I joined an organization for the first time 16 months
ago. I was their easiest acquisition ever. I walked into an event and, instead of paying for the event, I paid the annual membership fee. They were pleased as punch.

Before the year was up, I moved. When I received a bill for a second round of annual dues, I was undecided. I lived a hundred miles away and was unlikely to attend their events, though I did have lots of clients and contacts among their members. I stuck the bill in a drawer where I did not forget it entirely.

After 45 days, I received another statement. Now I was actually amused. Even if I had been ready to renew, I almost wanted to wait just to see if this organization was going to call me. I couldn’t believe they wouldn’t reach out to me, a one year member, find out what I was thinking, see if they could learn something to help them better serve members, and encourage me to continue my membership.

Yesterday I received another notice. I am sure it was exactly like the previous, except for a bigger number in the Past Due box. However this time, the first thing I noticed was that Past Due box. This caught me all wrong. For someone who has always paid my bills on time, being told I am 110 days Past Due raises my hackles. I paid for one year of membership. I never signed up for life. I have no obligation to pay again and continue my membership. I have done nothing even sort of wrong. And yet, being told I am Past Due doesn’t come across that way. It puts me in the wrong. I owe them. I am late.

No way. They’ve got it all wrong. Completely backwards. They are way past due in reaching out to me and offering me another year of membership.

I am undecided no longer. The bill has been recycled. I’ll do them a favor by sending them a link to this post so they can save their paper and postage.

Members have no obligation to remain members and if you take them for granted, they won’t remain members. This organization is more than 110 days Past Due in my book. I sincerely hope they replace their statements with invitations to renew and start getting on the phone before they lose more members. You simply can’t take members or customers for granted!