# Why did we lose the customers we lost, and who looks like them now?

*Claude, Ask B's real answer through the relay (claude -p with the B-Viz tools). Figures as at Fri 9 Oct 2026.*

**What B-Viz did:** Counting in SQL → counting in SQL → counting in SQL → checking the money facts (arr_bridge) → counting in SQL → counting in SQL

We have lost 21 customers since the first loss in November 2024. All 21 were lost at renewal, and the CRM's recorded reason is mostly budget or an in-house build. The reasons below are the CRM's lost-deal codes, not a reading of calls or emails. I haven't checked those for the individual accounts.

**Why they left (CRM lost reason, ARR at the time of loss)**
- **Budget:** 9 customers, £272,950. Examples are Eccup Software, Penmaen Software and Kelvinhaugh Pension Services.
- **In-house build:** 7 customers, £185,500. Examples are Calderbrook Housing Group, Delancey Haig and Marchbank Couriers.
- **Acquired by a competitor:** 4 customers, £162,800. These are Ovenden Software, Saltdean Hart Insurance Brokers, Fairhallow Travel and Lornefield Pensions Administration.
- **Customer insolvent:** 1 customer, Ashwell Mercer Interiors, £44,000.

**What stands out**
- **The 2025 spike:** in the 12 months to December 2025, 11 logos were lost, worth £300,600. Gross retention was 71.0% and logo retention 67.6%. In 2024, 1 logo was lost and gross retention was 92.3%.
- **Mostly UK:** 20 of the 21 were UK customers. The exception is Skovdal Software in the EU.
- **Four industries:** B2B software, recruitment, logistics and pensions administration account for most of the losses. Insurance broking and housing associations also appear.
- **Bigger accounts lost recently:** more of the 2026 losses were £44,000 or more.

**Who looks like them now**
These are current customers in the same industries as lost accounts. Each is rated Watch or At risk in the AI assessment as at 9 Oct. I matched on industry and assessment status only. Usage is the monthly active users in September.
- **Brackwell Freight Ltd** (logistics): At risk, £44,000, 14 active users.
- **Maelbeek Assurances** (insurance broking): At risk, £22,000, 14 active users, 7 tickets since July.
- **Hollins Tarrant** (recruitment): At risk, £19,500, 3 active users, 6 tickets since July.
- **Thackwray Logistics:** Watch, £110,000. This is the largest exposure, with 9 tickets since July.
- **Kesselfeld Software** and **Pentreath Cold Chain:** Watch, £47,500 each.
- **Smaller accounts on Watch:** Clashmore Recruitment, Kadewerk Software, Marsden Vale Recruitment, Haddon Rook Logistics, Clayhithe Logistics, Tarnbeck Insurance Brokers and Fulford Ings Software.

That is 13 accounts. Hollins Tarrant has only 3 active users, which is the weakest adoption on the list, so I'd start there. I'd then review Brackwell Freight Ltd and Thackwray Logistics.

I can build a deck on this, or pull the calls and emails behind individual losses to check the stated reasons.

**Sources**
[1] Contracted ARR movements and CRM lost-deal reasons, 21 lost customers, Nov 2024 to Sep 2026 (B-Viz query, as at 9 Oct 2026)
[2] ARR bridge, 12 months to Dec 2024 and Dec 2025 (contracted ARR, as at 9 Oct 2026): [Logos, ARR and Deals](https://b-viz.com/demo/p/commercial/logos-arr-deals/index.html)
[3] AI status, usage and tickets for current customers in the lost customers' industries (B-Viz query, as at 9 Oct 2026): [Brackwell Freight Ltd](https://b-viz.com/demo/e/organisation/org_002.html), [Maelbeek Assurances](https://b-viz.com/demo/e/organisation/org_028.html), [Hollins Tarrant](https://b-viz.com/demo/e/organisation/org_004.html), [Thackwray Logistics](https://b-viz.com/demo/e/organisation/org_157.html)

*claude-sonnet-5-5 · 21.0 s · SQL, facts*