Glossary

Churn

What is churn?

Churn, or customer attrition, is the percentage of customers who stop using a company's products or services during a given period. The churn rate is an important metric for understanding customer loyalty and predicting long-term growth. A high churn rate may indicate dissatisfaction among customers, while a low churn rate signals high customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Why is it important to measure churn?

Measuring and analysing churn is crucial for a company's success for several reasons:

  • Cost: It is often more expensive to acquire new customers than to retain existing ones.
  • Revenue: Loyal customers tend to spend more over time and generate more revenue, significantly impacting their CLV.
  • Growth: High customer retention is a prerequisite for long-term, profitable growth.
  • Reputation: Satisfied customers become brand ambassadors and recommend the company to others.

By identifying the causes of churn and taking proactive measures, companies can reduce customer attrition, strengthen customer loyalty, and optimise customer lifetime value.

How to reduce churn

To reduce churn, companies should work in a data-driven and customer-centric manner:

  • Segment the customer base and identify the most valuable customer segments.
  • Analyse churn data to understand patterns and causes of customer attrition.
  • Develop predictive models to identify customers with a high risk of churning.
  • Tailor communication and offers to retain key customers.
  • Optimise the onboarding process to give new customers a good start.
  • Improve the customer experience at all touchpoints based on customer feedback.

By working proactively with churn analysis and customer retention, companies can build long-term customer relationships, secure recurring revenue, and create competitive advantages. A low and stable churn rate is a sign of a healthy and sustainable business.