Customer Success or Customers' Customer Success?

We talk about Customer Success from our customers’ perspective. But our customers’ success often means the success of their own customers. So how can we impact that aspect as well?

One often overlooked aspect of Customer Success from our customers' customers' perspective is the impact of user experience and indirect interactions.

While direct interactions between the immediate customer (the organization that purchased the product or service) and the Customer Success team are essential, the end-users' overall perception and satisfaction can also be influenced by several indirect factors that are not always so obvious. Here's one aspect to consider: ecosystem interaction and network effects.

End-users may have interactions or experiences that indirectly affect their satisfaction with the product or service. These interactions can include:

• Integrations?- If the product or service integrates with other software or systems that end-users rely on, the seamless operation of these integrations can significantly impact user satisfaction. Any disruptions or compatibility issues can lead to frustration, even if the core product itself is functioning as expected.
• Third-party add-ons?– Some end-users might use third-party add-ons, extensions, or plugins to enhance the functionality of the core product. The compatibility and performance of these add-ons can influence the overall user experience, and any issues may not be directly related to the product itself but can still affect user satisfaction.
• End-users’ community?- End-users often seek advice, share experiences, and troubleshoot issues within user communities and online forums. Negative or positive sentiments within these communities can influence an individual's perception of a specific product or service, even if they haven't directly interacted with it.
• Related to the previous point,?competition comparisons?are worth mentioning. End-users may compare the product or service they're using with alternatives in the market. They may hear about features or capabilities offered by competitors and have expectations based on these comparisons, which can influence their overall satisfaction.

So, from the Customer Success perspective, we need to train our teams to recognize that end-users often operate within complex ecosystems, and their experience is shaped not only by the core product but also by these indirect factors.?

But how?

• Collaborate with customers to ensure integrations and third-party components work seamlessly
• Monitor and participate in user communities and forums to address concerns and provide assistance
• Keep customers informed about industry changes and help them adapt
• Guide on how to leverage the product's strengths compared to competitors

By considering these indirect interactions and experiences, we - Customer Success teams - can walk the extra mile to support the overall satisfaction and success of our customers, which, in the end, leads to our own.