Customer success has moved far beyond simply providing support. It’s now a pivotal function that can make or break a business. However, with this rise in importance comes a surge in complexity, and many CX professionals are grappling with outdated organisational structures and irrelevant metrics.
Sound familiar? It should. In today’s CX community, many of us are navigating silos that make it difficult to create a seamless customer journey. We’re also dealing with KPIs that don’t capture the full picture of customer success. If that doesn’t sound like a problem you’ve encountered, you’re one of the lucky few. But for the rest of us, the need to evolve is urgent.
Organisational silos are the bane of effective customer success strategies. Think of the disconnect between your sales, product, and support teams. Each team might be working towards its own goals, but without alignment, customers inevitably feel the strain. For instance, sales might promise the world, only for the support team to face an uphill battle when those promises don’t align with the product’s current capabilities.
Breaking down these silos is easier said than done. A recent study, a recent survey by Forrester found that 49% of businesses cite silos between teams as the biggest challenge to improving customer experience. What’s more, siloed data can prevent teams from getting the 360-degree view of the customer that’s crucial for providing proactive and meaningful support.
What’s the solution? Start with cross-functional alignment. Collaboration between customer success, sales, and product teams should be intentional, with shared goals and regular communication. No more fragmented departments working in isolation; a unified approach to the customer journey is essential for success.
While we’re busy realigning our teams, we should also take a hard look at the KPIs we use to measure success. The traditional KPIs – like churn rate and NPS (Net Promoter Score) – still have their place, but are they telling the full story?
Consider churn rate. It’s undoubtedly important, but focusing too much on churn can be misleading.
For example, what if a customer downgrades their subscription but stays with the company for years? Should we treat that downgrade as a partial ‘churn’ or celebrate their continued loyalty?
The issue here is that churn metrics alone often fail to capture the nuance of long-term customer relationships. According to Gainsight, focusing on Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) offers a more accurate picture. Rather than looking solely at retention or churn, CLV looks at the value a customer brings over time, helping to focus on growth opportunities within your existing base.
And then there’s NPS. It’s a great metric for understanding customer satisfaction, but let’s be honest: it’s not always actionable. Knowing how many people would recommend your product is useful, but without more granular insights into why, you’re left guessing at how to improve.
We need qualitative feedback to complement NPS scores. Understanding not just who your promoters are, but why they love (or hate) your product gives your team the tools to act on the feedback. For example, what if your detractors are concentrated in one particular product area? That gives you a clear indication of where improvements are needed, rather than just a vague sense that something isn’t right.
No discussion of trends in customer success would be complete without mentioning the role of automation. From chatbots to AI-driven insights, automation is increasingly becoming part of our toolkit. A 2023 study by Zendesk found that 69% of customers now expect companies to offer 24/7 self-service options, meaning that automation isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity.
Automation is no replacement for human relationships. Automating routine tasks, such as onboarding or answering frequently asked questions, frees up your team to focus on complex, high-touch interactions where human insight is indispensable. The key is to strike a balance between tech and the human touch.
The way we approach customer success is evolving. Whether it’s tearing down organisational silos, redefining outdated KPIs, or leveraging automation without losing the human element, one thing is clear: change is essential. Have you faced similar challenges with silos in your organisation? Are you rethinking the KPIs you track? How is your team navigating the rise of automation while keeping customer relationships personal?