A couple rules of engagements, I'ma guide you

The Unconventional Hours of a Fyle CSM: Where Nights are for Nurturing

Intro

Hi, my name is Puru, and I'm a Customer Success Manager at Fyle. You might be wondering what exactly a customer success manager does. Essentially, I'm assigned to specific customers or accounts with the goal of ensuring they receive the maximum possible value from our product, ideally turning them into enthusiastic advocates. While not every customer will become a raving fan, the aim is always to demonstrate the product's worth. And when we do succeed in creating those passionate fans, that's where the real magic happens.

Alright, so I could kick this off with some super inspiring (or maybe a tad pretentious!) morning routine, but let's be real: I don't really have one! My day pretty much starts when most people's afternoons are winding down. I'll roll out of bed, grab something to eat, and maybe get in a light workout to wake myself up. Then, you'll usually find me casually scrolling through Slack or my emails. It's less about hardcore work at this point and more about catching up on things, or perhaps finishing off a task. Think of it as my 'pre-game show' for the night. I'm just gently getting a feel for what needs tackling first when I actually dive into work later, sort of lining up my ducks for the main event.

Later on, I'll gear up for another workout, and this is where I really go all in! It might sound a bit funny, but I honestly love that feeling of being completely wiped out afterwards – you know, when you feel like you’ve put every ounce of energy you have into it, body and soul. When you're catching your breath and your mind just goes quiet... yeah, that's my sweet spot! After that, I'm surprisingly recharged and totally ready to tackle the night.

The Night

The sun is about to light up some other part of the Earth, and I have logged in. Yes, first up: the emails! Now, this is the part where I slowly go through the emails, respond to some, and, on the other hand, note down others where I need to discuss a couple of things and get back, writing hold-up responses. This is partially where I learn how this day is going to pan out.

And you know how late-day emails can sometimes feel like they're designed to throw a comical wrench into your whole evening? It’s a classic reminder that 'certainty' is often just a fun suggestion, and honestly, that’s part of the daily adventure! It always makes me chuckle because, in a way, I totally get someone like Ethan Hunt. Now, don't worry, I'm not about to leap off any speeding trains or scale a mountain before my next coffee break! But you know how he meticulously plans out his missions, only for everything to hilariously go sideways, forcing him to improvise his way to success? That’s my workday in a nutshell sometimes: plan, watch the plan implode, and then figure it out on the fly to somehow still make it work!

There are times when you think you have an email conversation wrapped up, and all of a sudden, surprise, surprise… Yeah! Anyway, now back to the drawing board to get it under control.

Here's a key note for emails: write them diligently. Never take any email for granted. Even when you just need to say "OK" to a customer, go the extra mile – add some sauce, you know what I mean? Never, ever undercook your emails. Instead of just writing Ok write something like “Indeed, that is quite satisfactory. I find no reason to object and am content with the proposal/situation as it stands.”

So, a lot of talk about emails. Let's talk about the app I possibly use most after dating apps (just kidding; I am not on one): Slack!

Slack is where my fellow compatriots seek my assistance, suggestions, or contributions. This is where I ring the alarm bells when needed. Nah, I do not hesitate for a second to “light the beacons to call Rohan for help.”

Slack is also where I celebrate my victories (I win sometimes) and post the thing no CSM ever wants to post: The Churn!

(Churn is when a customer decides to part ways with us and requests to cancel their subscription.)

Oh boy, that word! I do not love upsells or cross-sells as much as I hate churn! It's just a bummer. The only feeling that comes close is seeing Barca lose. (Barcelona, Football Club Barcelona, the love of my life. Been a fan for 20 years.)

But you know, in these little and great defeats, you learn the most. Could you expect Jordan to win the 1989 playoff game in Cleveland without all the shots he missed and all the defeats he suffered? Do you remember that celebration, or have you ever seen it?

Yeah! Churn is devastating, but when studied with diligence, it will lead to victories everywhere.

All right, we will talk about churn more later, probably XD. In a thesis, most likely.

Cause Churn is big, REALLY BIG!, there is just so much to it. It can’t be explained with mere lines or a couple of sentences. Wait! Did I just tease my next blog?

Midnight

“The night is darkest just before Dawn.”

Alright, now for the part that really keeps us on our toes: the actual customer calls! Before diving into any of them, I always make sure to go through my notes and all the information at hand – a little prep goes a long way, right? Because, let me tell you, this is where it can get really, really dark if things go sideways! So much hinges on how that conversation flows – how ready you felt, how you handled those unexpected curveballs, whether you managed to jot down all the crucial bits, and if you truly 'got' what they were saying.

You see, these interactions are a gold mine. If you just take care of these well enough, you will make the rest of your night and the upcoming ones that much easier.

Everything is important: the doubts in customers' voices, the joys, their expectations, and their disappointments. You need to account for everything here because what you bring back from this pit hole will shape your journey with the customer.

It comes with experience for sure. Sometimes the nerves get the better of you; you know the solution, but just couldn’t give the answer at the right time.

Now, I won’t say it’s all doom and gloom after a bad call, but these instruments, when used well at times, can stop or delay that upset customer from churning (this damn word).

Also, on these calls, you understand where the customer actually stands. How much do they know about the product? How well are they using it? What are their actual feelings?

I've observed customer usage patterns that are creating significant risks, essentially setting them up for major issues if unaddressed. This is a situation that requires immediate and proactive intervention on our part. So that the customer finds the desired value in the product. Do not make your boss say, “Where were you, Ethan?” Ethan acts then and there, makes it right, or at least tries to.

Question everything, be a good listener—yes, that is very important. But do not just listen to what the customer is saying and be like, “Ok, bye ~!” No, no, haha! This is where you can extract so much value by being a 5-year-old kid who questions everything. The worst calls are those where you listen like a sitting duck and go back to your team or engineering, or product without your proper diagnosis of your own, because you will end up just going back to the customer and asking more questions. Time wasted. “We don’t have much time, Ethan!”

Yes, one thing you will never have is Time. What, you think handling a portfolio of 180 accounts is a cakewalk? I am proud of it, and I know every minute spent on one customer is exactly the number of minutes not spent on 10 others. You see how big this domino is?

The last part of midnight is “ClickUp”, raised to unblock and understand customer scenarios. This goes back to the point of extracting as much information as you can so that you can provide it to the relevant teams earlier than required and get things resolved quickly.

Dawn

“The End of Ignorance, the Start of Understanding.”

This is not the part where you relax and sink into your chair. This is where you do the most important thing about being a CSM: You document! Document everything!

You see, this is something I learned the hard way. College spoiled me—no notes, someone else completes my projects, etc., etc. I had forgotten the art of documenting, and even in my prior experience, this was not required a lot.

But you've got to document the heck out of everything you did, starting with the call notes. Keep these boys meaty, as if you are Tolkien reincarnated and about to write a 126-page chapter on hobbits and their day-to-day errands.

This is no joke. You will have multiple conversations with the customer and will take many notes. You will detect catastrophes way before and help your teammates identify them. You will learn patterns and will be able to document new cases and handle them with ease when they show up again. And yes, when you are on leave and someone else needs to take care of your stuff, it will be as easy as sharing the link.

Also, make sure you add new tasks to that task list, yeah, there is a Task list. Make sure you handle it like your life depends on it. Go through it every day and update it every time. Did I mention I handle 180 accounts? Yeah, this is how to keep all of them under control and forget no case, no escalation.

Another part of Dawn is where you start your proactive behaviour: check the metrics and become that analytics guy. Sometimes disasters and upsells are brewing quietly. Open that CS Platform for the customer 360, and start looking at things, and voila!

Not gonna lie, I love this part of my job. This is the closest to feeling like Batman—just sitting, detecting, analysing, and anticipating the customer’s next move, acting on it before they reach out to me. This goes a long way; customers feel valued.

Even those overage charge emails will come back with nice responses: “Thanks for highlighting this to us.” And where the usage is low, you will learn many things, for eg: “There is a new POC; the old one left.” See? Now you can act on it before the new POC goes through Fyle on a hectic day, dislikes a few things about it, and pulls the trigger.

Final Act

After all the hustling, it's a sensational feeling when you take a moment to reflect. I've been at this for three straight years, and I've changed my methods, tricks, and how I approach things along the way. There's such a sweet joy in those upsells and the testimonials you get. And it's an even bigger celebration when you manage to bring an account back from the brink of churning!

I really appreciate those lovely conversations with customers when they tell you how much they've enjoyed working with you, and how much they love the product and your services. Sometimes, you can even drop the wall between you and the customer and chat about cultures, cities, basketball, or films. On those good days, you log off after putting in the effort and just groove to your favourite music, feeling satisfied and ready to do it all again tomorrow.

“A feeling of perfect peace, of utter contentment. It's a silent ecstasy, a knowing that everything, in that moment, is exactly as it should be.”

So yeah, that is pretty much it. I still feel I can write a lot more, but perhaps that’s for some other time, some other blog. See, do not try to find chronological storytelling with me; that will be an insult to my cinematic sensibilities. Look at these three as three chapters that overlap and underlap each other every moment that passes by. I have segregated them on the basis of some symbolism I found in them.

I also wanna thank my very dear NA-CS team who have helped every time and have been instrumental in me getting better at my Job year after year, month after month! Thank you, folks! Really! Appreciate it! :)

So, until next time! Ciao!