Runbook: Pause, Skip, or Cancel a Subscription
Account: VITAG (Vitagen Labs)
Navigation: Operations → Auto Orders → [find subscription]
When to Use This Runbook
Use when a customer calls or emails requesting a change to their active subscription: pausing it temporarily, skipping the next shipment, or cancelling entirely. This is the manual CS workflow for when the AI Agent either isn't enabled yet or has transferred the conversation to a human.
Who handles this: Customer service with Auto Orders — Edit permission.
AI Agent note: Once the AI Agent is configured with subscription capabilities enabled, it can handle all of these actions autonomously 24/7. See 13-ai-agents-chat-sms.md. This runbook covers the manual human process.
Step 1: Find the Customer's Subscription
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Go to Operations → Auto Orders
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Search by the customer's email address or name
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Open the auto order record
Confirm you're looking at the right subscription:
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Check the product name matches what the customer is asking about
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Check the next rebill date — this helps set context for the conversation
Pause a Subscription
Use when: Customer is going on vacation, overstocked, or just needs to stop shipments temporarily. Pausing is always preferable to cancelling — offer it first.
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On the Auto Order record, look for Pause or find the status/schedule controls
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Set the Next Order Date far enough out to satisfy the customer:
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"I'll be traveling for a month" → push the next order date out 4–5 weeks
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"I have too much product" → ask how much they have left; push the date out accordingly
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Save the record
Alternative: Some merchants use the "Delay" function (postpone next shipment by X days) rather than setting a specific date. Either works.
Confirm with the customer:
"I've paused your subscription. Your next shipment is now scheduled for [NEW DATE]. We'll send you a reminder a few days before it ships — you can update it anytime at [link] or by contacting us."
Skip Next Shipment
Use when: Customer doesn't want to pause entirely but wants to skip just the upcoming order (e.g., they're not through their current supply yet).
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On the Auto Order record, find Skip Next Order or advance the next order date by one cycle:
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30-day subscription → push next order date 30 days forward from its current scheduled date
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60-day subscription → push 60 days forward
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Save
The subscription remains active and will resume on the new date without any further action.
Confirm with the customer:
"Done — I've skipped your next shipment. Your subscription will resume and ship on [DATE]. You can always reach out if you'd like to adjust that."
Cancel a Subscription
Important: Offer retention before cancelling. Most customers who say "cancel" can be retained with the right offer. Work through the retention flow below before processing the cancellation.
Retention Flow
Step 1: Ask why
"I can absolutely help you with that. Before I do, may I ask what's prompting the cancellation? I want to make sure we find the best solution for you."
Common responses and what to offer:
| Customer Says | Offer |
|---|---|
| "I have too much product" | Skip next order or push out the date by 60 days |
| "It's too expensive" | 15% discount on next order, or switch to a lower-cost plan/smaller size |
| "I don't think it's working" | Ask how long they've been taking it (supplements often take 4–8 weeks); offer to pause while they see results |
| Pattern | What It Signals |
|---|---|
| "Too expensive" — repeated | Pricing may need review; or a lower-cost subscription tier could reduce churn |
| "Too much product" — repeated | 30-day supply may be more than customers use; 60-day option might fit better |
| "Did not know about subscription" — repeated | Subscription enrollment language at checkout needs to be clearer |
| "Product not effective" — repeated | May indicate a quality issue, unrealistic marketing claims, or wrong customer targeting |
Review cancellation reasons monthly via: Operations → Reporting → Available Reports → Auto Order → Subscription Churn.