# Cs Operations > Customer success operations for B2B SaaS — the post-sale revenue engine that prevents churn, drives expansion, and compounds customer value. Use when the user mentions customer success, CS ops, health scoring, renewal management, churn prevention, expansion playbook, expansion signals, onboarding orchestration, time to first value, QBR, customer segmentation, coverage model, high-touch, low-touch… - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-swan-gtm-gtm-skills-cs-operations` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [swan-gtm](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/swan-gtm) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [swan-gtm](https://github.com/swan-gtm) - **Source:** https://github.com/swan-gtm/gtm-skills/tree/main/skills/rutger-katz/cs-operations ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-swan-gtm-gtm-skills-cs-operations ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Customer Success Operations You are a CS operations architect. CS Ops is the post-sale revenue engine — it sits in the ICP Value Loops layer of the revenue operating system, owning Adopt → Realise Value → Renew → Expand. Without it, you're relying on individual heroics instead of systems. ## The CS Ops Operating Model Four pillars. Neglect any one and the system breaks. ``` PROCESS DESIGN TECHNOLOGY & SYSTEMS ├─ Playbooks ├─ CS Platform (Gainsight, ChurnZero, Vitally, Planhat) ├─ Workflows ├─ Product analytics (Pendo, Amplitude) ├─ Escalation paths ├─ Support (Zendesk, Intercom) ├─ Governance ├─ Survey tools (NPS, CSAT) └─ Swimlanes └─ Data warehouse integration DATA & ANALYTICS ENABLEMENT ├─ Health scores ├─ CSM onboarding (2 weeks, not 2 months) ├─ Churn prediction ├─ Playbook documentation ├─ Expansion scoring ├─ Tools training ├─ Cohort analysis ├─ Certification on key processes └─ Team efficiency └─ Knowledge base ``` ## CS Maturity Model ``` ┌────────────┬──────────────┬────────────────┬───────────────┬──────────────┐ │ Stage │ Health Score │ Renewals │ Expansion │ Governance │ ├────────────┼──────────────┼────────────────┼───────────────┼──────────────┤ │ REACTIVE │ None. React │ Ad-hoc, │ Accidental │ CS isolated, │ │ │ to churn. │ customer-led │ │ no loops │ ├────────────┼──────────────┼────────────────┼───────────────┼──────────────┤ │ DEFINED │ Manual, CSM │ Playbook, 60d │ Signals ID'd │ Handoff doc │ │ │ judgment │ before expiry │ inconsistently│ exists │ ├────────────┼──────────────┼────────────────┼───────────────┼──────────────┤ │ PROACTIVE │ Composite, │ Automated 90d │ Scoring model │ Quarterly │ │ │ weekly auto │ process + save │ + targeted │ CS-Product │ │ │ alerts │ playbooks │ outreach │ forums │ ├────────────┼──────────────┼────────────────┼───────────────┼──────────────┤ │ PREDICTIVE │ ML model, │ Preventive │ Expansion │ Real-time │ │ │ >80% churn │ interventions, │ scoring feeds │ feedback │ │ │ accuracy │ €50K ARR │ Named CSM │ 1:10-30 │ │ (Strategic) │ Complex product │ Quarterly EBRs │ │ │ │ High expansion │ Dedicated onboard│ │ ├──────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────────┼────────────┤ │ MID-TOUCH │ €10-50K ARR │ Pooled CSM │ 1:30-80 │ │ (Scaled) │ Moderate complex│ Templated touches│ │ │ │ Growth potential│ Triggered playbks│ │ ├──────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────────┼────────────┤ │ LOW-TOUCH │ 80% utilisation) RELATIONSHIP: Champion promoted, new stakeholder/exec sponsor engaged, positive NPS, new departments/teams using the product COMMERCIAL: Org headcount growth, new budget cycle, cross-functional interest, feature requests for premium-tier functionality OUTCOMES: Value achieved ahead of schedule, ROI exceeded, new use cases, positive health trend (score increasing 3+ months), referral/case study ``` ### Expansion Ownership Model ``` Small expansion (50% ACV): Sales owns, CS supports ``` CS-to-Sales handoff: CS prepares customer context, decision-maker, timeline, needs. Sales accepts or declines. If accepted, CS introduces Sales to champion and stays involved through close. Expansion motion: CS documents the signal in CRM → warm intro from CSM to AE/expansion AE → AE runs the commercial conversation while CSM provides context and stays on early calls → post-expansion, CS implements the expanded scope and tracks value on the new commitment. For the 0-100 expansion scoring model (usage/stakeholder/feature/health/headroom weights), score-based ownership thresholds, account readiness triggers, and whitespace analysis, see `references/expansion-scoring-model.md`. ## Onboarding Orchestration The handoff is where retention is won or lost. A weak handoff creates context loss, broken promises, and a customer who feels like they're starting over. For the step-by-step Sales → CS handoff process and checklist, see the summary under "Sales → CS Handoff" below and `references/sales-cs-handoff-template.md`. This is the single canonical onboarding model. ``` DAY 1-7: ACTIVATION / KICKOFF Welcome email (within 2 hours), license activation, kickoff scheduled Kickoff call with key stakeholders; assign customer-side project owner Success criteria and timeline confirmed: "What does success look like?" (Use SPICED Impact as baseline) DAY 8-30: IMPLEMENTATION / TECHNICAL SETUP Configuration / environment setup, data migration, integration setup Admin training, user training, weekly status calls, blocker resolution Document known issues or customisation needs Milestone: Go-live readiness confirmed DAY 31-60: STABILIZATION / USER ENABLEMENT Go-live, first-week support surge (daily check-ins) End-user training sessions, internal documentation/guides Identify power users / internal champions, validate adoption metrics Usage monitoring, issue resolution, user adoption tracking First value delivered: "Here's the impact you're seeing" DAY 61-90: OPTIMIZATION / FIRST VALUE Confirm first value milestone achieved; capture success story (even informal) Performance vs. success criteria, advanced feature rollout Executive check-in, health score baseline set, first QBR/check-in scheduled Transition to business-as-usual CSM cadence ``` **Automation triggers:** No kickoff by day 3 → reminder. Not go-live by day 30 → alert manager. Usage 90%), onboarding NPS/CSAT (>8/10), feature adoption at T+30 (>3 core features). ### Sales → CS Handoff When a deal hits Closed Won, an automated notification routes the account to the assigned CSM with a CRM record containing the SPICED summary, stakeholders, contractual commitments, known risks, product/tier config, and any discount terms with expiry dates. The CSM reviews it, runs a short internal handoff call with the AE (what was promised, who's the champion/blocker, what success looks like, landmines), then sends the welcome email and schedules kickoff. A handoff quality check confirms the SPICED summary is complete, all stakeholders are in CRM, and discount terms are documented with expiry. For the full step-by-step timeline, Sales pre-handoff responsibilities, the three-way handoff meeting, and checklist, see `references/sales-cs-handoff-template.md`. ## Event-Based Playbooks ``` USAGE DROP (WAU drops >30% week-over-week) Action: CSM outreach within 24 hours Root cause: Change, vacations, budget freeze, support issue? NPS DETRACTOR (Score 90% (>95% enterprise) NRR >110% Logo retention rate >90% Expansion rate (% ARR growth) >15%/year OPERATIONAL Time to first value 70% green QBR completion (high-touch) 100% Renewal on-time rate >90% Save rate (red accounts) >40% EFFICIENCY Accounts per CSM (by tier) See coverage model Admin time (% of total) 70% ``` ## Diagnostic Assessment Score your CS Ops maturity. Count YES answers: ``` PROCESS: Documented playbooks? Defined renewal timeline? Health scoring framework? Escalation paths? QBRs for all high-touch? TECHNOLOGY: Dedicated CS platform? Integrates with product analytics? Automated health scoring? Usage data visible to CSMs? DATA: Can forecast churn 30+ days out? Health dashboards? Track expansion signals? Segment by tier? Measure team efficiency? ENABLEMENT: Structured CSM onboarding? Accessible playbooks? Process certification? Monthly training? GOVERNANCE: CS-Product feedback loop? CS-Sales handoff process? Exec reviews CS metrics monthly? Churn autopsies? Expansion ownership clear? Discount sunset tracking in place? 0-6 YES = Reactive. Fix: Define playbooks, build basic health scoring 7-13 YES = Defined. Fix: Integrate tech, automate playbooks 14-19 YES = Proactive. Fix: Build predictive models, optimize coverage 20-25 YES = Predictive. Fix: AI-assisted coaching, autonomous workflows ``` ## Process Operating Cadence Health scoring and renewal frameworks answer "who is at risk?" and "how do we retain them?" — but they depend on a structured review cadence and escalation discipline. A health score without a review cadence is a dashboard no one acts on. The cadence is the operating system; the score is the signal. - **Weekly:** CSM reviews accounts with a score drop >10pts; flag any Green→Yellow or Yellow→Red (CSM + CS Lead). - **Monthly:** Full health score review of all accounts; any Red account reviewed with CS Lead + AE; scores updated on new data. - **Quarterly:** Portfolio health review, QBR prep for T1 accounts, Red account recovery planning. **Red accounts: escalate within 24h.** When a customer turns Red, the CSM notifies the CS Lead, who reviews the health breakdown and jointly decides with the AE between rescue mode (>90 days to renewal) and renewal risk mode ( Built by [Neon Triforce](https://neontriforce.com) --- ## WbD Impact Journey — CS Action Framework The Impact Journey maps the post-Mutual Commit customer journey (Mutual Commit → Onboarding → Adoption/Retention → Renewal → Expansion → Advocacy) into structured CS actions, with health-score interpretation and trigger plays by stage. Key guardrail: **do not expand before First Impact (Stage O4)** — customers achieving impact in a single area only are more at risk of churn than those with widespread stakeholder usage. Source: WbD Operating Model PDF, Chapter 08, pages 143-148. For the full 8-stage model with CS-action mappings, the health-score-by-stage interpretation, the trigger-plays table, and the expansion timing guardrail, see `references/wbd-impact-journey.md`. ## Reference Files | File | When to read | What's inside | |------|-------------|---------------| | `references/renewal-discount-governance.md` | Discount expiring / contentious renewal pricing | Discount sunset problem, pricing conversation framework, save-plays-with-pricing table, GPO renewal coordination | | `references/expansion-scoring-model.md` | Quantifying/prioritising expansion | 0-100 scoring model, score-based ownership thresholds, readiness triggers, whitespace analysis | | `references/sales-cs-handoff-template.md` | Designing the Closed-Won → CS handoff | Step-by-step T+0 to T+5 timeline, Sales pre-handoff duties, handoff meeting, quality checklist | | `references/red-account-playbook.md` | A customer turns Red | Rescue mode, renewal risk mode, commercial options, full health monitoring cadence table | | `references/qbr-process-template.md` | Designing or running a QBR | 45-60 min agenda structure, cadence by tier | | `references/cs-product-feedback-architecture.md` | Building the CS-Product loop | Advisory board, churn autopsy, feature request tagging, adoption blocker log | | `references/wbd-impact-journey.md` | Mapping the post-sale journey to CS actions | 8-stage model, health-by-stage, trigger plays, expansion timing guardrail | --- ## Operator Templates — Forecasting Worksheet (Renewals Tab) The Renewals tab of the forecasting worksheet is specifically useful for CS operations modelling: `Frameworks/Templates/cro-school/forecasting-worksheet-neon.xlsx` Use the Renewals tab to model: renewal cohort sizing, churn impact on ARR, expansion uplift scenarios. Original source: `Sources/Courses/CRO-School/Forecasting Worksheet _ Class #4_ Forecasting and Financial Modeling.xlsx` Attribution: Adapted from Pavilion CRO School. Original author: Carter/Nalbandian/Dick. --- ## What good looks like A great output is a concrete CS operating system, not a philosophy: a 5-dimension weighted health score (usage 35%, relationship 25%, support 18%, commercial 17%, outcomes 5%) with green/yellow/red thresholds tied to churn-risk bands, a T-120 renewal timeline with owners at each gate, a 3-tier coverage model with CSM ratios, and a named review cadence (weekly score-drop review, monthly full review, 24-hour red-account escalation). Every discount carries a Discount_Expiry_Date, every churned account gets an autopsy within 7 days, and expansion ownership is split by deal size (50% Sales-owned). ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [swan-gtm](https://github.com/swan-gtm) - **Source:** [swan-gtm/gtm-skills](https://github.com/swan-gtm/gtm-skills) - **License:** MIT Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-swan-gtm-gtm-skills-cs-operations - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/swan-gtm - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. 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