Project 04 · Customer Success · SaaS

Customer Success
Playbook

Full lifecycle CS framework — Day 1 through renewal. Includes a health score dashboard, escalation matrix, upsell triggers, and 4 ready-to-use email templates by lifecycle stage. Built for enterprise CPaaS accounts.

Customer Success Health Score Escalation Matrix Upsell Framework Email Templates
Full Lifecycle

Day 1 → Renewal — 5 Stages

Stage 1
Day 0–14

Onboarding

Technical integration and stakeholder alignment. Goal: get the account live on at least one core use case within 14 days. Delayed onboarding is the #1 churn predictor in CPaaS.

Welcome callAPI keys issuedIntegration verifiedSlack channel open
Stage 2
Day 15–90

Activation

Drive feature adoption beyond the initial use case. Monthly business review at Day 30. Target: 3+ features in use by Day 90. Low activation = low renewal probability.

Day 30 QBR3+ features liveStakeholder map builtHealth score green
Stage 3
Day 90–270

Growth

Expand usage within the account — new teams, new channels, or volume scale. Upsell opportunities identified from health score data and usage pattern triggers.

Upsell identifiedMulti-team adoptionQuarterly EBRReferral asked
Stage 4
Day 270–330

Pre-Renewal

Renewal motion starts 90 days before contract end. ROI summary delivered to economic buyer. Competitive threats handled proactively. Avoid surprise churn at renewal.

ROI summary builtEconomic buyer briefedCompetitive threats loggedRenewal term proposed
Stage 5
Day 330–365

Renewal & Expansion

Signed renewal with expansion SKUs or volume commitment. Target: NRR > 120%. Every renewal is also an expansion opportunity — don't negotiate just to maintain.

Renewal signedExpansion SKU addedNRR trackedNew stakeholders mapped
Health Score Dashboard

5-Factor Health Score Model

Factor 1 · Weight 30%
Product Usage
Monthly active usage vs. contracted volume. Below 60% of contracted messages = amber. Below 40% = red. Triggers proactive check-in.
30%
Factor 2 · Weight 25%
Support Ticket Volume
P1/P2 ticket count in last 30 days. Any unresolved P1 > 48 hours = immediate escalation. P2 > 5 in a month = amber health signal.
25%
Factor 3 · Weight 20%
Stakeholder Engagement
Meeting attendance, QBR participation, and response rate from economic buyer. Single-threaded accounts (only one contact) are high churn risk.
20%
Factor 4 · Weight 15%
Feature Adoption Breadth
Number of distinct features/channels in active use. Accounts using 4+ features have 2.4x higher renewal rates than single-feature accounts.
15%
Factor 5 · Weight 10%
NPS & Sentiment
Quarterly NPS pulse. Detractors (0–6) trigger immediate CS outreach. Also monitors Slack sentiment and QBR feedback for early warning signals.
10%
Score Thresholds
Green / Amber / Red
Green (75–100): Standard cadence
Amber (50–74): Weekly CS touchpoint
Red (<50): Escalation protocol activated
Escalation Matrix

Risk Signals & Response Protocol

Risk SignalSeverityTrigger ConditionCS ResponseEscalate To
Usage drop >40% MoMHigh2 consecutive monthsExecutive Business Review within 7 daysVP Customer Success + Account Executive
P1 ticket unresolved >48hHighAny occurrenceCSM + Engineering lead on callCTO + VP Engineering
NPS Detractor scoreHighNPS < 6Immediate recovery call within 24hVP Customer Success
No QBR attendanceMedium2 missed QBRsRe-engagement campaign + exec outreachAccount Executive
Single-threaded accountMedium1 contact for >90 daysMulti-stakeholder mapping workshopAccount Executive
Competitor evaluation flaggedMediumAny intelligence signalCompetitive retention brief preparedPre-Sales + Account Executive
Feature adoption stagnantLowNo new features in 60 daysUse-case expansion call scheduledSolutions Consultant
Upsell Framework

Expansion Triggers & Actions

Trigger 1
Volume Approaching Contract Cap
When account hits 80% of contracted message volume before month-end, proactively offer volume upgrade with a 3-year lock-in discount. Prevents billing surprise and creates expansion revenue.
→ Offer: Volume tier upgrade + 3-year pricing lock
Trigger 2
New Team or Department Signal
LinkedIn or internal org chart changes showing new team using communications tools. Reach out with a "new team onboarding" offer — get a second business unit live before the competitor does.
→ Offer: Multi-team package with onboarding included
Trigger 3
Single-Channel to Multi-Channel
Accounts live only on SMS who haven't activated WhatsApp, voice, or video. Show them WhatsApp engagement rates vs. SMS. The data sells itself — 40%+ open rate vs. 8–10%.
→ Offer: WhatsApp Business API pilot at no additional cost for 30 days
Trigger 4
Funding / M&A Event
Series B/C raises, acquisitions, or market expansion news. New funding means new budget cycle and new communication needs. Strike within 2 weeks of announcement.
→ Offer: Enterprise plan with dedicated CSM + SLA upgrade
Email Templates

4 Lifecycle-Stage Templates