At‑Risk Ticket Reasons & Next Steps (Support → CX Workflow)

Core rule: The action itself for at‑risk situations is to assign the ticket to Customer Experience (CX), Adam, Lara, or Helen (following the decision trees), based on the triggers below.

• For reasons #1, #2, #4, #7, Support:
  • Does not reply to the customer.
  • Adds an internal note summarizing the inquiry/concern.
  • Assigns the ticket directly to Adam, Lara, or Helen.
• For the other reasons, Support:
  • Sends an initial reply and gathers context.
  • Then assigns to Adam, Lara, or Helen.

 

1. Explicit cancellation / non‑renewal / switching

Examples:

• Talks about cancelling:
  • “I want to cancel my account.”
  • “Please cancel our subscription/service.”
  • “How do I cancel?”
• Mentions non‑renewal:
  • “We won’t be renewing.”
  • “We’ve decided not to renew our contract.”
• Mentions switching providers:
  • “We’re moving to another provider.”
  • “We’re looking at other vendors/alternatives.”

Support next step:

• Do not reply to the customer.
• Add an internal note summarizing:
  • Exact phrasing or key quote(s) about cancellation/non‑renewal/switching.
  • Any dates or timing mentioned (e.g., renewal date, when they plan to cancel).
• Assign the ticket directly to the CX team, following our decision tree.

 

2. High‑risk renewal / “cancellation policy” inquiries

Examples:

• Evaluating renewal with risk tone:
  • “We’re evaluating whether to renew or find another solution.”
  • “We’re not sure we’ll renew unless things change.”
• “Cancellation policy” inquiry:
  • “What is your cancellation policy?”
  • “Can we cancel at any time? How much notice is required?”
  • “What happens if we don’t renew?”

Support next step:

• Do not reply to the customer.
• Add an internal note summarizing:
  • The core question (renewal vs. alternatives, cancellation policy).
  • Any context indicating they’re reconsidering staying with us.
• Assign the ticket directly to the CX team, following our decision tree.

 

3. No value / ROI concerns

Examples:

• “We’re not seeing the ROI we expected.”
• “We’re not getting any value from this service.”
• “This isn’t worth what we’re paying.”
• “The return on investment just isn’t there.”
• “For this price, we expected a lot more.”
• “We aren’t receiving any matches.”
• “We haven’t seen any completed matches.”

Keywords/ideas: ROI, return on investment, no value, not worth the cost, too expensive for what we get.

Support next step:

• Send an initial reply:
  • Thank them for the candid feedback.
  • Ask for:
    • Their top 2–3 outcomes/goals.
    • Specific examples where they felt value was missing.
• After they respond, add an internal summary of:
  • Their goals.
  • Their examples.
  • Any time sensitivity.
• Assign the ticket directly to the CX team, following our decision tree with that context.

Template – ROI / Value Concern

Hi <<Name>>,

Thank you for being honest about how things are feeling on your end It’s important to us that you feel confident in the value you’re receiving, so we’re eager to provide assistance here.

I took a moment to review your account and wanted to share a quick snapshot of the impact so far:

• $<<<X>>> identified in potential matching gift revenue
• $<<<X>>> in matches already initiated by your donors

You also have strong foundational pieces in place:

• Your matching gift search tool is embedded directly on your donation form (<<<INSERT LINK>>>), making it easy for donors to check eligibility in real time and take action immediately after giving.
• The matching gift plugin is live on your website (<<<INSERT LINK>>>), helping surface opportunities even outside of the donation process.

Matching gifts often build momentum over time as awareness grows among donors and outreach strategies are refined. There may also be opportunities to optimize messaging, email cadence, placement, or promotion to help increase conversion rates. We’d love to partner with you on that.

I’m looping in <<Adam/Lara/Helen>> from our Client Experience team so we can take a closer look together, review what’s working, identify any gaps, and outline clear next steps to help you feel more confident in the value of the platform.

We’re here to support you, and we truly want this to feel like a worthwhile investment for your team.

All the best,

 

4. Budget / internal pushback / downgrades or pausing

Examples:

• Budget or internal pushback:
  • “Our finance team is pushing back on this spend.”
  • “We’re not sure we can justify this price internally.”
  • “We have to cut costs; this subscription is under review.”
  • “We’ve lost grant funding.”
  • “We’re going through budget cuts.”
• Downgrades or pausing:
  • “We’d like to downgrade our plan.”
  • “Can we pause our subscription for a few months?”
  • “We’re looking for a cheaper plan / lower tier.”

Even if they don’t explicitly say “cancel,” this behavior signals meaningful churn risk.

Support next step (per manager’s guidance):

• Do not reply to the customer.
• Add an internal note summarizing:
  • The budget/pushback/downgrade/pausing request.
  • Any constraints or timing they mentioned.
• Assign the ticket directly to the CX team, following our decision tree.

 

5. Billing or upgrade confusion that threatens trust

Examples:

• Legacy/variable upgraded plans to Standard (confused / not aware of upgrade):
  • “We didn’t know we were upgraded; why did our bill increase?”
  • “I wasn’t aware of this plan change.”
  • “We never agreed to this upgrade.”
• Billing / subscription confusion:
  • “Why am I billed this amount?”
  • “We didn’t know we were subscribed.”
  • “Who authorized this subscription?”
  • “We never meant to sign up for this.”

Support next step:

• Support replies first:
  • Acknowledge the confusion and apologize.
  • Review the account and invoices.
  • Provide a clear explanation of:
    • Current plan and pricing.
    • Any upgrades or changes (e.g., legacy/variable → Standard).
• If the customer:
  • Remains upset,
  • Expresses distrust, or
  • Mentions cancelling / not continuing,
    then:
  • Add an internal note summarizing what you found and their reaction.
  • Assign the ticket directly to the CX team, following our decision tree.

Template – Billing Confusion

Hi <<Name>>,

Thank you for reaching out and flagging this. I completely understand how unexpected billing changes can feel confusing or concerning, and I’m sorry for any stress or frustration this may have caused.

I’ve taken a close look at your account, and here’s what I’m seeing:

• Current plan: [Plan Name]
• Current pricing: [$X]
• Change/upgrade date: [Date]
• Reason for change: [Brief, clear explanation — e.g., renewal adjustment, plan upgrade, contract transition, etc.]

If any part of this feels unclear or doesn’t align with your understanding, please let me know. I’m more than happy to walk through the details with you step by step. Your trust is incredibly important to us, and we want to ensure everything feels transparent and straightforward.

If it would be helpful, I can also connect you to our Client Experience team for a quick call to review this together.

Please don’t hesitate to share any remaining questions. I’m here to help make sure you feel fully comfortable with the explanation!

All the best,

(If they remain upset → internal note + assign to CX.)

 

6. Strong dissatisfaction with service or support

Examples:

• “I’m not happy with the service.”
• “We’re really unhappy with how this is working.”
• “This has been a terrible experience.”
• “We’re very frustrated with your support.”
• “If this isn’t fixed, we’ll have to consider other options.”
• “We’re close to walking away from this.”
• “We continue to encounter this issue.”

Support next step:

• Review this internal article first: How to Handle Frustrated clients (email or calls)

• Draft a response and run your draft by your manager before sending OR

• Determine if escalation is needed:

• • High revenue impact
  • Mention of cancellation or contract concerns
  • Repeated unresolved issues
  • Depending on the source of the frustration.
    → If yes, escalate to CX or Implementation per the decision tree.
  • Add an internal note, before escalating, summarizing:
    • Key issues.
    • Customer impact.
    • Your current remediation steps.

 

7. Considering cancellation/alternatives/misfit

Examples:

• “We’re considering cancelling if things don’t improve.”
• “We’re reviewing whether to renew with you.”
• “We’re evaluating other solutions before we renew.”
• “Not sure we’ll be renewing our contract.”
• “This no longer fits our needs.”
• “We’ve outgrown this solution / need features you don’t provide.”

Support next step:

• Do not reply to the customer.
• Add an internal note summarizing:
  • The phrasing around “considering cancellation/alternatives/misfit.”
  • Any information about why they feel it’s not a fit.
• Assign the ticket directly to the CX team, following our decision tree.