Churn in one segment doubled last quarter. How would you find out why and what would you do?
What the interviewer wants to hear
- Confirm the data and define the segment clearly
- Compare churned and retained accounts on many factors
- Talk to churned customers
- Identify root causes, including outside CS
- Take targeted actions and measure results
Model answer
First I would confirm the spike is real and not a data or reporting change, and define exactly which accounts are in the segment. Then I would compare churned and retained accounts across many factors: acquisition channel, size, onboarding completion, time to value, product usage, support tickets, pricing changes and CSM coverage. Cohort views show whether the problem is new customers or older ones. I would speak to as many churned customers as possible, because data shows what happened but conversations show why. Often the cause sits partly outside CS, such as a product change, a pricing change or poor-fit customers from a new campaign. I would present the root causes with evidence, agree actions with each owning team, and set up a weekly tracker on leading indicators for the at-risk accounts still in the segment.
Can you answer it under time pressure?
Take a timed hard round and get scored on every answer.
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