What is Customer Success?
Definition
A proactive function within subscription companies focused on helping customers achieve their desired outcomes and maximize value from the service.
Understanding Customer Success
Customer success (CS) emerged specifically for the subscription model. Unlike traditional support (reactive, fixing problems), CS is proactive — ensuring customers use the product effectively and achieve their goals. CS teams monitor usage data, conduct health checks, provide training, and intervene before customers consider canceling.
For enterprise subscriptions, dedicated Customer Success Managers (CSMs) are assigned to accounts. For consumers, customer success manifests as onboarding emails, usage tips, and check-in messages. Good CS is a sign of a company that values retention over just acquisition.
Related Terms
Churn Prevention
Strategies and tactics employed by subscription services to retain customers and reduce cancellation rates.
Onboarding
The process of guiding new subscribers through initial setup and feature discovery to ensure they quickly find value in the service.
Retention Rate
The percentage of subscribers who continue their subscription over a given period, calculated as the inverse of churn rate.
Engagement
The frequency and depth of a subscriber's interaction with a service, used as a key predictor of retention and expansion.