Quick Facts
Retaining customers costs 5× less than acquiring new ones.
A 5% retention lift can increase profits by 25–95%
Our predictive model accurately identified 49% of attrition at an institution within the first three deciles.
17% of Your Customers Are Ready to Walk...
Which Should You Save First?
Retention drives ROI and we help banks identify which customers are worth saving first.
The Profit Erosion You Can’t See
Most institutions focus on new customer goals because that is what gets reported upstream. But while acquisition drives visibility, attrition quietly erodes profitability. Each lost customer represents not just balances, but future lifetime value, which ultimately results in millions in potential revenue gone.
10-15% of gross revenue is lost each year to attrition. If your bank has $1B in revenues, 10% lost = $100 million in lost revenue per year due to attrition.
Retention is the fastest, most cost-effective way to boost ROI.
So… Which Customers Should You Save First?
You can’t save everyone. The key is knowing where to focus first—the customers whose loss will most impact your bottom line.
While every institution’s data story is different, our modeling shows that certain patterns consistently reveal the “low-hanging fruit” of retention, meaning the customers most worth your early attention.
1) Single-Service, High-Balance Customers
These customers have meaningful balances but limited relationships, such as a single checking or savings account. They’re profitable today but easily persuaded by competitors’ rate offers.
Low-effort win: Cross-sell or re-engage these customers with a targeted “next best product” offer (e.g., credit card, HELOC, or digital savings tools). A single product addition can increase retention likelihood by 2–3x.
2) Recently Inactive or Dormant Accounts
Customers who stop transacting: fewer logins, fewer deposits, no card activity — often leave within 90 days. This group is one of the easiest to identify and recover.
Low-effort win: Run automated engagement campaigns to reactivate dormant users or reward digital logins. A simple digital reactivation offer can reduce attrition by 10–15% in that segment.
3) High-Profit, Low-Engagement Segments
This group typically includes small business owners, retirees, or mass-affluent customers who have balances but minimal day-to-day contact.
Low-effort win: Proactive outreach from a relationship manager or branch team, even one personalized email or call, can improve retention by up to 20% in this group.
Key Takeaways
Begin with owned demand
Leverage under-utilized HELOCs and mortgage holders before spending on broad acquisition.
Score, score, score
Even a lightweight propensity model outperforms a “good demographic fit.”
Mirror the mailbox online
Coordinate mail + email + social + Informed Delivery so each touch references the others.
Quote the number
For HELOC activations, always show the exact available line. Specificity converts.
Design for pivots
Pre-build creative variants and data feeds so rate changes do not derail timing.
Putting It All Together
Think of retention not as one big campaign but a series of small, focused saves. The most successful banks start by stabilizing their at-risk base, then build momentum through predictive modeling and continuous communication.
