Setting Priorities for Effective Resource Allocation Through Defensive CS
uSonar supports corporate CS and marketing activities by providing the customer integration platform "uSonar," which is equipped with the corporate master database "LBC." Mr. Yuasa of uSonar states, "For CS to maximize LTV, both 'defensive' measures, such as improving usage and retention rates, and 'offensive' measures, such as expanding sales, are necessary."
First, regarding the defensive strategy, ensuring customer contract renewal is a critical KPI. As uSonar provides uSonar to numerous companies, the company faced challenges such as "increasing post-implementation retention rates," "preventing churn among key accounts," and "improving service utilization rates among client companies." Consequently, the company has been strengthening its CS structure and implementing various initiatives since around 2019.
The CS department is structured with a manager overseeing two units: "Customer Success" and "Customer Support." The former handles "backup" functions, such as conducting regular check-in calls with individual companies and hosting periodic one-to-many seminars to introduce new features and encourage usage. Seminars, in particular, are actively held to maintain touchpoints, as they serve as opportunities to identify customer pain points and requests. Meanwhile, the Customer Support unit primarily handles inquiries, such as addressing customer questions and troubleshooting issues.
"Even for customers who report no particular issues, we conduct regular check-ins at least once every three months to uncover potential challenges. Even if there are no problems immediately after implementation, customer needs evolve over time—whether after a few months, one year, or two to three years. If we fail to notice these changes and neglect the account, satisfaction may decline, potentially leading to churn," says Mr. Yuasa.
However, resources are not infinite, even when attempting to address every challenge or concern. To respond efficiently, it is necessary to prioritize follow-up efforts. Therefore, uSonar categorizes clients into a matrix based on company size and annual transaction value to determine the priority for follow-up.
We provide top-priority support and follow-up to "S-tier customers" (premium customers) who utilize our services extensively and are achieving business growth alongside our products. For "A-tier customers" (potential customers), who may be large in scale but have limited implementation departments or feature usage, we proactively approach them by sharing case studies and feature introductions, aiming to help them reach the status of S-tier customers.
For "B-tier customers" (semi-premium customers), who may be smaller in scale but have high transaction values, we provide follow-up with a focus on avoiding churn risk, while keeping in mind the potential for increased transaction value, such as with high-potential startups. Furthermore, we do not neglect "C-tier customers" (companies with both small scale and low transaction values); instead, we provide as much follow-up as possible based on their specific circumstances.
