Customer Success vs. Customer Support
Customer Success vs. Customer Support
Customer Success vs. Customer Support
Customer Success vs. Customer Support
Customer Success and Customer Support both play important roles in the post-sale experience, but their responsibilities, goals, and workflows differ. Support resolves issues that interrupt product usage. Success guides customers through the lifecycle and ensures they achieve meaningful outcomes. Together, they help maintain product stability and long-term retention. Each function is defined with its distinct role, operational differences, and the ways they intersect to improve visibility and retention across the customer lifecycle.
Customer Success and Customer Support both play important roles in the post-sale experience, but their responsibilities, goals, and workflows differ. Support resolves issues that interrupt product usage. Success guides customers through the lifecycle and ensures they achieve meaningful outcomes. Together, they help maintain product stability and long-term retention. Each function is defined with its distinct role, operational differences, and the ways they intersect to improve visibility and retention across the customer lifecycle.
Customer Success and Customer Support both play important roles in the post-sale experience, but their responsibilities, goals, and workflows differ. Support resolves issues that interrupt product usage. Success guides customers through the lifecycle and ensures they achieve meaningful outcomes. Together, they help maintain product stability and long-term retention. Each function is defined with its distinct role, operational differences, and the ways they intersect to improve visibility and retention across the customer lifecycle.
The Core Difference in One Sentence: Proactive vs. Reactive
Customer Support responds to issues after they occur.
Customer Success works to prevent issues by guiding customers toward consistent value and progress.
This is the primary difference in posture and informs how each team operates
The Core Difference in One Sentence: Proactive vs. Reactive
Customer Support responds to issues after they occur.
Customer Success works to prevent issues by guiding customers toward consistent value and progress.
This is the primary difference in posture and informs how each team operates
The Core Difference in One Sentence: Proactive vs. Reactive
Customer Support responds to issues after they occur.
Customer Success works to prevent issues by guiding customers toward consistent value and progress.
This is the primary difference in posture and informs how each team operates
What Is Customer Support?
Customer Support, provides technical and workflow assistance when a customer encounters friction. The team works inside structured processes that move issues from intake to diagnosis to resolution. The goal is to restore functionality quickly and consistently.
Goals and KPIs: The Transaction
Support performance focuses on efficiency and accuracy. Common KPIs include:
First Response Time
Average Resolution Time
Ticket Volume and backlog
SLA adherence
Customer Satisfaction after the interaction
These metrics show how well Support manages day-to-day incidents.
Responsibilities and Mindset
Support teams manage:
intake and triage of inbound tickets
troubleshooting and diagnosing problems
reproducing issues for Engineering when needed
maintaining and updating help center documentation
identifying patterns that signal product friction
The mindset is transactional and short-term. The aim is to resolve the issue and restore the customer’s ability to work.
What Is Customer Support?
Customer Support, provides technical and workflow assistance when a customer encounters friction. The team works inside structured processes that move issues from intake to diagnosis to resolution. The goal is to restore functionality quickly and consistently.
Goals and KPIs: The Transaction
Support performance focuses on efficiency and accuracy. Common KPIs include:
First Response Time
Average Resolution Time
Ticket Volume and backlog
SLA adherence
Customer Satisfaction after the interaction
These metrics show how well Support manages day-to-day incidents.
Responsibilities and Mindset
Support teams manage:
intake and triage of inbound tickets
troubleshooting and diagnosing problems
reproducing issues for Engineering when needed
maintaining and updating help center documentation
identifying patterns that signal product friction
The mindset is transactional and short-term. The aim is to resolve the issue and restore the customer’s ability to work.
What Is Customer Support?
Customer Support, provides technical and workflow assistance when a customer encounters friction. The team works inside structured processes that move issues from intake to diagnosis to resolution. The goal is to restore functionality quickly and consistently.
Goals and KPIs: The Transaction
Support performance focuses on efficiency and accuracy. Common KPIs include:
First Response Time
Average Resolution Time
Ticket Volume and backlog
SLA adherence
Customer Satisfaction after the interaction
These metrics show how well Support manages day-to-day incidents.
Responsibilities and Mindset
Support teams manage:
intake and triage of inbound tickets
troubleshooting and diagnosing problems
reproducing issues for Engineering when needed
maintaining and updating help center documentation
identifying patterns that signal product friction
The mindset is transactional and short-term. The aim is to resolve the issue and restore the customer’s ability to work.
What Is Customer Success?
Customer Success, manages the full customer lifecycle. The team focuses on onboarding, adoption, renewal preparation, and long-term outcomes. Instead of responding to issues, Success anticipates needs by monitoring usage, sentiment, and progress against goals.
Goals and KPIs: The Relationship and Outcomes
Success is measured by long-term value and revenue durability. Core KPIs include:
Net Revenue Retention
Customer Retention Rate
Revenue Churn
Adoption and usage metrics
These indicators show whether customers remain stable, engaged, and successful.
Responsibilities and Mindset
Success teams typically own:
onboarding plans and early milestones
success plans that define customer goals
check-ins and QBRs with key stakeholders
monitoring of adoption signals and health score changes
lifecycle planning and renewal preparation
identification of expansion opportunities
The mindset is proactive and long-term. Success focuses on delivering outcomes, not resolving incidents.
What Is Customer Success?
Customer Success, manages the full customer lifecycle. The team focuses on onboarding, adoption, renewal preparation, and long-term outcomes. Instead of responding to issues, Success anticipates needs by monitoring usage, sentiment, and progress against goals.
Goals and KPIs: The Relationship and Outcomes
Success is measured by long-term value and revenue durability. Core KPIs include:
Net Revenue Retention
Customer Retention Rate
Revenue Churn
Adoption and usage metrics
These indicators show whether customers remain stable, engaged, and successful.
Responsibilities and Mindset
Success teams typically own:
onboarding plans and early milestones
success plans that define customer goals
check-ins and QBRs with key stakeholders
monitoring of adoption signals and health score changes
lifecycle planning and renewal preparation
identification of expansion opportunities
The mindset is proactive and long-term. Success focuses on delivering outcomes, not resolving incidents.
What Is Customer Success?
Customer Success, manages the full customer lifecycle. The team focuses on onboarding, adoption, renewal preparation, and long-term outcomes. Instead of responding to issues, Success anticipates needs by monitoring usage, sentiment, and progress against goals.
Goals and KPIs: The Relationship and Outcomes
Success is measured by long-term value and revenue durability. Core KPIs include:
Net Revenue Retention
Customer Retention Rate
Revenue Churn
Adoption and usage metrics
These indicators show whether customers remain stable, engaged, and successful.
Responsibilities and Mindset
Success teams typically own:
onboarding plans and early milestones
success plans that define customer goals
check-ins and QBRs with key stakeholders
monitoring of adoption signals and health score changes
lifecycle planning and renewal preparation
identification of expansion opportunities
The mindset is proactive and long-term. Success focuses on delivering outcomes, not resolving incidents.
Customer Success vs Customer Support: At-a-Glance Comparison
A side-by-side view of the two functions highlights their differences.
Customer Support | Customer Success | |
Core Purpose | Resolve issues | Drive long-term outcomes |
Primary Focus | Individual cases | Lifecycle and value delivery |
Key Metrics | CSAT and Resolution Time | NRR and Health Score |
Time Horizon | Short-term | Long-term |
Output | Restored functionality | Adoption, retention, and growth |
Tools | Ticketing systems |
Both functions are essential, but each influences retention in different ways
Why You Need Both: How CS and Support Must Collaborate
Support and Success provide different types of visibility. When combined, the teams can identify friction, predict risk earlier, and coordinate more consistent engagement.
The Data Handoff: From Support Ticket to Health Score
Support activity often signals early risk or a change in customer sentiment. Examples include:
increasing ticket volume
repeated issues with the same workflow
prolonged resolution times
declining CSAT
When support data is connected to the health score, Success can see patterns earlier and activate playbooks that address the underlying issue.
The Feedback Loop: From CS Insights to Support Improvements
Success teams learn about customer challenges during onboarding, adoption reviews, and business reviews. These insights often reflect:
unclear user flows
gaps in documentation
high-effort tasks for new users
feature areas that cause confusion
Support can use this information to refine resources, improve instructions, and adjust training materials.
The collaboration strengthens the experience across every stage of the lifecycle.
Customer Success vs Customer Support: At-a-Glance Comparison
A side-by-side view of the two functions highlights their differences.
Customer Support | Customer Success | |
Core Purpose | Resolve issues | Drive long-term outcomes |
Primary Focus | Individual cases | Lifecycle and value delivery |
Key Metrics | CSAT and Resolution Time | NRR and Health Score |
Time Horizon | Short-term | Long-term |
Output | Restored functionality | Adoption, retention, and growth |
Tools | Ticketing systems |
Both functions are essential, but each influences retention in different ways
Why You Need Both: How CS and Support Must Collaborate
Support and Success provide different types of visibility. When combined, the teams can identify friction, predict risk earlier, and coordinate more consistent engagement.
The Data Handoff: From Support Ticket to Health Score
Support activity often signals early risk or a change in customer sentiment. Examples include:
increasing ticket volume
repeated issues with the same workflow
prolonged resolution times
declining CSAT
When support data is connected to the health score, Success can see patterns earlier and activate playbooks that address the underlying issue.
The Feedback Loop: From CS Insights to Support Improvements
Success teams learn about customer challenges during onboarding, adoption reviews, and business reviews. These insights often reflect:
unclear user flows
gaps in documentation
high-effort tasks for new users
feature areas that cause confusion
Support can use this information to refine resources, improve instructions, and adjust training materials.
The collaboration strengthens the experience across every stage of the lifecycle.
Customer Success vs Customer Support: At-a-Glance Comparison
A side-by-side view of the two functions highlights their differences.
Customer Support | Customer Success | |
Core Purpose | Resolve issues | Drive long-term outcomes |
Primary Focus | Individual cases | Lifecycle and value delivery |
Key Metrics | CSAT and Resolution Time | NRR and Health Score |
Time Horizon | Short-term | Long-term |
Output | Restored functionality | Adoption, retention, and growth |
Tools | Ticketing systems |
Both functions are essential, but each influences retention in different ways
Why You Need Both: How CS and Support Must Collaborate
Support and Success provide different types of visibility. When combined, the teams can identify friction, predict risk earlier, and coordinate more consistent engagement.
The Data Handoff: From Support Ticket to Health Score
Support activity often signals early risk or a change in customer sentiment. Examples include:
increasing ticket volume
repeated issues with the same workflow
prolonged resolution times
declining CSAT
When support data is connected to the health score, Success can see patterns earlier and activate playbooks that address the underlying issue.
The Feedback Loop: From CS Insights to Support Improvements
Success teams learn about customer challenges during onboarding, adoption reviews, and business reviews. These insights often reflect:
unclear user flows
gaps in documentation
high-effort tasks for new users
feature areas that cause confusion
Support can use this information to refine resources, improve instructions, and adjust training materials.
The collaboration strengthens the experience across every stage of the lifecycle.
The Planhat Solution: The Platform That Connects Them
Support and Success use different systems, but both teams rely on shared insight. Planhat connects Support signals, usage data, sentiment, and lifecycle milestones in the Customer 360. This creates a unified view that supports proactive engagement.
Planhat Is Not a Support Tool. It Is a Proactive Success Workspace
Ticketing systems remain the source of truth for issue resolution. Planhat brings support activity into the broader context of the customer’s lifecycle. CSMs can view tickets alongside:
adoption metrics
contract details
renewal timelines
health score calculations
success plan progress
This provides a complete picture of each account.
Ingesting Support Data to Build a Proactive Health Score
Support inputs can be incorporated into a dynamic health score. Signals such as ticket volume, severity, and CSAT trends help create a more accurate and timely view of risk.
This supports earlier intervention and gives leaders better visibility across segments.
Triggering CS Playbooks from Support Activity
Support-driven triggers can activate automated workflows in Planhat. Examples include:
a churn-risk playbook that activates after several high-severity tickets
an adoption playbook is triggered when repeated onboarding questions appear
a lifecycle check-in when sentiment changes
These workflows help teams respond consistently without relying on manual monitoring.
The Planhat Solution: The Platform That Connects Them
Support and Success use different systems, but both teams rely on shared insight. Planhat connects Support signals, usage data, sentiment, and lifecycle milestones in the Customer 360. This creates a unified view that supports proactive engagement.
Planhat Is Not a Support Tool. It Is a Proactive Success Workspace
Ticketing systems remain the source of truth for issue resolution. Planhat brings support activity into the broader context of the customer’s lifecycle. CSMs can view tickets alongside:
adoption metrics
contract details
renewal timelines
health score calculations
success plan progress
This provides a complete picture of each account.
Ingesting Support Data to Build a Proactive Health Score
Support inputs can be incorporated into a dynamic health score. Signals such as ticket volume, severity, and CSAT trends help create a more accurate and timely view of risk.
This supports earlier intervention and gives leaders better visibility across segments.
Triggering CS Playbooks from Support Activity
Support-driven triggers can activate automated workflows in Planhat. Examples include:
a churn-risk playbook that activates after several high-severity tickets
an adoption playbook is triggered when repeated onboarding questions appear
a lifecycle check-in when sentiment changes
These workflows help teams respond consistently without relying on manual monitoring.
The Planhat Solution: The Platform That Connects Them
Support and Success use different systems, but both teams rely on shared insight. Planhat connects Support signals, usage data, sentiment, and lifecycle milestones in the Customer 360. This creates a unified view that supports proactive engagement.
Planhat Is Not a Support Tool. It Is a Proactive Success Workspace
Ticketing systems remain the source of truth for issue resolution. Planhat brings support activity into the broader context of the customer’s lifecycle. CSMs can view tickets alongside:
adoption metrics
contract details
renewal timelines
health score calculations
success plan progress
This provides a complete picture of each account.
Ingesting Support Data to Build a Proactive Health Score
Support inputs can be incorporated into a dynamic health score. Signals such as ticket volume, severity, and CSAT trends help create a more accurate and timely view of risk.
This supports earlier intervention and gives leaders better visibility across segments.
Triggering CS Playbooks from Support Activity
Support-driven triggers can activate automated workflows in Planhat. Examples include:
a churn-risk playbook that activates after several high-severity tickets
an adoption playbook is triggered when repeated onboarding questions appear
a lifecycle check-in when sentiment changes
These workflows help teams respond consistently without relying on manual monitoring.
Career Path: Customer Support vs Customer Success Manager
Support and Success both develop customer-facing skills, but they focus on different types of work. Many professionals begin in Support and transition to Success as they take on more strategic responsibilities.
From Support to Success: A Common Path
Support roles build:
deep product understanding
strong communication habits
pattern recognition across customer issues
familiarity with customer expectations
These skills transfer well into Success roles that focus on planning and adoption.
Key Skills Compared: Technical vs Strategic
Support emphasizes technical troubleshooting and efficiency.
Success emphasizes strategy, planning, and long-term customer health.
Salary and Role Comparison
Support roles often include fixed compensation tied to service metrics.
Success roles may include variable compensation tied to retention or revenue outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are Customer Success and Customer Support the same thing?
No. Support resolves issues. Success manages long-term adoption and outcomes.
Can one team perform both functions?
Small organizations may combine them. As the customer base grows, separating the functions improves clarity and scalability.
How should the two teams share information?
Support data should integrate with the Customer Success platform so ticket history, CSAT trends, and escalation patterns become part of the Customer 360.
Who owns renewals?
Ownership varies. Success usually leads to renewals because it manages adoption, health, and outcomes.
Conclusion: Support Manages Problems, Success Manages Value
Support stabilizes the customer experience by resolving issues. Success strengthens long-term outcomes and ensures customers continue to receive meaningful value. Each function provides different insights into the customer journey. When the two functions operate from shared data and consistent workflows, organizations gain clearer visibility, stronger forecasting, and more predictable retention.
See how Planhat brings Support insights, usage data, and Customer Success workflows together in one platform. Request a demo to understand how unified visibility improves retention and strengthens the customer lifecycle.
Career Path: Customer Support vs Customer Success Manager
Support and Success both develop customer-facing skills, but they focus on different types of work. Many professionals begin in Support and transition to Success as they take on more strategic responsibilities.
From Support to Success: A Common Path
Support roles build:
deep product understanding
strong communication habits
pattern recognition across customer issues
familiarity with customer expectations
These skills transfer well into Success roles that focus on planning and adoption.
Key Skills Compared: Technical vs Strategic
Support emphasizes technical troubleshooting and efficiency.
Success emphasizes strategy, planning, and long-term customer health.
Salary and Role Comparison
Support roles often include fixed compensation tied to service metrics.
Success roles may include variable compensation tied to retention or revenue outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are Customer Success and Customer Support the same thing?
No. Support resolves issues. Success manages long-term adoption and outcomes.
Can one team perform both functions?
Small organizations may combine them. As the customer base grows, separating the functions improves clarity and scalability.
How should the two teams share information?
Support data should integrate with the Customer Success platform so ticket history, CSAT trends, and escalation patterns become part of the Customer 360.
Who owns renewals?
Ownership varies. Success usually leads to renewals because it manages adoption, health, and outcomes.
Conclusion: Support Manages Problems, Success Manages Value
Support stabilizes the customer experience by resolving issues. Success strengthens long-term outcomes and ensures customers continue to receive meaningful value. Each function provides different insights into the customer journey. When the two functions operate from shared data and consistent workflows, organizations gain clearer visibility, stronger forecasting, and more predictable retention.
See how Planhat brings Support insights, usage data, and Customer Success workflows together in one platform. Request a demo to understand how unified visibility improves retention and strengthens the customer lifecycle.
Career Path: Customer Support vs Customer Success Manager
Support and Success both develop customer-facing skills, but they focus on different types of work. Many professionals begin in Support and transition to Success as they take on more strategic responsibilities.
From Support to Success: A Common Path
Support roles build:
deep product understanding
strong communication habits
pattern recognition across customer issues
familiarity with customer expectations
These skills transfer well into Success roles that focus on planning and adoption.
Key Skills Compared: Technical vs Strategic
Support emphasizes technical troubleshooting and efficiency.
Success emphasizes strategy, planning, and long-term customer health.
Salary and Role Comparison
Support roles often include fixed compensation tied to service metrics.
Success roles may include variable compensation tied to retention or revenue outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are Customer Success and Customer Support the same thing?
No. Support resolves issues. Success manages long-term adoption and outcomes.
Can one team perform both functions?
Small organizations may combine them. As the customer base grows, separating the functions improves clarity and scalability.
How should the two teams share information?
Support data should integrate with the Customer Success platform so ticket history, CSAT trends, and escalation patterns become part of the Customer 360.
Who owns renewals?
Ownership varies. Success usually leads to renewals because it manages adoption, health, and outcomes.
Conclusion: Support Manages Problems, Success Manages Value
Support stabilizes the customer experience by resolving issues. Success strengthens long-term outcomes and ensures customers continue to receive meaningful value. Each function provides different insights into the customer journey. When the two functions operate from shared data and consistent workflows, organizations gain clearer visibility, stronger forecasting, and more predictable retention.
See how Planhat brings Support insights, usage data, and Customer Success workflows together in one platform. Request a demo to understand how unified visibility improves retention and strengthens the customer lifecycle.
Customer Success
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