Dear Abby (Hammer)

Q . Dear Abby Hammer, After working in customer-facing roles for several years, I’m familiar with Customer Support and Customer Success being referred to interchangeably. While we know that’s not the case, our book of business has been growing steadily which has brought new questions pertaining to our CS and Support functions. Previously limited resources left my team wearing many hats. I’m hesitant if this is the way forward, especially considering some internal confusion around each role. Should I split out my Customer Success and Support Teams into distinct functions? How can I make an argument internally in favor of an independent Customer Support ...

Q. Dear Abby Hammer, I’m planning to shift around some of my customers to different CSM's on my team. How can I use ChurnZero to ensure a smooth transition? I’d like to minimize the impact on our customers and make sure they still feel supported. -Seeking a Smooth Transition A. Dear Seeking a Smooth Transition, Shifting customer accounts among your team is a daunting task in the best of times (let alone during a pandemic.) As CS professionals can attest, the start of a customer relationship sets the tone for future interactions. Just like onboarding a new customer, shifting existing clients to a new CSM requires the utmost care. First identify the ...

Q. Abby Hammer , Things at work have been hecti c to say the least . Weekly one-on-ones are now seem ingly impossible to schedule with my team. How can I use ChurnZero to stay on top o f my CSMs ’ activities ? I’d like to stay close to important account changes and ensure my team feel s supported. - Making Up for Lost Time A. Dear Making Up for Lost Time , Staying on top of your team’s activities can be difficult , and this has become more challenging as many of us transition to working from home . We’ve lost ...

Q . Dear Abby Hammer, A few of my CSMs are facing customers who have stopped responding to calls or emails. Between our customers working from home and the start of summer, it is hard to tell if non-responsiveness should be a cause for concern. How can my team re-engage these customers? Can ChurnZero identify which “silent accounts” need extra attention? I’d like to quell my team’s concerns and ensure we’re providing support to the accounts that need it. -Gone Dark, or A Goner? A . Dear Gone Dark or A Goner, Dealing with unresponsive customers can be frustrating even during the best of times. With the added uncertainty all of us are currently ...

Q . Dear Abby Hammer, My company is less experienced when it comes to driving expansion sales. Our CSMs sometimes feel timid asking customers for money. That said, we know that in order to grow, Customer Success (and expansion selling!) is key. We worry about striking a balance between fostering and encouraging upsells to increase sales, and risking hurting a customer relationship by unnecessarily pushing investments. How can I tell my team that now is the right timing for expansions? How can I get my team more comfortable with selling? -Striking a Balance Between Success and Selling A . Dear Striking a Balance Between Success and Selling, ...

Q . Dear Abby Hammer, As my company looks ahead to 2021, we’ve put a big emphasis on mastering and accelerating our customer onboarding process. To put it simply, our new onboarding mantra is “better, faster, stronger!” As we look to refine customer onboarding, we’ve taken a hard look at engagement metrics. Are there any specific metrics you suggest we consider?, or perhaps unconventional metrics that may be useful in guiding customer engagements? -Seeking Metrics That Matter A . Dear Seeking Metrics That Matter, I applaud your team for taking a hard look at optimizing your onboarding process. Refining this critical step of the customer ...