Lost Reasons
When a deal doesn't close, logging why is the most valuable data point in your pipeline. After 3 months of tracking lost reasons, patterns emerge that tell you exactly what to fix -- whether it's pricing, response speed, or competitor positioning.
How It Works
When you move a deal to the Lost stage, CustomerFlows prompts you to select a reason:
- Drag the deal to the Lost column (or change the stage in detail view)
- A modal appears asking "Why was this deal lost?"
- Select a reason from your configured list
- Optionally add a note with more detail
- The deal moves to Lost with the reason attached
Default Lost Reasons
CustomerFlows provides these defaults, which you can customize:
| Reason | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Chose competitor | Customer went with another contractor |
| Too expensive | Your quote was higher than their budget or competing bids |
| Timing not right | Customer wants to wait, postpone, or isn't ready yet |
| Unresponsive | Customer stopped replying to follow-ups |
| Out of service area | Job location is outside your coverage area |
| Scope mismatch | The work needed doesn't match your capabilities |
| Other | Anything not covered above (add a note explaining) |
Customizing Lost Reasons
- Go to Settings, then Pipeline, then Lost Reasons
- Add new reasons, edit existing ones, or remove reasons that don't apply to your business
- Click Save
Tips for custom reasons:
- Keep the list to 5-8 options. Too many choices slow down your team.
- Make reasons specific enough to be actionable. "Lost" tells you nothing. "Chose competitor -- lower price" tells you to review your pricing.
- Add trade-specific reasons if relevant (e.g., "Insurance claim denied" for roofing, "Landlord wouldn't approve" for rental properties).
Analyzing Lost Reason Data
Go to Analytics, then Lost Deals to see:
- Lost reasons breakdown: Percentage of lost deals by reason (pie or bar chart)
- Lost by source: Which marketing channels produce leads that don't close
- Lost by stage: At which stage deals most commonly fall off
- Lost over time: Are you losing more or fewer deals month over month?
What to do with the data:
| Top Lost Reason | What It Means | What to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too expensive | Your pricing is above market or you're not communicating value | Review pricing, add value justification to quotes |
| Chose competitor | Competitors are winning on speed, price, or trust | Mystery shop competitors, improve response speed |
| Unresponsive | Your follow-up cadence is too slow or too passive | Shorten follow-up intervals, add automation |
| Timing not right | Leads aren't ready but may be in the future | Build a re-engagement sequence for 30/60/90 days |
Making Lost Reasons Required
By default, lost reason selection is prompted but can be skipped. To make it mandatory:
- Go to Settings, then Pipeline, then Lost Reasons
- Toggle Require reason when losing a deal to On
- Team members cannot move a deal to Lost without selecting a reason
We strongly recommend making this required. Optional lost reasons result in 60-70% of lost deals having no reason logged, making the data useless.
Related
- Pipeline Overview -- How pipelines work
- Managing Deals -- Working with deals
- Customizing Pipeline Stages -- Modify your stages
Need help? Email [email protected] or ask in r/CustomerFlows.