Feature Story
Every question I asked about Customer Success was met with the same answer: "That's why we need you."
At the time, that felt empowering. I was going to be the person to build it, shape it, lead it. I had a blank canvas and the trust of the leadership team to do it right.
Except I didn't.
"That's why we need you" wasn't an invitation. It was a deflection. It was their way of saying they had no point of view on CS, no accountability to how they'd been managing customers, and no real intention of changing either. They needed someone to hold the bag. And I picked it up willingly.
The first signal came with my goals. Every target I was given was a sales target. Everything was designed around upgrades, add-ons or expansion. I told myself it made sense early on, I was still building the team, there were sales associates covering smaller accounts, things would evolve.
They didn't.
The second signal came when I was asked to present to the ELT. Not to share results, or to align on strategy. I was asked to explain what Customer Success was, why it mattered, and how it would contribute to growth. I was in the room pitching the concept of my own function to a leadership team that had already hired me to run it.
The questions I got weren't curious, they were skeptical. Half-listening followed by interrogation. It didn't feel like a team trying to understand, instead it felt like a team trying to poke holes.
The third signal was around my Gainsight deployment. This was my 4th deployment and I had built out the dashboards, the health scores, the reporting infrastructure. I was really proud of it. I brought it to leadership expecting engagement.
But they didn’t care about anything I was sharing with them. All they wanted to see was the pipeline, forecast, and growth activity. For the record, they could already see all of that in Salesforce.
When I brought up renewals, I was told not to worry. "Everyone just auto-renews."
That was the moment I knew.
I wasn't going to succeed here. Not because I wasn't capable. But because the CEO and I were fundamentally misaligned on what Customer Success is, what it requires, and what it produces. You cannot build a real CS function inside a company that doesn't believe one needs to exist.
We parted ways amicably after 18 months. But I left with something I didn't have before.
A non-negotiable.
I will never again work for a leader or a company that cannot articulate a clear, aligned point of view on Customer Success. Not a vague one, not a "that's why we need you" one. A real one, grounded in the belief that customers are the livelihood of the business and that CS is how you protect and grow them.
The Takeaway: Due diligence isn't just about the business. It's about whether the business actually wants what you're there to build. One bad answer to the right question will save you from months of the wrong situation. Don’t ignore the red flags.
THE RESOURCE
The CS Leadership Alignment Framework: A Two-Part Tool
Whether you're evaluating a new role or already in one, this framework helps you identify whether you're actually set up to succeed.
Part 1: Before You Join: Questions That Reveal Everything
Don't just ask about the business. Ask about the beliefs.
What is your net revenue retention today, and who owns improving it?
How does customer health factor into your revenue forecast?
What percentage of your new pipeline comes from existing customer referrals or expansions?
When you look at your best customers, what do they have in common that your worst customers don't?
How does churn show up in your board reporting?
What's the lifetime value of your average customer, and how are you actively working to grow it?
If CS disappeared tomorrow, what would break in your revenue model first?
How much of your growth plan depends on retaining and expanding your existing base versus acquiring new logos?
When a customer churns, what does that cost the business beyond the lost ARR?
What's the connection between customer outcomes and your company's ability to hit its growth targets?
Part 2: Once You're Inside — Signals You're Already in the Wrong Room
Sometimes the misalignment doesn't show up until you're in. Watch for these:
Your goals are all growth targets with no retention or health metrics attached
You're being asked to explain what CS is to people who already approved your hire
Leadership's only interest in your dashboards is pipeline and forecast
Renewals are treated as automatic and churn is treated as a CS failure
You have no seat at the table when Sales, Product, or Finance make decisions that directly affect your customers
If you're checking more than two of these boxes, you're not in a CS role, you just have a CS title. And no amount of effort on your part will change that without leadership changing first.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Trust is what separates functional customer relationships from exceptional ones. When customers feel heard, respected, and understood, they are more likely to stay, expand, and advocate.
Check out the latest in the CS Mastermind series, Empathy, Emotion, and Trust: Examining the Human Side of Customer Success. Catch me and CS pros – Chuck Gilpin, CCSM, Maranda Dziekonski, and Virginia D. Bloom – provide tried-and-true advice on using emotional intelligence to bolster relationships with your customers.
During this live, online event, the panelists will discuss:
- The role empathy plays in building trust with customers
- Practical and professional ways to show empathy
- Common behaviors that unintentionally erode customer trust
- Rebuilding trust after a customer’s negative experience
And more!
This is a free event you’re not going to want to miss!
Register today and join us this Wednesday, June 17th at 11am PT / 2pm ET
FROM MY WORLD
Quick updates … Events, podcasts, awards, news, etc.
EPS 10: Churn So Good: When Losing Customers Is Actually Winning
Not all churn is bad. Sometimes losing a customer is actually a win. Dannah Vaughan, Director of CS at Silverline Solutions, joins me to break down good churn -- what it is, why it happens, and why it might be your smartest retention move yet.
The Children's Book Author turned CCO at Point of Reference ft. Alison Bukowski
Allison Bukowski wanted to be a children's book author at age five. Today she's the Chief Customer Officer at Point of Reference. And the through-line between those two things is storytelling. Listen as Allison walks Kristi through a career built on writing, advocacy, and a fierce belief that customers deserve a seat at the table and not just a mention in the mission statement.
THE SERVICES
I work with CS leaders and organizations who are serious about getting Customer Success right.
Advisory
Strategic partnership for CS leaders who need a thought partner, not another framework.
Coaching
1:1 coaching for CS professionals who are ready to lead with more clarity and confidence.
Education & enablement
Workshops and programs built for teams who want to level up, not just check a box.
Speaking
Keynotes and sessions that challenge how your audience thinks about Customer Success.
POLL
What's your CS leadership non-negotiable, the thing you'd never compromise on again?
Hit reply. I read every one.
A FINAL NOTE
CLOSING WITH KRISTI
The hardest lesson I've learned in this career isn't about strategy or systems or metrics.
It's about fit.
You can be the best CS leader in the world and still fail in the wrong environment. The work isn't just building the function. It's making sure the company is actually ready to let you.
Know your non-negotiables, say them out loud, and don't ignore the answers you get.
See you next Tuesday,
Customer Success. Revenue Follows.