Win-back email to a cancelled customer
Writing to a customer who cancelled a few months ago, when something has genuinely changed that relates to why they left.
- Category:
- Re-engagement
- Length:
- 60 words
Subject line options
- You asked for {{feature}}. It's live.
- {{product}} has changed since you left
The email
Hi {{first_name}},
When you cancelled {{product}} in {{month}}, you told us {{cancellation_reason}}. That was fair.
We've since {{change}}. It's live for everyone now, and here's a two-minute look at how it works: {{link}}
If that solves what was missing, you can restart on your old plan from your account page. If it doesn't, I'd like to hear what would.
{{your_name}}Highlighted {{placeholders}} are the parts to replace. If you cannot fill one with something true and specific, cut the sentence rather than leaving it generic.
When to use it
Use it when a customer gave a reason for cancelling and you have shipped something that addresses it. That is the only honest basis for a win-back email. A generic "we miss you" with a discount teaches customers to cancel for a discount.
Segment by cancellation reason so each group gets the change that matters to them. If you did not collect reasons, the post-trial template's question-first approach works better.
Why it works
- It quotes their own reason back. It shows you listened, which is rarer than it should be.
- "That was fair" disarms. It avoids the defensive tone most win-back emails have.
- The second ask is feedback. Even if they stay gone, you learn what would have kept them.
Before you send
Ex-customer lists age badly: work addresses close when people change jobs, and old billing contacts get forwarded to nobody. Verify the segment with the free list check before sending, so a win-back campaign does not damage the domain you send product email from.