A contract can be running smoothly while a customer is quietly reconsidering the relationship. Service reports may look acceptable, invoices may be paid and meetings may remain polite. None of those signals, on its own, explains whether the customer still sees the partnership as valuable.
For a recurring-revenue business, waiting until renewal to understand that view leaves little room to respond thoughtfully. A better starting point is to make honest commercial dialogue part of the relationship throughout the agreement.
Look beyond the service report
Operational reviews matter. They explain performance against the commitments you made. They do not always reveal whether those commitments still match the customer's needs.
An MSP might be meeting response targets while the customer's management team is frustrated by onboarding, unclear advice or the time required to obtain a decision. A change of leadership can also bring different priorities without immediately changing the service being consumed.
Ask what has changed in the customer's business and whether the current arrangement still supports it. Make room for an answer that challenges your own view of the relationship.
Ask questions that make candour easier
A broad question about satisfaction can invite a short, reassuring response. More specific prompts give customers somewhere useful to begin:
- Which part of working with us takes more effort than it should?
- What has become more important to your team since we last reviewed the agreement?
- Where do our reports differ from your day-to-day experience?
- Who else should be involved in assessing whether the service is meeting your needs?
Listen without immediately explaining why an issue occurred. The first task is to understand the impact. A customer who shares a concern is giving you an opportunity to respond before their view becomes a decision.
Turn the conversation into visible follow-through
Record the concern, the action agreed, the owner and the point at which you will return with an update. Where a request falls outside the current service, explain the choices and implications clearly rather than making an informal promise that delivery colleagues cannot sustain.
Account management and service delivery should share this picture. Otherwise, the customer may have to repeat the same concern to people who each hold only part of the context.
Keep renewal readiness visible
A useful account review brings together the customer's priorities, outstanding commitments, key relationships and the route to a renewal decision. It should distinguish a contractual date from the point when the customer will actually consider alternatives.
There is no universal timetable for every account. Agree a review rhythm that fits the relationship and the customer's planning cycle. As renewal approaches, confirm decision-makers and next steps early enough for both sides to consider their options properly.
The purpose is to make the customer feel understood throughout the relationship. A well-handled renewal then follows an ongoing conversation about value, rather than becoming the first occasion on which that conversation takes place.
Expanded website edition of a post by Robbie Campbell. View the original LinkedIn post (opens in a new tab).