One of the things I adore about being at the size that I’m at with CoachAccountable (and which I suspect I will eventually really miss) is that I’ve got time to personally reach out to the coaches who use the system.  Yesterday a cancellation notice crossed my email:

Coach Cancellation
Reason: involved in another wellness project
Comments: I love the service.  I will be back.  My private client case load is down while I take on a wellness consulting project. I hope to reengage in 2014.

Thanks for all your support!

This was coming from a woman who’d been using CoachAccountable since January, and with whom I’d already enjoyed a few nice exchanges.  When I saw this a few hours after it originally sent, I replied with the following:

Hi ____,

I just saw this notice come through, sorry to see you go but I completely understand! Thank you for being a most positively encouraging early adopter of CoachAccountable. If you’d like I’d be happy to make an exception and keep your data in tact, such that if and when you’re ready to pick up again next year you can do so from right where you left off.  I figure it’s the least I can do for you. :)

Thanks again for the kind words!
John

This morning she replied:

You are so kind! I would LOVE it if you kept my account. If all goes well, this consulting gig could lead to many more clients.

Regarding another topic…I do a lot of group coaching. It would be nice to have a feature that let’s me communicate with a group if people.

Thanks so much! I’ll stay in touch!

Nice!  Not only to be able to do for someone what turns out to be a useful favor (and indeed one that benefits me by making it easy for her to return as a paying customer), but that bonus insight into what would be useful to an interested user: support for group coaching.  The timing on hearing that is quite nice, for I was able to reply:

Super cool,

I will do just that.  Just drop me a line whenever you’re ready for me to reactivate your account.

Funny you should mention group coaching.  This week I’m putting on the finishing touches to CoachAccountable Groups and I will be releasing it next week.  Should be some new, useful goodies for you whenever you return!

Cheers,
John

This reply came swiftly back:

Please send me info when available…I may be back sooner than I thought. I will be conducting some groups and may find that service helpful :)

Thanks!

What a fine and unexpected outcome, just for sending a quick love note thanking a customer on her way out the door.  This is doubly nice for me because, when heads down coding a major new feature, nothing does quite so nicely to motivate and focus those efforts quite like hearing from REAL PEOPLE who are genuinely interested in what I’m working on.

So I get to commence my day of programming with renewed vigor and focus.  Reaching out to people is awesome.