Defend Renewals Without Discounts: The CS OS
If your week is one long support queue, you’re not running Customer Success.
You’re running a help desk.
Helpful, but it won’t save renewals or grow revenue.
Here’s a simple system that keeps a tiny CS team focused on revenue, not noise.
What To Run (At a Glance)
1. Segment fast
Save Now = at risk (usage drop, silent sponsor, unresolved P1s)
Grow Now = expansion-ready (usage ↑, clear business case)
Keep Steady = stable, low noise
Ownership rule: You (lead) own Save Now + top Grow Now.
Your CSM owns Keep Steady + reactive tickets.
Publish the list. Update weekly.
2. Hold a 90-minute weekly cadence
Mon (30 mins): Top 10 by $ at risk + top 10 by $ to gain → owners + 48h next steps
Wed (15 mins): Add three expansions to the pipeline with concrete next steps
Thu (15 mins): One-pager to execs: renewals due (RYG), blockers, decisions needed
Fri (30 mins): Enablement: improve one asset (doc, template, 2-min clip) every week
Want the step-by-step for renewal rhythm and price defense? Steal the patterns here: 90-Day Renewal System—Defend Price Without Discounts.
3. Track six signals (simple sheet)
Activation %, WAU trend, Core Feature use, TTFV, Support trend, Exec sponsor engagement. Color R/Y/G.
That’s all you need.
For more on finding risk early, read my playbook on early-warning signals: Customer Success Alerts for Renewals & Expansion.
4. Standardize onboarding (S/M/L)
S: 1 call + checklist
M: 2–3 calls + light config
L: project plan + weekly standup (time-boxed).
Each plan has goals, a go-live date, owners, and “done =”.
Move accounts to Keep Steady when they hit “done.” If you need a ready checklist, start here: Customer Onboarding Checklist Guide.
5. Put three plays on the field
Activation Drop (30–45 days): login ↓ 30% WoW → exec reset call in 48h
Value Gap: zero use of the core feature in 14 days → demo with their data + ROI one-pager
Exec Sponsor Cold: no meeting in 30 days → 3-slide business readout and re-book
For rescue scenarios and email scripts, use my CSM Churn Rescue Playbook.
Why This Works (And What Most Teams Miss)
Reactive saves rarely work
Last-minute discounts don’t fix a weak value story. Build triggers that fire before renewal fights.
If you want to automate these motions end-to-end, use the Customer Success Lifecycle Automation Playbook.
Ownership fog kills time
Buckets remove debate and make work visible.
To land the message with finance and product, send a tight readout using the Governance & Renewals Scorecard.
Random data = random outcomes
The six signals force consistent judgment.
Onboarding chaos drives churn
T-shirt sizing and “done =” cut time-to-value.
If onboarding is your bottleneck, fix the failure points with this guide: Remote Onboarding That Drives Retention.
Only reacting burns the team
Split reactive (CSM) from proactive (lead). Protect your time with this boundary system: Customer Success Boundaries That Prevent Burnout
Headcount is math, not feelings: coverage, $ at risk, $ to gain
Teams that adopt this OS see ~20–25% fewer escalations in 30 days and reclaim 1–2 hrs/week for enablement.
When you need the staffing argument, use the ratios here: CSM-to-Customer Ratio Optimization.
A small retention lift compounds into profit. Also, tie it back to revenue using my Net Revenue Retention (NRR) Guides.
Upgrade to premium → Get the complete plug-and-play CS Ops Kit so you can ship this Operating System next week:
Google Sheets toolkit
→ Auto R/Y/G health, $ at risk / $ to gain, live Dashboard, Upcoming Renewals (120-day)
Weekly cadence pack
→ Agendas, scripts, exec-ready Monday one-pager (print-friendly)
3 playbooks
→ Activation Drop, Value Gap, Exec Sponsor Cold with email scripts + call agendas
Onboarding S/M/L
→ Checklists + pasteable Success Plan
Headcount mini-model
→ Coverage math to justify your next CSM
SLA & Escalation, Daily standup sheet, 7-day rollout plan
“The CS Café Newsletter is the ultimate resource for all things Customer Success. Always current and actionable.”
— Kevin Herrholtz, VP Client Success, AddShoppers
Quick FAQ
Can I customize it?
Yes, everything’s editable. The validation, health logic, and dashboards are pre-wired.
Will it work if we’re pre-PMF?
Yes. Run Save/Grow/Steady and use the Pre-product Save Pack to protect early logos.
What if I’m solo?
Run Mon/Wed/Thu; do Friday Enablement bi-weekly. The system still holds.
Join elite CS pros today → One-click download. Make a copy → deploy in minutes.
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