When you decide to start a membership business you may or may not realize the responsibilities (and obligations) you're taking on.
When you sell a one-off product like a t-shirt or book, your relationship with the customer is usually pretty short. After the sale is complete (assuming there aren't product issues) you're done with each other for the foreseeable future.
However, when you sell someone a recurring membership in a program, service, or course you offer, you're committing to a long term relationship with your customer.
- They expect you will solve their problem(s) not just upfront but on-going.
- They expect you will bill them fairly each payment period.
- They expect you will communicate when needed and be helpful in your responses.
- They expect you will continually improve what you're offering - since they will be continually paying you.
Almost everyone agrees consistent recurring revenue is a great business goal. But often we don't appreciate the other half of the equation from the customer's perspective. They expect recurring value that increases over time.