What was said
What this says
Current to 11 Oct 26Renewal call on 1 Sep 2026. Active users fell to just over seven against fifty licensed. The Financial Director says the question is value, not invoices, and will decide only on paper.
What happened: Renewal call on 1 Sep 2026 with Femke van Gestel, Ruud Verhoeven and Ilse Smits. Elena Novak said active users fell to just over seven, against fifty licensed.
Customer view: Femke said some account managers went back to spreadsheets and that she did not push enough. Ruud said the question is not the invoices but the value.
Commercial: The Growth order form and the invoices both show £48,000 a year. The open renewal deal is £54,000, and Matteo Ricci promised a written explanation without committing to any scope or price change.
Watch: Ruud decides on paper, not on calls. Matteo said scope may need discussing if usage stays low, and the parties agreed to speak again before 30 Oct 2026.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Who was there
BB-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Matteo Ricci to send a written explanation of the renewal figure against the order form, with the invoice schedule.
- Elena Novak to send a usage summary showing the trend by team.
- Femke van Gestel to name the account managers and set a progress check, with a further call before 30 Oct 2026.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- Active users fell to just over seven against fifty licensed seats, so the Growth renewal could be questioned on value.
- The Financial Director asked whether renewing at this level is sensible if usage stays low.
- The open renewal deal of £54,000 is higher than the £48,000 now paid, and has not yet been explained in writing.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- A recovery plan focused on the account managers with the largest installer accounts could rebuild daily use.
- Matching scope to real use gives a way to keep the subscription at a price the customer accepts.
Transcript
- Matteo Ricci NoneGood afternoon, everyone. Can you all hear me? Femke, Ruud, Ilse, welcome.
- Femke van Gestel NoneGood afternoon Matteo. Yes, I hear you.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneAfternoon. Audio is fine.
- Ilse Smits NoneGood afternoon. I am here too. I have just joined, sorry for being a minute late.
- Matteo Ricci NoneNo problem at all, Ilse. Elena is also on the line from Amsterdam. Let me restate the timeline so we are all looking at the same thing. Your contract runs to 23 Nov 2026, the renewal date is 24 Nov 2026, and on our side we are aiming to have the decision settled by Friday 30 October 2026. Today is about getting you the information you need for that.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneGood. Then I start with the invoice question, if I may. What does it cost per year, and is the renewal in the contract?
- Matteo Ricci NoneFair question, Ruud. Today you pay £48,000 a year on Growth, and that is what the order form says and what has been invoiced. The renewal deal we have open on our side is £54,000. I would rather you heard from me clearly what that is: I will confirm in writing exactly how that figure is built and what it covers, because I do not want you to match it against the wrong thing.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneSo it is higher than now.
- Matteo Ricci NoneThe deal figure is higher than the £48,000, yes. Let me put the breakdown in writing, so there are no surprises.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneNo surprises. Yes. That is what I need. Please also tell me what is in the old contract and what is new.
- Matteo Ricci NoneUnderstood. Elena, perhaps you can take the usage part now, because I think that is what Femke wants to discuss.
- Elena Novak NoneYes. To confirm, I want to be open about this. Over the last quarter, active users have fallen. The thirty day average is now just over seven, and that is a fall of more than a third compared with the previous quarter. You are licensed for fifty users. I would rather say it plainly than leave it in a chart.
- Femke van Gestel NoneYes. I saw it. I am not happy with it. Let me say it directly. The account managers used it more in the spring. Now less.
- Matteo Ricci NoneDo you know why, Femke? I ask because I do not want to guess.
- Femke van Gestel NonePartly summer, holidays. But I do not want to hide behind that. Some people went back to their old spreadsheets. Because the daily routine took over. And I did not push enough. That is on me.
- Elena Novak NoneI appreciate you saying that. From my side I also see no tickets in the last thirty days. That can be good news, but together with the drop in users it can also mean quiet, so I would rather ask than assume. Is anything blocking people? A connector, a view that is wrong, a question they cannot get answered?
- Femke van Gestel NoneNo blockers that I know. The data is right. They just do not open it. What is the plan to change that? Do the account managers use it, that is my question, and now the answer is not enough.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneFemke, before you continue. I do not discuss features. I need to know if this is worth renewing, and for what money. Ilse, can you say something about the invoices?
- Ilse Smits NoneYes. From the credit side, I see nothing open and nothing overdue. Everything has been paid on time. The invoices matched the order form each time, so from my side there is no issue with the supplier.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneGood. So the question is not the invoices. It is the value.
- Matteo Ricci NoneI agree, and I would rather we spoke about it that way. Ruud, may I suggest something? We do not ask you to decide today. You said you do not decide on calls, and that is fine.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneCorrect. I decide after I have the paper.
- Matteo Ricci NoneThen the paper is what we owe you. Let me propose three items in writing. One, the renewal figure explained against the current order form. Two, a usage summary from Elena that shows plainly what has been used and what has not. Three, a recovery plan from Femke and Elena for the account managers, with named people and a date to check progress.
- Elena Novak NoneAs agreed, I will make sure that the usage summary shows the trend by team, so that you can see where the drop is. And I will not use the word growth where it is not true.
- Femke van Gestel NoneGood. Let's make it practical. I will pick the account managers who must use it daily. Not everybody. The ones with the largest installer accounts. If they come back, the others follow.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneFemke, and you will tell me honestly if it does not work.
- Femke van Gestel NoneAlways. You know me.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneYes. Then one more question. If usage stays low, is it still sensible to renew at this level? I ask for planning. Not as a threat.
- Matteo Ricci NoneI will answer that straight. If the usage stays where it is, then we should discuss together whether the scope matches what your people really use. I would rather have that conversation now than in November. But I cannot commit a change today. Anything on scope or price I would confirm in writing, after I have checked it internally.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneFine. That is honest. I wait for the paper.
- Ilse Smits NoneMay I ask one practical thing? When the renewal paper comes, can I get the invoice schedule at the same time, so I can match it with the contract before Ruud signs anything?
- Matteo Ricci NoneYes, Ilse. Let me confirm that in writing as well. It will come with the renewal summary.
- Elena Novak NoneTo summarise the actions. One, Matteo sends the written explanation of the renewal figure and the invoice schedule. Two, I send the usage summary. Three, Femke names the account managers and we set a check on progress. Four, we speak again before 30 Oct 2026. Is that correct?
- Femke van Gestel NoneCorrect. Thank you, all.
- Ruud Verhoeven NoneThank you. Goodbye.
- Matteo Ricci NoneThank you, everyone. Best regards, and speak soon.