Setting Effective Priorities for 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, "To maximize LTV, CS requires a dual approach: a 'defensive' strategy focused on usage and retention, and an 'offensive' strategy focused on expanding sales."
First, regarding the 'defensive' strategy, ensuring that customers renew their contracts is a critical KPI. As uSonar provided uSonar to many companies, the company encountered challenges such as 'wanting to increase post-implementation retention rates,' 'preventing churn among key accounts,' and 'increasing service utilization rates among client companies.' Consequently, the company began strengthening its CS structure around 2019 and has since implemented various initiatives.
The CS department is structured with a manager overseeing two units: Customer Success and Customer Support. The Customer Success unit provides proactive support, including regular check-in calls to individual clients and hosting periodic one-to-many seminars to introduce new features and encourage adoption. These seminars are actively held to maintain engagement, as they also serve as valuable opportunities to identify client challenges and requirements. Conversely, the Customer Support unit focuses primarily on handling inquiries, such as questions and troubleshooting.
"We conduct regular check-ins even with clients who report no issues, providing follow-ups at least once every three months to uncover potential challenges. Even if there are no issues immediately after implementation, client needs evolve over time—whether after a few months, a year, or two to three years. If we fail to notice these changes and neglect the relationship, satisfaction may decline, potentially leading to churn," says Mr. Yuasa.
However, resources are not infinite, making it impossible to address every single challenge or concern. To respond efficiently, prioritizing follow-ups is essential. Therefore, uSonar categorizes clients into a matrix based on company size and annual transaction value to determine the priority for follow-up activities.
For 'S-tier Clients' (Premium Clients), who utilize the service extensively and achieve business growth alongside our products, we provide the highest priority support and follow-up. For 'A-tier Clients' (Potential Clients), who may be large in scale but have limited implementation departments or feature usage, we proactively approach them with case studies and feature introductions, aiming to help them reach the status of S-tier Clients.
For 'B-tier Clients' (Semi-Premium Clients), who may be smaller in size but have high transaction values, we provide follow-ups with a focus on mitigating churn risk, while keeping in mind the potential for increased transaction value, such as with high-growth startups. Finally, for 'C-tier Clients' (Clients with both small company size and low transaction value), we do not neglect them but provide as much follow-up as possible based on their situation.
