Overfunctioning in Customer Success

In Customer Success, there's often an unspoken expectation that Customer Success Managers (CSMs) must do whatever it takes to ensure customer satisfaction. Going above and beyond is typically seen as a hallmark of dedication and excellence. However, what happens when "going the extra mile" turns into a habit of taking on too much responsibility? This behavior is known as overfunctioning, and while it may seem productive in the short term, it can have negative consequences for both CSMs and their clients in the long run.

What Is Overfunctioning?

Overfunctioning occurs when someone takes on more work than is necessary, often to prevent mistakes, control outcomes, or compensate for perceived deficiencies in others. In the context of Customer Success, overfunctioning can manifest as a CSM handling tasks that should be owned by other departments, such as support, product, or sales. It's about constantly stepping in to "save the day," even when it’s not part of the role’s core responsibilities.

At first glance, overfunctioning might appear to be a positive trait—after all, it’s driven by a desire to ensure that customers have the best possible experience. However, this behaviour often comes at a cost. By overfunctioning, CSMs risk burning themselves out, undermining their effectiveness, and ultimately, harming their customers' long-term success.

How Overfunctioning Shows Up in Customer Success

Let’s take a closer look at some real-world examples of overfunctioning in Customer Success:

Taking Over Technical Support Tasks: A CSM might find themselves constantly troubleshooting technical issues for their clients, even when there is a dedicated support team available. While this might seem helpful in the moment, it diverts time and energy away from the CSM’s strategic responsibilities, such as driving product adoption and customer retention.

Micromanaging Customer Outcomes: Some CSMs feel compelled to oversee every detail of their clients’ workflows, from how they use the product to minor operational decisions. This type of overfunctioning creates dependency and can prevent customers from becoming self-sufficient with the product.

Doing the Work of Other Teams: Overfunctioning CSMs may step into the roles of marketing, sales, or account management. For example, they might take on renewal negotiations or run ad hoc campaigns to encourage product usage. While this might seem like initiative, it often leads to blurred boundaries and unsustainable workloads.

Over-Communication and Hand-Holding: CSMs might overfunction by over-communicating with clients, sending daily emails, or scheduling multiple check-ins to ensure the client is on track. This may come across as being overly involved and can make customers feel overwhelmed or micromanaged.

Why Overfunctioning Happens

Overfunctioning doesn’t occur in a vacuum—there are underlying reasons why CSMs fall into this pattern. Understanding these causes is key to recognising and addressing the behavior.

A Desire for Control: Many CSMs overfunction because they want to control outcomes and ensure nothing goes wrong. This is often driven by a perfectionist mindset and a fear of failure.

Lack of Clear Boundaries: In many organisations, the roles and responsibilities of CSMs are not clearly defined, leading them to take on tasks that fall outside their scope. This lack of clarity can make it difficult for CSMs to say no to additional work.

Customer-First Mentality: CSMs are often encouraged to do whatever it takes to make the customer happy. While this mentality is essential to success, it can lead to overfunctioning when CSMs feel obligated to solve every problem themselves.

External Pressure: CSMs often face pressure from leadership or other teams to take on more responsibilities. Whether it's dealing with an unhappy client or stepping in to support another department, CSMs may feel compelled to overextend themselves to meet these demands.

The Consequences of Overfunctioning

While overfunctioning may provide some short-term gains, such as solving immediate customer problems or meeting a critical deadline, it can lead to negative long-term consequences for both CSMs and their clients.

Burnout and Stress: The most obvious consequence of overfunctioning is burnout. CSMs who consistently take on too much work are at risk of exhaustion, stress, and ultimately, disengagement. This can lead to decreased performance, lower job satisfaction, and even turnover.

Reduced Strategic Focus: When CSMs are bogged down by tactical tasks and operational issues, they lose the ability to focus on long-term strategic goals. This can prevent them from driving meaningful outcomes for their clients, such as product adoption, value realization, and account growth.

Enabling Dependency: Overfunctioning can create a dynamic where customers become dependent on the CSM for every small issue. This undermines the customer's ability to succeed independently and can lead to inefficiencies for both parties.

Stifling Collaboration and Responsibility: Overfunctioning often comes at the expense of teamwork. When CSMs take on responsibilities that should be handled by other teams, it prevents collaboration and accountability across the organization. This can lead to tension between departments and a lack of clarity about who owns certain tasks.

Lowered Career Growth Potential: Ironically, while overfunctioning might seem like a way to demonstrate value, it can actually hinder career growth. By focusing on tactical execution rather than strategic leadership, CSMs may struggle to advance into higher-level roles that require big-picture thinking and cross-functional collaboration.

When is Overfunctioning Helpful or Necessary?

While overfunctioning can have its downsides, there are certain situations where going above and beyond the typical responsibilities of a CSM can be both beneficial and necessary. Understanding when it’s appropriate to overfunction, and how to do so in a strategic way, can help you navigate these situations without falling into the trap of constant overextension.

Here are some scenarios where overfunctioning can be the right move:

Critical Client Emergencies

In certain high-stakes situations, such as a major technical outage or a significant bug that is preventing the client from using the product, it may be necessary to overfunction temporarily. By stepping in and taking control, whether that means coordinating with multiple teams or even handling the technical issue yourself, you can help mitigate damage, reassure the client, and demonstrate your commitment to their success. Overfunctioning in these cases may help save the client relationship and prevent churn.

Example: A CSM at a software company had a key enterprise client experiencing a major platform disruption right before an important internal event. The CSM worked late into the night to coordinate with the technical team, provide constant updates, and set up temporary workarounds. By overfunctioning in this emergency, the CSM not only saved the account but also earned greater trust from the client.

High-Value Clients or Strategic Accounts

Overfunctioning may sometimes be necessary for your most important clients, especially those who have a large financial impact on your company. For these strategic accounts, going above and beyond to ensure a seamless experience—whether that’s through extra hand-holding, personalised support, or taking on additional responsibilities—can be an investment in the long-term success of the relationship.

Example: A CSM managing a high-value enterprise account recognised that the client’s success would lead to a significant upsell opportunity. Knowing the importance of this client, the CSM offered more in-depth training and closely monitored their usage, identifying and fixing small issues before they escalated. This level of overfunctioning paid off when the client signed a multi-year, high-value renewal.

Onboarding New Clients

During the onboarding phase, clients are especially vulnerable to feeling overwhelmed or unsure about how to use the product effectively. Overfunctioning in this period can help ensure that clients get off on the right foot and are set up for long-term success. By taking extra care to guide them through the process, offer additional training sessions, or help them configure the product to meet their needs, you can build a strong foundation that pays dividends down the road.

Example: A CSM onboarded a new client who was new to the type of software the company offered. The CSM took the time to walk the client through every step of the setup process, providing extra training sessions and custom documentation to ensure they fully understood how to leverage the platform. By overfunctioning during this critical phase, the CSM ensured the client was fully engaged and prepared to use the product to its full potential.

Company Changes or Growing Pains

Overfunctioning may also be necessary during periods of internal transition, such as when your company or client's company is going through rapid growth, restructuring, or implementing new processes. In these situations, departments may not be fully staffed or roles may not yet be clearly defined, which can lead to gaps that need to be temporarily filled. By stepping in to help cover these gaps, you ensure that client success remains consistent while the company adjusts to new changes.

Example: During a company-wide restructuring, the Customer Support team was short-staffed, and tickets began piling up. The CSM team temporarily stepped in to assist with support tasks, ensuring that clients didn’t experience delays in response times or see a drop in service quality. Once the support team was fully staffed again, the CSMs were able to return to their primary responsibilities.

Building Trust and Proving Value

Sometimes, overfunctioning is necessary to build trust with a skeptical or high-expectation client. New clients or those who have had negative experiences with other vendors may need extra attention to feel confident in your product and service. By demonstrating that you’re willing to go the extra mile, you can establish trust and prove the value of the partnership.

Example: A new client came onboard after having a poor experience with a competitor. They were wary and demanded high levels of attention and assurance that your company could deliver on its promises. The CSM stepped in to provide white-glove service, coordinating across teams to meet the client’s needs, scheduling frequent check-ins, and offering personalised support. Over time, this overfunctioning helped build trust, and the client became one of the company’s most vocal advocates.

How to Overfunction Responsibly

The key to overfunctioning successfully is to recognise when it’s truly necessary and to approach it as a temporary measure rather than a permanent solution. Here are some tips on how to overfunction responsibly:

• Set Time Limits: When you find yourself needing to overfunction, set clear time limits for how long you’ll operate at this higher level of involvement. Ensure that once the emergency or special situation is resolved, you transition back to your core responsibilities.
• Communicate Clearly: Let your team and clients know when you’re stepping in to overfunction temporarily. This way, they understand that your extra involvement is a short-term effort, and they won't come to expect it as the norm.
• Monitor Your Workload: Pay attention to how overfunctioning is impacting your overall workload. Make sure that the extra effort you’re putting in isn’t leading to burnout or causing you to neglect other important tasks.
• Plan for the Long Term: Use overfunctioning as an opportunity to identify gaps in processes or communication. If you’re frequently stepping in to cover for other teams, consider whether there’s a systemic issue that needs to be addressed. Work with leadership to put more sustainable processes in place.

Overfunctioning is a double-edged sword. While it can be harmful if it becomes a long-term habit, there are times when it is both necessary and beneficial. The key is to recognise when overfunctioning is called for and to approach it strategically. By understanding when it’s appropriate to go above and beyond and how to do so responsibly, you can provide exceptional value to your clients without sacrificing your own well-being or undermining your long-term effectiveness. As with many things in Customer Success, balance is the key.