Something I find effective is offering loyalty perks. For example gamefly gives you a voucher for every N months you stay with them and some perks that kick in

Something I find effective is offering loyalty perks. For example gamefly gives you a voucher for every N months you stay with them and some perks that kick in after a certain amount of time (eg. free shipping for merchandise after 3 years). Then when you go to cancel, they remind you that these benefits will be lost if you change your mind and want to rejoin, and offer you a discount if you prepay for the next 3 months up front. I find that quite effective. As for the original question, I think an exit survey is fine but make sure there is a free-format field as well - not all complaints can fit in a multiple choice format, and I at least have taken the time to leave detailed feedback when presented with the opportunity to do so.