Buckle up for the most ridiculous business problem you've ever heard! (This is from our past business, PopLush Embroidery.)
Picture this: You've created the PERFECT embroidery subscription box. Gorgeous designs. Quality materials. Customers who literally fall in love with every kit.
So what's the problem?
These crafty humans were DROWNING in unfinished embroidery kits. Like hoarders, but make it Pinterest-pretty!
The exit survey confessions that broke my heart:
In 2019, we conducted comprehensive surveys to understand how our customers actually interacted with their subscription. What we discovered was both heartbreaking and enlightening.
The customer voices that changed everything:
"I LOVE the designs but I am so far behind. Taking a break for a while to catch my breath and complete some designs!" - Sadie
"How can such fun, cute designs make me feel so guilty! I just need a little time to catch up." - Janice
The insight that hit like a lightning bolt: Our customers craved embroidery projects but couldn't keep up with monthly patterns. Suddenly we weren't just selling embroidery projects—we were also accidentally selling stress and guilt.
1: The Great Shrinkage
We did something RADICAL. Ready for this?
We made everything smaller! Our 8" patterns became 5" patterns.
Why this was genius: Instead of staring at our projects like intimidating homework assignments, customers could actually FINISH things! Revolutionary concept!
The results were immediate:
"Been great to grow my confidence as an early stitcher!" - Sarah
2: The Login Liberation
Plot twist! We discovered ANOTHER way we were torturing our poor customers!
The crime: Making people log into TWO different systems just to skip a month! It was like requiring a passport to use your own bathroom!
The fix: One platform to rule them all! We transitioned from Shopify to Subbly and suddenly people were able to skip a month without jumping through digital hoops.
The magic: Retention climbed to 13 months! (That's 117% better than where we started!)
"Overwhelmed with work (the thing I do to pay for stitching) and just need to pause. I will be back though :)." - Brook (See that smiley face? That's retention gold!)
3: The International Rescue Mission
Here's where it gets REALLY spicy!
Our international crafters (5% of our membership) were getting ROBBED by shipping costs! Like, paying more for shipping than the actual subscription!
Most businesses would say: "Sorry, we don't do international subscriptions."
We said: "Hold our embroidery hoops!"
The innovation: Quarterly mega-packages! Three months of goodies in one shipment! Same amazing content, fraction of the shipping drama!
The result: International customers stuck around at the same rate as US customers.
The transformation was remarkable.
Retention Revolution:
"I couldn't believe how excited everyone was for this club and once we helped people ensure they didn't fall too far behind with their monthly projects, I myself felt excited to send out the packages. Doubling the retention rate allowed me to expand my business as well."
The strategic insight: Sometimes the best customer experience improvement is making your offering more achievable, not more impressive.
Every subscription business faces the engagement sustainability challenge. Whether you're delivering content, products, or services, the question remains: are you creating positive momentum or overwhelming backlog?
The key realization: Customer retention is as much about psychology as it is about product quality. When customers feel successful with your offering, they stay. When they feel behind or inadequate, they leave, even if they love what you provide.
The critical question: Is your product creating customer confidence or customer guilt?
Want to see similar results for your business?
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