Renewal Intent Survey to Predict Customer Renewals
Stop guessing whether customers will renew. Get direct feedback about renewal intentions, identify at-risk accounts early, and take proactive steps to secure renewals before it's too late.
The renewal challenges that keep SaaS teams up at night
Without visibility into customer renewal intentions, teams face uncertainty and reactive churn management. Here are the most common renewal pain points we help solve.
The Cost of Renewal Surprises
Without renewal intent data, you're flying blind. Happy customers might silently leave, and you only discover problems when it's too late to fix them. That's where renewal intent surveys help you predict and prevent churn before it impacts your revenue.
What is a Renewal Intent Survey (and why timing matters)
A Renewal Intent Survey measures customer likelihood to continue their subscription before the renewal decision is made. It asks one critical question:
"How likely are you to renew your subscription?"
Based on their response, the survey intelligently asks follow-up questions to understand barriers and what would make renewal more likely, giving you actionable data to prevent churn.
| Response | Risk Level | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Definitely | Loyal Customers | Strong renewal candidates |
| Probably | Positive but needs attention | Monitor and nurture |
| Not sure | At Risk | Needs immediate intervention |
| Probably not | High Risk | Priority for retention efforts |
| Definitely not | Critical Risk | Immediate action required |
This survey helps you predict renewals and intervene early, turning uncertainty into proactive retention strategies.
See the Renewal Survey Template in Action
This template identifies renewal risk and provides specific feedback on what would improve renewal likelihood.
Example Questions:
- • How likely are you to renew your subscription?
- • What's the main reason you're not planning to renew?
- • How satisfied are you with the product so far?
What to do after collecting renewal feedback
Turn renewal intent data into retention strategies that secure more renewals.
Identify risk levels
Categorize customers by renewal intent to prioritize your retention efforts.
Schedule follow-ups
Reach out to at-risk customers with targeted offers and solutions based on their feedback.
Track improvement
Monitor how your interventions affect renewal rates and customer satisfaction over time.
This systematic approach ensures you address renewal concerns before customers decide to leave.
Track renewal risk and retention drivers
See which customers are at risk of not renewing, identify common renewal concerns, and track improvements in renewal rates.
Renewal Risk Dashboard
Visualize renewal likelihood across your customer base with clear risk segmentation.
Trend Analysis
Track how renewal intent changes over time and identify patterns that predict churn.
Reason Analysis
Understand the most common reasons for non-renewal and prioritize fixes accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a renewal intent survey template?
A renewal intent survey template is a pre-built questionnaire designed to measure customer likelihood to renew their subscription before the renewal date. It asks about renewal intentions, uncovers barriers to renewal, and identifies what would make customers more likely to continue. PulseAhead's template includes smart conditional logic to only ask relevant follow-up questions.
How do I use a renewal intent survey template?
Set up automated surveys to trigger at 90, 60, and 30 days before renewal dates. The template will ask customers about their renewal likelihood, follow up with specific questions based on their responses, and provide you with actionable data to prevent churn. You can customize the timing, questions, and follow-up actions in PulseAhead.
Can I customize the renewal intent survey questions?
Yes, you can fully customize the template in PulseAhead. Modify the renewal likelihood options, change the follow-up questions, add company-specific scenarios, or adjust the conditional logic. The template provides a proven structure that you can adapt to your unique renewal process and customer relationships.
When should I send renewal intent surveys?
The optimal timing is 90, 60, and 30 days before renewal. This gives you enough time to address concerns while the renewal is still top-of-mind for customers. For annual contracts, you might also consider a 120-day check-in. The key is consistent timing that allows for meaningful intervention before the renewal decision is made.
How can renewal intent surveys help reduce churn?
Renewal intent surveys identify at-risk customers before they decide to leave, giving you time to address their concerns proactively. Instead of waiting for cancellation notices, you get early warning signals and specific feedback about what would make customers more likely to renew. This transforms reactive churn management into proactive retention.
What should I do when customers indicate they're unlikely to renew?
Act immediately with targeted interventions based on their specific concerns. If it's a pricing issue, consider discounts or plan adjustments. For feature gaps, prioritize roadmap items. For usage problems, provide training or support. The key is addressing the root cause rather than offering generic incentives - the survey tells you exactly what they need.
Can renewal intent surveys help with revenue forecasting?
Absolutely. By collecting quantitative renewal likelihood data at multiple points before renewal, you get leading indicators that are more accurate than usage metrics alone. This helps predict revenue with greater certainty and allows you to take proactive steps to secure at-risk renewals, reducing the surprise element in your forecasting.
How often should I run renewal intent surveys?
For most SaaS companies, surveying at 90, 60, and 30 days before renewal provides the right balance of insight and timing. High-churn products might benefit from more frequent check-ins. The key is consistency - establish a cadence that gives you time to act on the feedback without overwhelming customers.