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Rules of Engagement (RoE) - AMs & CSMs

Authors: Emma Carey and Tom Leader

Last Update: 23rd November, 2023

Overview

Rules of Engagement also known as ROEs are a set of operating principles mutually created and agreed on between two teams for how these teams will A) work together, B) prevent conflict and C) resolve conflict if and when it arises. A single team that is regularly collaborating across many teams may have many sets of ROEs, one with each of the teams where collaboration happens most. ROEs are typically documented in a place that is visible to all team members, and are updated regularly and as-needed as teams grow and evolve.

Purpose

ROEs exist to scale meaningful collaboration and proactively address conflict. ROEs help to foster mutual understanding and compassion, in a similar way to Nonviolent Communications, by stating needs up front and creating alignment on how each team’s needs will be met through their collaboration with the other team.

Summary

Both teams exist to maintain, grow and retain long term, successful customer partnerships. The following Rules of Engagement exist as a guide for internal staff to ensure 100% alignment and accountability.

Account Management Responsibilities

  • Primary point of contact for all commercial conversation, inclusive but not limited to:
    • Leads discovery calls to understand what the current process is and how Chili Piper solutions may be able to help
    • Dispute resolution
    • Discussions regarding no discount policy - Chili Piper Discount Policy
    • Renewal discussions
    • Upsell and cross sell throughout the full sales cycle (discovery, demo, steps to the finish line, close)
    • Own Proactive Experience Recovery - PXR process Proactive Experience Recovery Resources (PXR)
  • Create, build and strengthen customer relationships across decision makers and commercial influencers across the business to achieve long-term, multi-faceted partnerships
  • Maintain accurate CRM, ensuring communication coverage across customer portfolio Scratchpad 101
  • Comprehensively understand the suite of solutions and their value to better upsell and cross sell to existing customers.
  • Work collaboratively with Product, Product Marketing and CS to ensure an aligned, cross-departmental approach to customer expansion.

Account Management Agrees to

  • Promptly respond to customers for any commercially related questions
  • Must act as the main point for any internal commercial escalations in Salesforce and cc the CSM for visibility until escalation has been resolved Risks & Escalations
  • Schedule end-user training on behalf of the CSM (MM and ENT only). Attendance for the AM is optional, although encouraged for additional insight into use cases, cross-sell opportunities, and likelihood of renewal.
    • Workspace: Customer Success
    • Meeting Type: Enablement Session (30 minutes)
  • Maintain a high level of notes on the customer account, alerting any red flags or questions quickly and directly to the CSM (or SMB CSM Team Lead)
  • Include CSM in all customer communication. This includes:
    • Correspondence: CC'ing AM in all emails, Slack messages and other forms of correspondence
    • Meetings: Inviting to all meetings at least as an optional guest. If there is a high risk call (e.g. low product adoption), churn calls and check ins, the CSM and AM should both join. If the counterpart isn't available, the AM and CSM both agree to discuss the roadmap and ideal outcome of the call, ahead of time.
  • Any new stakeholders should be made aware of both AM & CS. Both AM & CS should be included in all introduction and handover emails.
    • For SMB: cc'ing CSMs during handover emails is not required
  • AM provides at at least 2 week notification for all Solution Review meetings Solutions Reviews
    • For SMB: a CSM invite is only required for red flag accounts. Please liaise with your Manager or the CS Team Lead to arrange this.
  • To help with the customer experience, the AM agrees to first try to understand configuration questions:
    • If unsure, triage with either Support or the CSM team. During the call, The AM agrees to scope out the issue and share the details with the applicable team for further investigation. If deemed necessary, the AM will agree to follow up to suggest times or book a working session with the CSM team.

Customer Success Manager Responsibilities

  • Retain happy active users
  • Act as main POC for customer onboarding
  • Lead configuration related questions, enablement or non-commercial related issues throughout the Customer Journey (Internally and externally)
  • Coordinates, creates and presents the Customer Launch Day Meeting on their assigned accounts
  • Coordinates, creates and presents the Success Meeting on their assigned accounts
  • Creates and presents adoption related slides for AM led Customer Solutions Reviews
  • Leads all adoption related outreach activities for active assigned customers
  • Maintains all relevant information in PlanHat:
  • Provides AM with necessary information and surface potential Proactive Experience Recovery (PXR) needs
  • Identify and direct Cross-Sell and Up-Sell opportunities to AMs via the established CSQO
  • Maintain Customer Big6 details in SFDC and alert AM to any major changes to Business Objectives, Use Cases or Persona’s for assigned customers

Customer Success Managers Agrees to

  • Check in with AM before any strategic customer discussion, proposed escalation, growth opportunities, and churn risks
  • Invite AM’s to CS led Launch Meetings, Success Meetings, or any relevant formalized touch points throughout the Customer Journey
  • Include AM in all customer communication. This includes:
      • Correspondence: CC'ing AM in all emails, Slack messages and other forms of correspondence
      • Meetings: Inviting to all meetings at least as an optional guest. If there is a high risk call (e.g. low product adoption), churn calls and check ins, the CSM and AM should both join. If the counterpart isn't available, the AM and CSM both agree to discuss the roadmap and ideal outcome of the call, ahead of time.
  • Promptly respond to customers regarding enablement, configuration questions, and recommendations
  • Reference SFDC Contract as source of truth regarding purchased subscription details. If there are questions or need clarity check in with AM before external comms go out to the customer
  • Connect right away with AM for any change requests from active customers subscriptions before making adjustments (eg. never add licenses without connecting first with the AM for alignment)
  • Must lead all flagged Adoption related Escalations in SFDC and cc AM for visibility until resolution
  • Work with Dept. of Customer Love to lead Bug/Configuration resolutions and to update AM on any relevant or risk related updates (could lead to PXR)
  • Surface potential PXR needed to AM, AM must own the Escalation and agree with CS on best point to communicate the offer of PXR.

PARENT ACCOUNT COMPANY ACQUISITION

  • When a current customer is acquired by a Parent Account and the Parent Account is intending to use Chili Piper, the opportunity type ultimately comes down to the decision making and procurement process on the customer’s end.
    • If the decision-making process and procurement process are with the new entity it will be treated as new business.
    • If the decision-making process and procurement process are with the same entity it will be treated as a renewal.
  • Mergers and acquisitions of existing customers will be reviewed quarterly with the account management team to address acquisitions where an Enterprise or Mid Market account acquires a Mid Market or Small Business Account.
    • In cases of an Enterprise account acquisition. These accounts will be handed off to the Enterprise team in the first week of a new fiscal quarter.
    • These changes will be reviewed by the CSM and AM leaders
    • Should it be required to be reviewed mid-quarter a SFDC escalation must be submitted for management review

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