CUSTOMER SUCCESS PLAYBOOK
Client Relationship Manager Guide • Jan 2026
"You're not support. You're a trusted advisor."
Your Mission
100%+
Net Revenue Retention
You own the client relationship after the sale. Your job is to onboard them successfully, keep them happy, spot problems early, and find expansion opportunities. A churned client costs more than a lost deal—you're the last line of defense.
What Sales Hands Off to You
| Document |
What It Tells You |
| Signed Contract |
Terms, pricing, start date, service scope |
| Contact Information |
Primary contact + any stakeholders |
| Discovery Notes |
Pain points, goals, expectations |
| Services Purchased |
Automation, IT, bundle—specifics |
| Promises Made |
Anything Sales committed to |
| Red Flags |
Concerns to watch for |
First 90 Days Are Critical
Most churn happens in the first 90 days. Your #1 job is making sure new clients see value fast and feel supported. Everything else is secondary until they're stable.
Success Metrics
| Metric |
Target |
How to Measure |
| Client Retention Rate |
90%+ |
(Clients at end - churns) / clients at start |
| Net Revenue Retention (NRR) |
100%+ |
(Revenue at end including expansion) / revenue at start |
| First 90-Day Churn |
0% |
No clients lost in first 90 days |
| Expansion Revenue |
10%+ of book |
New revenue from existing clients |
| Check-in Completion |
100% |
All scheduled check-ins completed on time |
Phase 1: Onboarding (Weeks 1-4)
Kickoff Call Structure (60-90 min)
| Section |
Time |
Goal |
| Introductions |
10 min |
Meet stakeholders, establish relationship |
| Goals Review |
15 min |
Confirm what success looks like for them |
| Scope Walkthrough |
15 min |
Review exactly what they're getting |
| Information Gathering |
20 min |
Collect credentials, access, requirements |
| Timeline & Milestones |
15 min |
Set expectations for the first 30 days |
| Q&A |
10 min |
Address any concerns |
What to Collect from Client
For Automation:
- Current CRM/tools (for migration)
- Lead sources
- Sales process documentation
- Email/SMS templates they use
- Key contacts and roles
For Managed IT:
- Device inventory
- Current vendor credentials
- M365 admin access
- Network documentation
- Critical systems list
Weekly Check-ins During Onboarding
| Week |
Focus |
Key Questions |
| Week 1 |
Setup Progress |
"Is the team getting access to everything? Any blockers?" |
| Week 2 |
Initial Usage |
"Have you had a chance to use [feature]? What do you think?" |
| Week 3 |
Team Adoption |
"How is your team taking to the new system?" |
| Week 4 |
Value Check |
"Are you seeing the results we talked about? What's working?" |
End of Onboarding Milestone
By Week 4, the client should: (1) be fully set up, (2) have used core features, (3) see initial value, (4) know how to get support. If any of these are missing, extend onboarding.
Phase 2: Ongoing Relationship
Check-in Cadence by Offer
| Offer Type |
Contract Value |
Check-in Frequency |
Focus |
| Automation Jumpstart |
$2,500 |
Day 10 + Day 25 |
Value check + Partner upsell conversation |
| Automation Partner |
$48K-$60K |
Monthly |
Progress review, optimization, value delivery |
Check-in Agenda Template
Standard Check-in (30 min)
1. How are things going? (5 min)
Open-ended, let them talk. Listen for pain points.
2. Review key metrics/wins (10 min)
"Here's what we've accomplished since last time..." Show value.
3. Any challenges or concerns? (10 min)
Surface problems before they become complaints.
4. What's coming up for you? (5 min)
Listen for expansion triggers: hiring, new locations, new challenges.
What to Listen For
✓ Positive Signals
- "This is saving us so much time"
- "My team loves the new system"
- "We're thinking about expanding"
- Asking about additional features
- Referring you to others
⚠ Warning Signals
- "We're not really using it"
- "It's fine, I guess"
- Not showing up to check-ins
- Support tickets increasing
- "Budget is tight right now"
Communication Templates
Welcome Email (Day 1)
Subject: Welcome to Apex Pro AI – Here's What Happens Next
Hi [Name],
I'm [Your Name], your Customer Success Manager at Apex Pro AI. I'll be your main point of contact from here on out.
Here's what happens next:
• We'll schedule a kickoff call this week to get aligned
• The team will begin setup based on our discovery
• You'll have access to support at [support email/phone]
Looking forward to working with you. Talk soon!
Phase 3: Expansion
Expansion isn't selling—it's listening for problems you can solve. When clients trust you, they tell you what they need. Your job is to connect those needs to solutions.
Expansion Triggers
| What You Hear |
What It Means |
Potential Add-On |
| "We're hiring" |
More endpoints, users, complexity |
Additional user licenses, IT seats |
| "Opening new location" |
Network expansion, new office setup |
Multi-location IT, additional automation |
| "This other process is killing us" |
Pain outside current scope |
Additional automation workflows |
| "We have a compliance audit coming" |
Regulatory pressure |
Compliance add-on, SOC services |
| "Had a security scare" |
Risk awareness increased |
Security add-ons, SOC monitoring |
| "Wish we had X feature" |
Feature gap |
Tier upgrade or custom work |
How to Raise Expansion (Don't Pitch)
The Right Way
Client: "We're opening a second location next quarter."
You: "That's exciting—congrats! Have you thought about what that means for your IT setup? When we onboarded companies with multiple locations before, [specific challenge] usually comes up. Want me to put together some options for how we could support that?"
Key Principle
Don't pitch. Connect pain to solution. If they mention a problem, ask if they'd like to explore solutions. If they don't have a problem, don't create one.
Jumpstart → Partner Upsell (Your #1 Expansion Opportunity)
| Situation |
Action |
| Jumpstart client at Day 10 check-in |
Run the upsell script (see Jumpstart Internal doc). Target 40% conversion. |
| Jumpstart client says "yes" to Partner |
Loop in Sales to close. Credit their $2,500 toward Partner payment. |
| Jumpstart client needs more time |
Book Day 25 check-in. Ask again before support period ends. |
| Partner client wants additional workflows |
Check scope—may already be included. If not, quote separately. |
Phase 4: Renewal
Renewal Timeline
| Days Before Renewal |
Action |
| 90 days |
Review account health. If Yellow/Red, start intervention now. |
| 60 days |
Schedule renewal conversation. Discuss value delivered, future goals. |
| 45 days |
Send renewal proposal (if any changes) or confirm auto-renewal. |
| 30 days |
Get verbal confirmation. Handle any objections. |
| 14 days |
Finalize paperwork. Signed renewal in hand. |
Client Health Scoring
| Dimension |
Green |
Yellow |
Red |
| Engagement |
Attends all check-ins, responsive |
Misses some check-ins, slow response |
Ghosting, no response |
| Usage |
Using all core features regularly |
Using some features, ignoring others |
Barely using the system |
| Satisfaction |
Vocal advocate, refers others |
Neutral, "it's fine" |
Complaints, escalations |
| Payment |
Always on time |
Occasionally late |
Frequently late, disputes |
What to Do If Yellow or Red
Yellow Account
- Increase check-in frequency
- Schedule a "health check" call to dig into concerns
- Proactively offer value (training, optimization)
- Document what's driving the status
Red Account
- Immediate escalation to Joe
- Executive-level outreach (Joe to their CEO)
- Create rescue plan with specific actions and timeline
- If unrecoverable, manage exit gracefully
Support Escalation Tiers
| Tier |
Issue Type |
Response Time |
Who Handles |
| Tier 1 |
How-to questions, minor issues |
4 hours |
Support team / CS |
| Tier 2 |
Technical problems, configuration |
2 hours |
Technical team |
| Tier 3 |
System down, critical business impact |
30 minutes |
Senior tech + CS + Joe notified |
Your Role in Support
You're not the support team, but you're the client's advocate. When they have issues: (1) Acknowledge the problem, (2) Make sure it's being handled, (3) Follow up to confirm resolution. Never let clients feel abandoned.
Email Templates
Check-in Email
Subject: Quick Check-in – How's Everything Going?
Hi [Name],
Hope things are going well at [Company]. Wanted to check in and see how everything is running with your Apex setup.
A few questions:
• Any wins or time savings you've noticed?
• Anything not working as expected?
• Any new challenges coming up we should discuss?
Happy to jump on a quick call if easier. Just let me know!
Recap Email (After Check-in)
Subject: Recap from Our Call
Hi [Name],
Great talking with you today. Here's a quick recap:
What we discussed:
• [Topic 1]
• [Topic 2]
Action items:
• [You] will [action] by [date]
• [Client] will [action] by [date]
Next check-in: [date/time]
Reach out anytime if something comes up!
"You're not support. You're a trusted advisor."