Senior Customer Success Manager Skills Interview
Author:
Brooke LesnerBrooke Lesner's template is optimized for a Senior Customer Success Manager who will serve as a strategic partner to their respective clients, guiding them in setting Success plans, identifying and mitigating risks, and providing them with prescriptive feedback and data-driven analyses. This hire will also need to effectively collaborate with internal cross-functional stakeholders (such as Product, Sales, & Engineering). This template covers the key skills and traits required to perform these objectives successfully, and how to suss these out throughout the interview process.
Focus area:
Question
1
Tell me about a time that you converted an at-risk account into a healthy account. What metrics did this specific customer decide to track and focus on to increase their health? Why did they choose these metrics?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to effectively coach & guide customers, solve problems, and exhibits data fluency
Explore tips
- Provides the customer with clear and actionable insights
- Educates the customer on any underutilized platform features
- Consistently checks in with customer to monitor progress
- Demonstrates an understanding of relevant metrics and how best to measure them
- Addresses any learnings/insights gleaned through this experience
Question
2
Tell me about the customer experience you've delivered that you're most proud of.
What does this question reveal?
Reveals the level of personalization, attentiveness, and care that the candidate provides to each customer
Explore tips
- Speaks to a discernible passion for customer experience
- Describes not only the experience, but also why they are most proud of it
- Shares context in terms of “who,” “what,” and “how” (sets the scene)
- Addresses any impact that the positive experience had on business outcome
- Includes metrics and data as evidence in response
Question
3
Tell me about a cross-functional initiative that you’ve been involved in that didn't go so well. What was the project? Who was involved? What kept it from running smoothly?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to take ownership and to collaborate with others
Explore tips
- Uses “we” statements instead of “I” statements
- Shares accountability for anything that went awry
- Outlines the solution & outcomes
- Speaks to any subsequent learnings
- Explains how they applied learning to affect future similar situations
Question
4
Imagine you committed to delivering a feature to a customer by a certain date. You find out 2 weeks before the agreed-upon date that Engineering and Product need to deprioritize it/reslot it to a later time. What do you do?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to tackle unforeseen obstacles, respectfully communicate with Engineering and Product, while keeping the customer top of mind
Explore tips
- Describes the process of reaching a resolution with cross-functional colleagues
- Includes overview of messaging/communication to customer
- Acknowledges overall outcome/impact of situation
- Explains how to best to mitigate the risk of similar situations arising
