Customer Success
Comprehensive customer success management covering onboarding, health scoring, QBRs, expansion playbooks, and retention strategies.
Overview
This skill covers:
- Customer onboarding programs
- Health scoring and monitoring
- QBR (Quarterly Business Review) templates
- Expansion and upsell playbooks
- Retention and churn prevention
Customer Onboarding
Onboarding Program Structure
onboarding_phases:
phase_1_kickoff:
duration: "Week 1"
goals:
- establish_relationship
- set_expectations
- gather_requirements
activities:
- kickoff_call: 60min
- intro_to_support_channels
- share_onboarding_plan
- schedule_implementation
deliverables:
- success_plan_document
- timeline_with_milestones
phase_2_implementation:
duration: "Week 2-3"
goals:
- technical_setup
- data_migration
- integration_configuration
activities:
- implementation_calls: 2-3x
- technical_support
- testing_and_validation
deliverables:
- working_environment
- integrations_live
phase_3_training:
duration: "Week 3-4"
goals:
- user_enablement
- admin_training
- workflow_setup
activities:
- admin_training: 90min
- end_user_training: 60min
- workflow_workshop
deliverables:
- trained_users
- documented_workflows
phase_4_launch:
duration: "Week 4-5"
goals:
- go_live
- adoption_tracking
- quick_wins
activities:
- launch_call
- monitor_adoption
- celebrate_wins
deliverables:
- users_active
- first_value_achieved
phase_5_handoff:
duration: "Week 6"
goals:
- transition_to_csm
- establish_cadence
- document_success
activities:
- handoff_call
- schedule_check_ins
- nps_survey
deliverables:
- ongoing_csm_relationship
- baseline_metricsOnboarding Checklist
onboarding_checklist:
pre_kickoff:
- [ ] Review sales notes and requirements
- [ ] Prepare success plan template
- [ ] Schedule kickoff call
- [ ] Send welcome email
kickoff:
- [ ] Introductions and roles
- [ ] Review goals and timeline
- [ ] Identify key stakeholders
- [ ] Define success metrics
- [ ] Schedule implementation calls
implementation:
- [ ] Account setup complete
- [ ] Users provisioned
- [ ] SSO configured (if applicable)
- [ ] Integrations connected
- [ ] Data migrated
- [ ] Testing completed
training:
- [ ] Admin training delivered
- [ ] User training delivered
- [ ] Training materials shared
- [ ] Self-service resources provided
- [ ] Certification program introduced
launch:
- [ ] Go-live confirmed
- [ ] Users logging in
- [ ] First workflow completed
- [ ] Quick win achieved
- [ ] Launch celebration
handoff:
- [ ] CSM introduced
- [ ] Regular cadence scheduled
- [ ] Support escalation path clear
- [ ] NPS survey sent
- [ ] Onboarding documentation completeHealth Scoring
Health Score Model
health_score_components:
product_engagement: # 40% weight
metrics:
- dau_mau_ratio:
excellent: >0.5
good: 0.3-0.5
at_risk: 0.1-0.3
critical: <0.1
- feature_adoption:
measure: core_features_used / total_core_features
excellent: >80%
good: 60-80%
at_risk: 40-60%
critical: <40%
- depth_of_use:
measure: actions_per_user_per_week
benchmark: vs_similar_customers
relationship: # 25% weight
metrics:
- nps_score:
promoter: 9-10
passive: 7-8
detractor: 0-6
- csm_engagement:
regular_meetings: true/false
responsive_to_outreach: true/false
- executive_sponsor:
identified: true/false
engaged: true/false
financial: # 20% weight
metrics:
- payment_history:
on_time: excellent
late_1x: good
late_2x+: at_risk
- growth_trajectory:
expanding: excellent
stable: good
contracting: at_risk
sentiment: # 15% weight
metrics:
- support_tickets:
sentiment_trend: positive/neutral/negative
resolution_satisfaction: score
- feedback:
product_feedback: positive/neutral/negative
feature_requests: engaged/silent
scoring_formula:
total: (engagement × 0.4) + (relationship × 0.25) + (financial × 0.2) + (sentiment × 0.15)
tiers:
healthy: 80-100 (green)
stable: 60-79 (yellow)
at_risk: 40-59 (orange)
critical: 0-39 (red)Health Score Automation
health_automation:
critical_score:
trigger: score < 40
actions:
- alert: csm_immediately
- alert: cs_manager
- schedule: save_call_within_24h
- pause: marketing_emails
at_risk_score:
trigger: score drops below 60
actions:
- alert: csm_same_day
- schedule: check_in_call
- review: account_for_team_meeting
health_improvement:
trigger: score increases by 20+
actions:
- flag: expansion_opportunity
- schedule: success_story_interview
- request: testimonial_or_referralQBR (Quarterly Business Review)
QBR Template
# Quarterly Business Review
## {Company Name} | {Quarter} {Year}
---
### Agenda (60 minutes)
1. Business Update (10 min)
2. Success Metrics Review (15 min)
3. Product Usage Analysis (10 min)
4. Roadmap Preview (10 min)
5. Strategic Discussion (10 min)
6. Action Items & Next Steps (5 min)
---
### 1. Executive Summary
**Relationship Health**: 🟢 Healthy (Score: 85)
**Key Highlights:**
- ✅ Exceeded adoption targets by 15%
- ✅ 3 new departments onboarded
- ✅ NPS improved from 7 to 9
- ⚠️ Feature request pending: {feature}
**ROI Achieved This Quarter:**
- Time saved: 500+ hours
- Cost reduction: $50,000
- Productivity increase: 25%
---
### 2. Success Metrics
| Goal | Target | Actual | Status |
|------|--------|--------|--------|
| User Adoption | 80% | 92% | ✅ Exceeded |
| Daily Active Users | 100 | 120 | ✅ Exceeded |
| Support Tickets | <10/mo | 8/mo | ✅ On Track |
| NPS Score | >8 | 9 | ✅ Exceeded |
**Trend Charts:**
[Include usage trends, adoption curves]
---
### 3. Product Usage Analysis
**Most Used Features:**
1. {Feature 1} - 95% adoption
2. {Feature 2} - 87% adoption
3. {Feature 3} - 72% adoption
**Underutilized Features:**
- {Feature X} - 15% adoption
- Recommendation: Training session
- {Feature Y} - 22% adoption
- Recommendation: Workflow workshop
**Power Users:**
- {User 1}: Champion, can lead training
- {User 2}: Heavy API user
---
### 4. Roadmap Preview
**Coming Next Quarter:**
- 🚀 {Feature 1} - Addresses your request from {date}
- 🚀 {Feature 2} - Improves {workflow}
- 🚀 {Integration} - Connects with {tool}
**Beta Opportunities:**
- Would you like early access to {feature}?
---
### 5. Strategic Discussion
**Questions for You:**
1. What are your top priorities for next quarter?
2. Any organizational changes we should know about?
3. Where are you still experiencing friction?
**Growth Opportunities:**
- Department X could benefit from {product}
- {Use case} is now possible with new features
- Volume discount available at {tier}
---
### 6. Action Items
| Item | Owner | Due Date |
|------|-------|----------|
| Schedule training on {feature} | CSM | {date} |
| Connect with IT on integration | Customer | {date} |
| Share beta access | Product | {date} |
| Review expansion proposal | Customer | {date} |
---
### Next QBR: {Date}Expansion Playbook
Expansion Triggers
expansion_signals:
usage_based:
- approaching_seat_limit: 80% of licensed
- feature_usage_ceiling: using advanced features
- api_volume_increasing: growth trend
- storage_approaching_limit: 80%+ used
behavioral:
- champion_promoting: internal advocacy
- new_department_interest: cross-team requests
- executive_engagement: c-level using product
- feature_requests: for_higher_tier_features
business:
- company_funding: new_round_announced
- company_growth: hiring_increase
- new_initiative: announced_project
- renewal_approaching: 90_days_outExpansion Conversation Framework
expansion_framework:
discover:
questions:
- "What new initiatives are you planning?"
- "Which other teams could benefit?"
- "What's limiting you today?"
listen_for:
- growth_plans
- pain_points
- budget_cycles
align:
approach:
- connect_to_their_goals
- quantify_current_value
- project_expanded_value
messaging: |
"Based on the {$X value} you've seen with
{current_use_case}, expanding to {new_use_case}
could deliver {projected_value}."
propose:
elements:
- specific_recommendation
- pricing_options
- implementation_timeline
- roi_projection
close:
tactics:
- executive_alignment
- champion_support
- pilot_option
- renewal_bundleRetention Strategies
Churn Risk Playbook
churn_indicators:
high_risk:
- no_login_30_days
- usage_drop_50%
- support_complaints_increase
- executive_sponsor_left
- competitor_mentioned
actions_by_risk:
critical:
- csm_call_within_24h
- manager_escalation
- executive_outreach
- save_offer_prepared
at_risk:
- csm_call_within_48h
- health_check_meeting
- re_training_offered
- success_plan_review
save_offers:
by_reason:
price:
- discount: 20% for 3 months
- annual_commitment: additional_discount
- downgrade_option: lower_tier
not_using:
- training: free_intensive_session
- implementation: professional_services
- pause: 1-3_months
competitor:
- competitive_discount
- feature_commitment
- executive_meeting
organizational:
- contract_flexibility
- pause_option
- reduced_seatsOutput Example
Request: "Create a QBR presentation for a customer"
Output:
# QBR Presentation - Acme Corp
## Q4 2025
---
## Slide 1: Executive Summary
### Health Score: 85/100 🟢
**This Quarter's Wins:**
- 📈 User adoption: 85% → 92%
- 💰 ROI delivered: $150,000
- ⭐ NPS: 8 → 9
**Focus Areas:**
- Expand to Marketing team
- Increase API usage
- Prepare for renewal
---
## Slide 2: Success Metrics
| Metric | Q3 | Q4 | Change |
|--------|----|----|--------|
| Active Users | 150 | 180 | +20% |
| Projects Created | 500 | 750 | +50% |
| Time Saved | 200h | 350h | +75% |
**ROI Calculation:**
- Hours saved: 350h × $50/hr = $17,500/mo
- Annual value: $210,000
- Investment: $60,000
- **ROI: 3.5x**
---
## Slide 3: Adoption Analysis
**Top Used Features:**
1. Task Management: 95%
2. Time Tracking: 82%
3. Reporting: 75%
**Opportunity Features:**
- Automation: 25% (training scheduled)
- Integrations: 30% (Slack integration available)
---
## Slide 4: Roadmap Alignment
**Coming in Q1:**
- ✅ AI Assistant (addresses your feature request)
- ✅ Salesforce Integration
- ✅ Advanced Analytics
**Early Access:**
Would you like beta access to AI features?
---
## Slide 5: Strategic Discussion
1. Marketing team interest → Expansion opportunity
2. API usage growing → Developer tier consideration
3. Renewal in 90 days → Multi-year discount available
---
## Slide 6: Action Items
| Action | Owner | Date |
|--------|-------|------|
| Marketing demo | Acme | Jan 15 |
| API tier proposal | CSM | Jan 20 |
| Renewal discussion | Both | Feb 1 |
**Next QBR: April 2026***Customer Success Skill - Part of Claude Office Skills*