One CX |The Evolution of Customer Success | Conversation with Gema Tamames Monzón

Key Insights:

• Why 20-25 accounts is the optimal portfolio size for proactive customer success
• How to transition from white glove support to revenue-focused customer success
• The importance of segmenting customers by growth potential, not just revenue size
• Why Net Promoter Score can be misleading for customer success teams

The customer success industry has undergone a dramatic transformation. What began as premium support has evolved into a strategic revenue function that directly impacts business growth. Gema Tamames Monzón, Enterprise Account Manager at Wix with 7+ years of experience, has witnessed this evolution firsthand while consistently achieving impressive results, including130% net revenue retention rates.

The Magic Number for Customer Success Portfolios

One of the most critical decisions in customer success management is determining optimal portfolio sizes. Gema's extensive experience provides clear guidance:

"I think the magic number goes around 20-25 clients. When I have more than 20-25,I am much more reactive rather than proactive. When I have less than 20, the more proactive you can be."

Why portfolio size matters for customer success:

• Proactive vs. reactive work - Larger portfolios force reactive responses to customer issues
• Strategic relationship building - Smaller portfolios enable deeper customer connections
• Revenue impact - Proactive customer success managers drive higher expansion and retention
• Quality of service - Manageable portfolios ensure consistent customer experience

This insight is crucial for customer success teams scaling their operations while maintaining service quality.

Many customer success teams rely heavily on Net Promoter Score (NPS), but Gema identifies significant limitations:

"I have a problem with Net Promoter Score. Customers range between two states: happy or not. There's a whole spectrum in the middle that you're missing out on until you go and ask them directly."

Issues with traditional customer success metrics:

• Binary thinking - NPS creates false happy/unhappy categories
• Missing nuance - Scores don't reveal underlying customer motivations
• Limited actionability - Numbers don't provide clear next steps
• Relationship dependency - Real insights come from direct customer conversations

Better approaches for customer success:

• Direct customer conversations - Regular check-ins focused on business outcomes
• Usage-based insights - Analyzing product adoption and engagement patterns
• Revenue indicators - Tracking expansion, contraction, and renewal patterns
• Outcome-focused discussions - Understanding customer business results

Scaling Customer Success Without Losing Personal Touch

As customer success operations grow, maintaining personal relationships becomes challenging. Gema's approach focuses on eliminating low-value activities:

"I stopped doing mandatory check-ins because it stops me from focusing on high-value activities. If you give the client something they're interested in, they'll get on a call more happily."

Scaling strategies for customer success:

• Value-driven interactions - Every customer touch point should deliver specific value
• Proactive insights sharing - Prepare meaningful analysis before customer meetings
• Strategic account planning - Focus on accounts with highest growth potential
• Automation for routine tasks - Use technology for administrative work

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This approach allows customer success managers to maintain quality relationships while managing larger portfolios.

The Future of Customer Success

Looking ahead, Gema sees several key trends shaping customer success:

1. Increased Revenue Accountability‍

Customer success teams must demonstrate clear ROI and revenue impact. The days of being a "nice-to-have" function are over.

2. Technology Integration

AI and automation will handle routine tasks, allowing customer success professionals to focus on strategic, high-value activities.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Customer success will work more closely with sales, marketing, and product teams to deliver cohesive customer experiences.

4. Specialized Role Development

The generalist approach to customer success won't scale. Successful organizations will develop specialized roles and clear progression paths.

Essential Skills for Customer Success Excellence

Based on her diverse industry experience, Gema identifies critical competencies for customer success professionals:

Core customer success skills:

• Curiosity and continuous learning - Understanding evolving customer needs
• Productivity and time management - Maximizing impact across customer portfolios
• Relationship building - Creating trust and partnership with customers
• Strategic thinking - Connecting customer success to business outcomes
• Revenue focus - Understanding and driving financial impact

Gema's journey from white glove support to strategic revenue driver illustrates the maturation of the customer success industry. By focusing on growth potential over maintenance, embracing revenue accountability, and building genuine customer partnerships, customer success professionals can drive significant business impact while advancing their careers.

The future belongs to customer success teams that combine relationship expertise with business acumen, using technology to enhance rather than replace human connection. Organizations that invest in this evolution will see customer success become their most powerful growth engine.

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Watch the full episode above for more insights on transitioning from support to strategic customer success.

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