve help centers and in-app messaging.

New customers who hit their first “aha!” moment quickly are far more likely to stick around. This survey helps you create that magical spark.

Sample Questions

1. How clear were the setup instructions?
2. How long did it take to realize the first value from the product?
3. What step in onboarding was the most challenging?
4. Rate the helpfulness of our customer success resources.
5. What additional support would have improved your onboarding?

Keep loops short and sweet—new users are still forming opinions, and your quick response can turn confusion into delight.

Support Interaction Survey

Why & When to Use

It’s no secret: Support quality can make or break customer loyalty, especially right after a service interaction. The Support Interaction Survey lands in your customer’s inbox as soon as a ticket closes. In these precious moments, you’ll uncover fresh insights to keep your support top-notch and, more importantly, your customers satisfied.

Don’t let a great support moment slip by—this survey lets you:

• Tie customer satisfaction directly to the quality of your support team.
• Spot coaching opportunities for agents (and uncover hidden stars).
• Quickly address any “resolution gaps” that otherwise might linger and fester.
• Reinforce good habits by sharing praise and recognizing standout rep efforts.

High-quality support doesn’t just solve problems—it cements relationships. This survey is proof that every support ticket is a retention opportunity.

Sample Questions

1. How satisfied are you with the resolution provided?
2. How knowledgeable was the support representative?
3. How long did it take to resolve your issue?
4. Did the agent understand your problem?
5. What could we do to improve future support interactions?

Keep these surveys brief but insightful, and always follow up on unsatisfied responses—sometimes, correcting a single bad experience seals lifelong loyalty.

Best Practices & Dos and Don’ts for Customer Retention Surveys

Creating powerful customer retention surveys is an art and a science. Follow these best practices to maximize engagement, weed out bad data, and keep your brand shining. A few simple tips can turn good surveys into great ones:

• Send at the right moment: Strike while the iron’s hot, but don’t overdo it.
• Keep each survey focused: Aim for one clear metric and two to four follow-ups.
• Personalize invitations by name and transaction for a higher open rate.
• Share back the actions you take, so customers know their voices have an impact.
• Avoid leading questions: Neutral, open-ended queries get the clearest answers.
• Provide balanced answer options in all scales and lists.
• Integrate your results with CRM tools for easy follow-up and automated churn prevention.

Following these dos and don’ts keeps feedback honest, actionable, and a fundamental part of your customer experience strategy. And the payoff? Happier, more loyal customers who stick around—and tell their friends to join, too.

Customer retention survey questions unlock the truth behind what keeps customers loyal—and what sends them packing. By actively listening at every stage of the journey, you’ll uncover insights that fuel better products, smoother service, and a diehard fan base. Keep your surveys sharp, your follow-up swift, and your customers at the heart of everything you do. Because it’s not just about asking questions; it’s about taking action that earns trust (and lifelong business) every single time.