“Too expensive” is the easiest answer
It blames nobody
“Too expensive” makes nobody lose face. No need to say the food was bad or the service was poor.
There was no clear day
Most people stop slowly, a little less each time, until they don't come back. Ask why, and they don't really know.
Ask for the story
Let them tell it from the start. Things they forgot will come back on their own.
You can fix thisThe start, what made it worth it, then the stop
Ask in this order. Don't jump to the stop first. The conversations below are made up, for a lunch-box delivery shop.
The start
The day they decided to try: what was happening, why then, and what they did before. This tells you what you really compete with.
Why did you choose us?
It's close, I guess.
Think back to your first order. What was going on then?
I'd just moved to an office near here. Every lunch I'd queue downstairs for ages.
What made it worth it
What made it worth paying for, in their own words, and one time it clearly mattered. “Delicious” is only praise. It isn't why it was worth it.
What did you like most?
It was delicious.
When you ordered often, how did it help you? Was there a day it really did?
Days with back-to-back meetings. I ordered in the morning and lunch was just there.
The stop
Ask about the last time, and what they did instead after that. Not why they stopped.
Why did you stop ordering?
Too expensive.
Do you remember your last order? What did you do for lunch after that?
I moved teams. I work from home three days now, so I couldn't eat it in time.
Each part tells you something different
- The start tells you what you compete with
In the example, the competitor isn't another lunch-box shop. It's the queue downstairs.
- What made it worth it gives you their own words
“Lunch was just there” says what they paid for, more clearly than “delicious”.
- The stop tells you what changed
In the example, it isn't the price. It's the days they go to the office. Some things you can fix, some you can't, and knowing is still useful.
“If we cut the price, would you come back?”
This question usually gets “yes”, and then they don't come back. What you should do comes from the story they tell, not from asking them. Why questions like this can't be trusted
Questions
They stopped a long time ago. Can I still ask?
Yes, but the longer ago, the fewer details they remember. People who stopped recently tell it more clearly.
They only say “too expensive”. How do I follow up?
Follow up on that word: “Expensive compared with what?” or “What do you use instead now, and how much is it?” Then you'll know if it's really the price, or just the easy answer.
Do I have to ask all three parts every time?
If they used what you sell, yes. The start and what made it worth it are often skipped, because the person asking only wants to know why they stopped.