TSIA Report Lays Out the Roadmap for Scalable, Personalized Customer Success

Every once in a while, a report doesn’t just validate what we’ve been feeling—it draws the map for where we need to go. TSIA’s Scaling Customer Success: Personalization, Automation, and Strategic Growth does exactly that. For those of us in the trenches of CS, RevOps, and digital programs, this report reads like a crystal ball—and a compass. It's not just trends; it’s a guide. Here’s what stood out most, what it means for our teams, and why we believe personalization and automation aren’t opposing forces—they’re the future.

Scaling Is No Longer a Headcount Game

For years, the path to scale in Customer Success was straightforward: hire more CSMs. And during boom times, it worked—at least on paper.

According to TSIA’s Customer Success Benchmark Survey, the average year-over-year growth rate for CS budgets in 2022 was a staggering 34%. The primary lever? More people. Teams expanded rapidly to meet rising customer expectations and increasingly complex journeys.

But then came budget freezes, economic pressure, and growing accountability to show ROI.

Now, we’re in a new era. One where headcount alone won’t carry us forward.

Today’s reality: CSMs are being asked to manage dramatically higher volumes of accounts—from an average of just 8 in high-touch models to as many as 75 in low-touch or tech-touch programs.

That shift isn’t just operational—it’s psychological. It forces a fundamental rethink:

• What work should a human actually do?
• What moments are ripe for automation?
• How do we protect the customer experience while driving efficiency?

TSIA highlights that scaling through digital capabilities is no longer optional—it’s mission-critical. The focus has moved to creating systems that let CSMs punch above their weight.

And that’s where structured, repeatable programs come in. Teams are now investing in:

• Automated success plans and onboarding workflows
• Self-serve customer portals that house key resources
• Proactive triggers and nudges that keep customers on track—without needing manual follow-up

When done right, this model delivers consistency at scale. CSMs are no longer spread thin—they’re focused where they add the most value.

But here’s the nuance: digital touch isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about amplifying their efforts and ensuring every customer—whether 1 of 8 or 1 of 75—feels guided, seen, and supported.

The Modern CSM Is Wearing More Hats Than Ever

The role of the Customer Success Manager has evolved—dramatically. A decade ago, as TSIA notes, CSMs were primarily adoption-focused relationship managers. Today? They're expected to be part strategist, part onboarding lead, part renewal quarterback, and sometimes even carry a mini RevOps briefcase.

According to TSIA’s benchmark data:

• 90% of CSMs monitor product adoption
• 89% conduct business reviews
• 84% manage both onboarding and success plans
• 58% are responsible for renewals
• 32% are actively involved in expansion and upsell efforts

It’s a job description that’s grown heavier with every passing year. And while the strategic scope is exciting, it comes with a very real risk: burnout, inconsistency, and diminishing returns. When everything is a priority, nothing gets the attention it deserves.

But there’s another side to this challenge—and it’s the opportunity we see the best CS teams grabbing with both hands: freeing up CSM time for strategic work by offloading the repetitive.

That means:

• Automating reminder emails, QBR slide prep, and success plan templates
• Turning live enablement into self-serve content libraries
• Using digital programs to drive consistent onboarding, without CSMs hand-holding every step

It’s not about reducing the human touch. It’s about reserving it for the moments that matter.

‍

Guided Journeys Aren’t Just Nice to Have—They’re Revenue Drivers

According to TSIA, 57% of companies have completed a customer journey mapping exercise—a crucial first step. But mapping alone isn’t enough. The real value comes from activating those journeys with automation and guidance.

When companies move from static maps to dynamic, customer-facing guided journeys, they’re not just improving experience—they’re driving revenue.

TSIA found that companies implementing guided, digital journeys see a 30% lift in net revenue retention.

That’s not marginal. That’s transformative.

What makes the difference?

• Structured onboarding paths that proactively show customers what’s next
• Automated reminders that help customers and CSMs stay on track
• Progress tracking that provides visibility into outcomes and milestones
• Timely nudges when customers fall behind or miss critical steps

These touchpoints don’t just make things easier—they build trust, reduce time-to-value, and deliver on expectations.

As TSIA highlights, when customers experience the value they were promised—when they can see their own progress—they’re more likely to renew and expand. It’s no surprise that companies embracing this approach aren’t just retaining revenue—they’re growing it.

So if your team has mapped the journey but hasn’t digitized it yet, this is the call to action. Guided journeys, delivered through structured digital programs, are quickly becoming the gold standard in Customer Success.

The Best Teams Are Productizing Their Customer Experience

TSIA’s research paints a clear picture: most CS teams are grappling with how to scale without losing personalization. The report outlines the core challenge—growing responsibilities, shrinking resources, and a need for digital consistency across the customer journey. This is where we at EverAfter see companies making a leap forward—not by adding more tools, but by reimagining the way they deliver success.

Here’s how leading companies are solving the challenges TSIA highlights—by productizing their customer experience:

Frontify: Driving Engagement Through Centralization and Automation

To create a consistent, scalable customer journey, Frontify built a single source of truth for onboarding, success plans, and QBRs. With this foundation, they:

• Reached an 87% customer engagement rate
• Streamlined QBRs with standardized, automated workflows
• Enabled self-service access to key resources, reducing support load
• Created a unified experience across CS, marketing, and product

“Our customers have told us they feel more connected to our brand and can easily find what they need.”

Salesloft: Making Onboarding Scalable Without Losing Impact

Facing long, consultant-led onboarding processes, Salesloft restructured their approach with a digital-first mindset. The result?

• 10 hours saved per customer during onboarding
• 4 hours per CSM freed up weekly
• Adoption increased by 12–13%, with improved setup quality
• Consultants shifted from fixing issues to driving strategy

“EverAfter has allowed our consultants to move away from troubleshooting toward having deep strategic conversations.”

Spryker: Reducing Time-to-Value Through Structured Journeys

Spryker invested in building a branded, milestone-driven onboarding flow. It wasn’t just about appearance—it was about driving outcomes:

• 30% reduction in time-to-value across enterprise accounts
• 5–7 hours saved per week for each CSM
• Improved engagement through clear task flows and resource access

“Our customers love it because it’s their one-stop-shop where they have everything at hand.”

The Takeaway?

TSIA surfaces the challenge—and companies like Frontify, Salesloft, and Spryker demonstrate the solution. These teams didn’t just digitize their touchpoints. They productized their approach to Customer Success—treating onboarding, enablement, and success planning as intentional, repeatable experiences.

They replaced inconsistent processes with structured programs. They stopped chasing scale and designed for it.

And in doing so, they proved what TSIA's data makes clear: scaling and personalizing CS aren’t opposing goals—they’re two sides of the same strategy.