Share and Learn Best Practices

Our Lord returns! DJ Skemaddox returns and it was Glorious!! 

Hey everyone! My team and I are really looking forward to #Pulse2025! Join me on Thursday, May 29 at 10:15am PT in the Innovation Theater for a session on Driving More Expansion Revenue. We will discuss:-What holds CS organizations back from driving expansion revenue-Initiatives to implement-Case studies of successful CS organizations You'll receive an assessment to evaluate your organization and recommendations to boost expansion revenue. Let me know if you're coming so we can connect before or after the session. 

Survive the Vegas heat and make new CS friends at the Minus5° Ice Bar! Matik & Rod Cherkas are hosting a networking happy hour with heavy hors d'oeuvres and a hosted open bar. Explore the Minus5° Ice Bar which is completely made of ice (jackets to be provided), and then warm back up at the 1923 Prohibition Bar next door. When: May 28 @ 5 pm, after Day 1 at PulseWhere: Minus5° Ice Bar and 1923 Prohibition Bar (less than a 10-minute walk from Pulse)Sign Up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/success-on-the-rocks-tickets-1357265951999 Cool down at the Minus5° Ice BarWarm back up at the Prohibition Bar 

 I’m thrilled to share that, for the fourth year in a row, we’re kicking off Pulse with the official Gainsight Admin Happy Hour!Join us to connect with fellow admins who truly get what your day-to-day looks like and who you’ll be seeing all week long. It’s the perfect way to start Pulse with new and familiar faces, good vibes, and great conversations. Appetizers and beverages are on Gainsight—just bring yourself!📅 Date: Tuesday, May 27th🕔 Time: 5:00–7:00 PM📍 Location: The Landing Pad at Brooklyn Bowl, The LINQ Promenade🔗 Register hereHope to see you all there - cheers! 🍻 

Back by popular demand, we're bringing back this high-impact event we've successfully hosted for the past three years—exclusively for Gainsight Admins.Join a small-group roundtable led by one of six expert Admins from our amazing CS Ops Product Council. These seasoned pros will offer tactical, personalized coaching and share real-world insights. You’ll also connect with fellow admins in a setting designed to spark collaboration and future peer support.Each roundtable is capped at 5 participants to keep the conversation focused and valuable. Registration is required and limited to Pulse-registered attendees. You may attend one roundtable only—helping us open the door for more Admins to benefit from this experience.Event Details📅 Date/Time: Wednesday, 12:30–1:30 PM & Thursday, 1:00–2:00 PM📍 Location: CS Ops Clubhouse🍽️ Note: Lunch will be served in the Clubhouse. You’ll have 30 minutes free before and after your session.Check out some quotes from participants’ feedback in previous

Welcome to the 2025 Gainsight Support Booth!This year during Pulse we’re going to be doing something new: a live moderated Zoom meeting that Pulse attendees can join at any time to ask any product-related question directly to one of our Support agents.Here are some notes on how the Support Booth works:After joining the moderated room you will be routed to a breakout room with an available agent. If no agent is available you are welcome to use our waiting room until one becomes available. The support booth is primarily made up of CS support agents and we’re best equipped to answer those questions. If you have a question regarding CC, CE, or PX we will do our best to route your question accordingly. Thank you for the patience and understanding! Lastly - to enable us to service as many questions as possible, we are limiting each breakout session to 20 minutes. If an agent cannot address your question or issue in that time, but you would like to continue the conversation, we will ask that

Introduction:Hey everyone! I'm excited to share our journey in automating our end-to-end process for self-adoption assessments and scorecard updates. This initiative has significantly improved our efficiency and accuracy, and I believe our learnings can help you too! We've streamlined everything from survey delivery to scorecard updates, and I'm going to walk you through how we did it.Our Automated Process: An OverviewOur automated process has several key steps:Survey Creation and Delivery: We kick things off by creating and delivering surveys to our customers. Survey Completion: Once the customer completes the survey, the process moves forward. Backend Data Management: This is where we handle the data behind the scenes. Manual Intervention (as needed): For our high-touch customers, we've built in a step for manual intervention to ensure accuracy. Automation Engine: The rules and logic that drive the automation. Scorecard Updates: Finally, updating the scorecards within Relationship 36

Implementing Gainsight CS from scratch is both an exciting and complex challenge. At PVcase, a leading solar energy software provider, we had the unique opportunity to deploy Gainsight CS in a greenfield environment, meaning we had no existing customer success platform to migrate from. This offered both freedom and responsibility so that we could design the system exactly as we needed, but we also had to ensure it met our business needs from day one, exceeding the expectations of many in our teams.We’re about 4 months in from full deployment, and so  I wanted to create a quick post that walks through our approach to a successful deployment, the challenges we overcame, and lessons learned that could help others in a similar situation. Understanding Our Starting Point: A True Greenfield DeploymentAs an ex-Gainsight employee, I was tasked with leading this deployment. PVcase had no prior CS tool, meaning our processes were mostly manual, siloed across teams, and we as a company lacked a c

Alright, so this is all about controlling who gets to see what in your reports and dashboards. We're gonna talk about two main things: sharing groups and folder permissions.Quick Rundown:Part 1: Sharing Groups - Making Teams: Basically, you can create your own teams of people to share stuff with. These teams can update automatically based on certain info (dynamic) or you can just pick the members yourself (static). I’m using a simple example here: CS Managers>CS Leads>CSMs. Part 2: Folder Permissions - Locking Down Folders: You can also control who can even open and see the dashboards within specific folders. Whatever rules you set on a main folder automatically apply to all the folders inside it. Each folder is shared with the right team of people (that sharing group we talked about)Part 1: Create your sharing groupsGo to data permissions → sharing groups. For this example, I have 3 groups that follow this hierarchy:CS Managers  CS Leads    CSMsAccessing Sharing GroupsThe great

Summary:Summary: This article provides a comprehensive guide to planning, launching, and managing Gainsight Journey Orchestrator (JO) programs, emphasizing thorough planning, testing, and communication. It should take approximately 10-15 minutes to read thoroughly.Missed the previous posts in this JO-focused series? This article follows these previous posts:Understanding Journey Orchestrator: Yes, it’s important enough to have its OWN admin! Diving Deep: My Role as a Gainsight JO AdminMain text:Getting started: a good plan is essentialAs you plan your first few JOs, it’s best to start simple. The fewer steps and the less complex the source, the greater the likelihood of a successful launch, and the lower the risk of errors. Look for the low-hanging fruit, especially where automations can result in a big win for you and your team. Speaking of your team, include your stakeholders from the beginning — all of them. Ask questions. Skipping this crucial step is a surefire way to experience u

Hey Everyone,  I am not quite sure when my session is yet (we are moving some things around), but wanted to share with you a little information about my session: Customer Education Integrated: The Human + Hybrid Model That ScalesI’ll be sharing more deeply about the onboarding process for our customers at Handshake and how we have crafted was we think is a healthy balance of infusing technology for efficiencies while keeping humanity at its core. We made many mistakes along the way and hope to share them with you for us all to learn from and iterate on. Hope to see you there!

Can’t wait to see you all at Pulse 2025 !!I’m SO excited to be presenting this year and taking in all of the great content from Pulse 2025In my session, attendees will take away tangible ways to;- Foster psychological safety and support within your CX team- Create a thriving team culture that enhances customer outcomes- Implement strategies that empower your team to deliver exceptional serviceSee you all in Las Vegas 🤩  

Summary: This article provides an overview of Gainsight Journey Orchestrator (JO), its benefits, and the crucial role of a JO-focused administrator. It also shares insights on approaching communications within this platform, drawing from practical experience. 1. What is Journey Orchestrator (JO), and Why Should You Care?Gainsight Journey Orchestrator is a powerful tool within Gainsight that empowers customer success teams to automate and personalize communication programs. This platform enables scalable engagement with customers, leading to increased efficiency and improved outcomes. Key features and benefits include:Automated Communication Sequences: Streamlining outreach efforts. Scalable, Personalized Experiences: Tailoring interactions to individual customer needs. Integration with Gainsight: Seamlessly working within the existing Gainsight ecosystem. Data-Driven Insights: Utilizing data to inform and optimize communication strategies.* Note – this information on point 1 was source

Summary: This article explores the nuances of my role as a Gainsight Journey Orchestrator (JO) administrator, distinguishing it from a broader Gainsight CS Ops admin position and highlighting the skills, challenges, and future evolution of this critical function. Missed the first article in this series? View it here. 1. My Role vs. a "Whole Gainsight" CS Ops AdminMy role is more focused than that of a general Gainsight CS Ops admin. While a CS Ops admin handles a wide range of tasks, including data design, reporting, and surveys, I primarily concentrate on:JO-Specific Tasks: Email template creation, content creation for journeys, troubleshooting, and testing within the JO platform Data and Integration: Working with data designs, reports, and dashboards as they relate to JO programs, and coordinating with marketing counterparts on external communication flowsAt the core, I specialize in the communication aspects of Gainsight, ensuring effective and targeted customer engagement through j

Hello Gainsight and Pulse Community!We’re thrilled to bring back Circles of Success  - one of the most popular sessions at Pulse. It’s our rotating roundtable lunch where you’ll connect with 100+ Gainsight customers and discuss top-of-mind topics around CS, ops, customer journeys, and career growth. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas, peer insights, or a chance to share your own experiences, these sessions are interactive and unscripted - making each conversation unique!Event DetailsWhen & Where:Lunchtime, both days at Pulse. Enjoy your meal as part of the event - no need to bring your own lunch! (P.S. I’ve heard it’s the best food at Pulse!)Who:Pulse attendees who want to learn and network!What:Two 30-minute roundtable discussions on planned topics. Choose from 10 tables covering a range of CS-related themes: AI Tools for Customer Success Managers Customer Enablement, Self-Service, and AI Redefining CS Roles: CSMs, Technical CS, and Sales CS Ops Pros’ Roundtable Metrics Th

Howdy Folks!I just got back from a week long conference in which most of the sessions seemed to be the standard interview where there is a couple of chairs and a staff member asks one or two guests predetermined questions. Its been done before and, honestly speaking, after the 2nd or 3rd time seeing a session like that you get tired of it. I’m sure that to some degree this interview format will be use at Pulse 2025 as well, which is fine however, I would like to suggest that the event staff consider having a few sessions in the format of Hot Ones. Specifically, there would be a table with chicken wings, or the preferred veggie, which is covered in varying degrees hot sauce and the interviewer and guests eat one for each question in order of least hot to most hot. There are many examples of this online so its easy to get inspiration from and I think it would be a huge hit if ​@nick_mehta or some other members of the event staff participated in this. Regardless adding this as an option t

Greetings fellow Gainsight PX Admins.I was asked to create a visual tool that would allow us to view the Engagements.We typically have nearly 100 Engagements running at any given time.We wanted to be able to view which Engagements are currently running and others that are scheduled to run within the next 12 months.I used a Google Sheet to create the “Gainsight PX Engagement Tracker”.I’m sharing it here for anyone else that might have a similar need.Here is the link to the “Gainsight PX Engagement Tracker” Google Sheet:https://bit.ly/3Xm6FrFHere is the link to the YouTube video that demos the “Gainsight PX Engagement Tracker”   All the best,John Tomczak

Building relationships is not about transactions, it’s about connections. - Michelle Tillis Lederman The renewal experience is important when it comes to keeping our customers happy and making our business grow. So, it's crucial that your team stays in touch with the right people involved in the process to make sure those renewals go smoothly. One great way to do that is by setting up a system to check and confirm who the key stakeholders are. This way, we can reach out to them directly, have more personalized conversations, and increase our chances of successful renewals. When we know who the key stakeholders are we are able to build connections.Before diving into how to set up checks and balances, it's important to understand your organization's renewal process and identify who is typically involved. Answering the following discovery questions will help you:What does your renewal process entail? What stages and touch points are involved Who are the typical stakeholders involved? Who

Big Ideas. Bold Moves. Vegas Energy. We're so excited to announce that Pulse 2025 will be hosted at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, May 28-29, 2025. With registration now open, this is your chance to go all in on learning, networking, and career growth with 2,000 of brightest minds in Customer Success, Community, and Education. Don’t gamble with your budget—lock in the Super Early Bird rate of $995 before prices increase on January 31, 2025. P.S. Interested in getting on stage? Our speaker applications are now open! Submit your proposal today for the chance to speak in front of 2,000 CS professionals.

Remember the first time you used a voice assistant to set a timer or play music? That small taste of hands-free computer control felt like magic. Now, imagine a world where AI can navigate your entire computer system with the same intuitive understanding as a human assistant sitting at your desk. On Oct 22nd, 2024, Anthropic released Computer Use. Per their website: 'Available today on the API, developers can direct Claude to use computers the way people do—by looking at a screen, moving a cursor, clicking buttons, and typing text. Claude 3.5 Sonnet is the first frontier AI model to offer computer use in public beta'.Let's examine this capability and what it means for businesses below.Beyond Simple AutomationCurrent automation tools are like trains on tracks - they follow pre-defined paths and break down when something unexpected appears. But imagine an AI that can adapt to changing interfaces, understand context, and navigate computer systems with human-like flexibility. This isn't ju

 Calling all Customer Success champions! As a Senior Manager of Digital Customer Success within BMC Software, I've seen firsthand how departmental silos can hinder our efforts. Everyone's focused on their own goals, leaving the customer experience fragmented.Here's how a lack of collaboration hurts your customers:Confused by conflicting information from different teams. Stuck in slow-motion resolutions as issues get passed around. Solutions that only address part of the problem, leaving them frustrated. Feeling like they're just a number, not a valued customer.But imagine the possibilities with customer-centric collaboration!Join me and the amazingly brilliant, Victoria Barry at my session at #Pulse24!  We'll equip you with actionable strategies to:Unify the business: Align everyone around the common goal of customer success. Speak the same data language: Use data insights to make informed decisions for your customers. Embrace a customer-centric mindset: Put the customer at the heart o

Hello Gainsight Community! I wanted to share some thoughts on the value of ROI as we work with our clients on a daily basis.  I would love to hear your thoughts or experiences around this topic.  Please see the article I published below: ROI, the big 3 letter acronym we love to use in the business world.  Return on Investment is the underlying theme when it comes to providing a product or service.  Before a concept can become a reality the question of ROI is addressed.  What is in it for the customer?  How will the customer realize enough value to buy and stay with your product?  How will ROI be measured and shared with customers?  These are all important questions when it comes to gaining new customers and retaining current customers. As a Customer Success Manager, you have many responsibilities and tasks to complete each day.  There are executive business reviews to conduct, escalations to be resolved, documentation to update, cadence calls to prepare for, and many other to-dos on yo