Subscription renewal monitoring and notification workflow
Maintaining accurate and timely notifications for subscription renewals is crucial for customer retention and business continuity. With subscriptions running across multiple platforms such as Apple, Google, and Roku, renewal events might be missed or delayed due to notification issues, leading to a risk of missed opportunities to engage and retain customers. This workflow is designed to track upcoming subscription renewals and notify customers accordingly, ensuring they are informed in advance about renewal events, which helps minimize churn and increase retention.
Objective
The goal of the Subscription renewal monitoring and notification workflow is to ensure that customers are notified ahead of their renewal dates, particularly in cases where auto-renewals are disabled. By proactively reaching out to customers whose subscriptions are approaching their renewal date, this workflow helps improve customer engagement and retention. It also ensures that any issues with renewals (e.g., failed payments) are identified before the subscription is allowed to lapse.
Workflow steps
- Input data:
- Fetch active subscriptions: The workflow begins by querying all active subscriptions from Apple, Google, and Roku with the "auto-renew" flag disabled. This could include filtering subscriptions whose renewal dates are within a specific timeframe, such as the next 30 or 60 days.
- Track upcoming renewal dates: Subscriptions with renewal dates falling within the defined window are flagged for review and notification.
- API task:
- Call Zuora’s subscription details API: For each identified subscription, the workflow calls Zuora’s Subscription Details API to retrieve the latest information on the subscription, including renewal status, payment methods, and related customer information.
- Cross-platform data collection: If required, additional data may be fetched from platform-specific APIs (Apple, Google, Roku) to confirm that the subscription status aligns with external data. This ensures that no discrepancies exist, particularly for subscriptions affected by platform-specific issues like delayed renewals or failed payments.
- Data validation:
- Identify non-renewing subscriptions: For each subscription nearing its renewal date, the workflow checks if the subscription will automatically renew or if manual intervention is needed. It flags any subscriptions that have auto-renew disabled or have a non-renewing status.
- Check payment status: If possible, the workflow cross-checks the payment status to identify subscriptions that may fail to renew due to invalid payment methods or other issues.
- Notification generation:
- Generate customer notification: For each subscription that is approaching renewal, a customer notification is generated. This could include:
- A reminder email about the upcoming renewal, especially for non-auto-renewing subscriptions.
- A message encouraging the customer to review their subscription or update payment methods if necessary.
- A call to action prompting customers to take necessary actions to avoid any disruption in service.
- Customize notification content: Depending on the channel (Apple, Google, or Roku), the workflow tailors the message content to align with the platform's terminology and requirements. For example, the notification might include specific links to the Apple App Store for Apple subscriptions or Google Play for Google subscriptions.
- Generate customer notification: For each subscription that is approaching renewal, a customer notification is generated. This could include:
- Send notifications:
- Dispatch notifications: The workflow sends out notifications via email, SMS, or in-app messages, based on the available communication channels and preferences specified by the customer.
- Set notification frequency: In addition to the initial renewal reminder, the workflow may include follow-up notifications at set intervals (e.g., 7 days and 1 day before renewal), ensuring customers receive timely reminders.
- Post-notification follow-up:
- Monitor customer responses: After sending notifications, the workflow can track whether customers have taken action (e.g., renewing the subscription, updating payment information).
- Escalate issues: If a customer does not respond, the workflow can trigger additional follow-up steps, such as sending an urgent reminder or flagging the account for manual intervention by customer support.
- Log and notify:
- Logging: All interactions and notification statuses are logged to maintain a record of customer communications. This allows teams to track engagement levels and improve future notification strategies.
- Alert on Non-engagement: If customers are repeatedly failing to respond to renewal notifications, or if there are potential issues (such as failed payment attempts), the workflow can escalate the issue to customer support for further action.
Benefits of the subscription renewal monitoring and notification workflow
- Reduced churn: By notifying customers in advance about upcoming renewals, particularly those without auto-renewal enabled, the workflow helps reduce the risk of cancellations and improves customer retention.
- Improved customer engagement: Providing timely reminders and easy access to subscription management helps customers stay engaged with the service and avoid interruptions.
- Efficient issue resolution: Identifying and addressing potential renewal issues (e.g., expired payment methods) before they result in a service disruption ensures a smoother customer experience.
- Optimized revenue: By ensuring that subscriptions renew on time and that customers are reminded to take action before expiration, this workflow helps maximize subscription revenue and reduces revenue loss from missed renewals.
- Platform-specific customization: Tailoring notifications for each platform (Apple, Google, Roku) ensures the messages are relevant and comply with platform-specific standards, increasing the likelihood of customer engagement.
Important considerations
- API rate limits: Be mindful of the rate limits imposed by each platform (Apple, Google, Roku) when calling their APIs, especially if your subscription base is large. This will help avoid throttling and ensure the workflow runs efficiently.
- Notification timing: Carefully schedule the timing of notifications to avoid overwhelming customers with too many reminders. Test and optimize notification windows to maximize engagement.
- Customer preferences: Respect customer preferences for communication, such as opting out of emails or using alternate notification channels (SMS or push notifications), and adjust the workflow to account for these preferences.