Overview
Member loyalty is one of the greatest strengths of a cooperative—but it cannot be taken for granted. Conducting a Member Loyalty and Retention Risk Assessment allows cooperatives to proactively identify areas where member engagement may be weakening and take corrective action before dissatisfaction leads to attrition.
This best practice outlines how to systematically assess loyalty risk and build stronger, longer-lasting relationships with your member-owners.
Core Tactics:
- Conduct an Annual Loyalty Risk Survey.
Use targeted questions to:- Measure member satisfaction and trust
- Assess emotional connection to the cooperative
- Identify early signs of disengagement or dissatisfaction
- Understand factors influencing member renewal or attrition
- Use Principle 6 Loyalty and Retention Templates.
The P6 platform provides a ready-to-customize survey template designed specifically for assessing loyalty and retention risks, including benchmark comparison options.
Sample Key Loyalty and Retention Risk Questions:
Note: If your cooperative is using the Principle 6 Annual Member Engagement Survey, these loyalty and retention risk questions are already integrated into the standard survey. Using the full P6 Annual Survey is recommended because it provides a more holistic picture of member satisfaction, loyalty, and engagement—and enables benchmarking across other cooperatives by sector, region, and globally.
The sample questions below are for cooperatives that are not yet using the full P6 Annual Member Engagement Survey but still want to assess loyalty and retention risks independently.
| Category | Example Question | Proposed Answer Format |
| Overall Satisfaction | Overall, how satisfied are you with your cooperative membership? | 5-point Likert Scale |
| Emotional Connection | I feel a strong emotional connection to the cooperative and its mission. | 5-point Likert Scale |
| Renewal Intent | How likely are you to renew your membership next year? | 5-point Likert Scale |
| Advocacy Likelihood | How likely are you to recommend the cooperative to friends, family, or colleagues? | 10-point Likert Scale (NPS) |
| Barriers to Continued Membership | What challenges, if any, might lead you to consider ending your membership? | Open-ended |
- Identify At-Risk Member Segments.
Analyze survey results to spot:- Groups with lower satisfaction scores
- Demographics showing reduced engagement or loyalty
- Programs, policies, or practices causing friction
- Cross-Reference Loyalty Findings with Engagement Data.
Strengthen your analysis by cross-referencing loyalty survey results with:- Event participation
- Voting records
- Program usage patterns
- Take Action Early.
Based on findings:- Reach out to at-risk members with personalized follow-up
- Address common concerns through new programs or communication initiatives
- Celebrate highly loyal members to reinforce engagement
- Track Loyalty Trends Over Time.
By conducting loyalty assessments annually, cooperatives can:- Spot emerging risks before they become serious problems
- Celebrate positive trends in engagement and loyalty
- Guide strategic decisions with member loyalty firmly in mind