Customer Success Vs. Customer Support In B2B SaaS

In every business, customers aren’t just kings. They become the basis for every product or service innovation, the key to achieving company growth. 

Clearly, the quality of customer experience can make or break a company, which is why satisfied customers are the backbone of any successful software service. 

That's where customer success and customer support come into play. But what makes them different? And what exactly do they do and how do they work together?

With statistics in hand and industry insights at the ready, let's identify the differences between these roles and get clear on how these roles fit together, why they matter, and how they drive the success of a B2B SaaS business. 

What Is Customer Success?

Customer success is about proactive customer service. It includes onboarding customers, guiding product adoption, and nurturing customer relationships. It’s about foreseeing customers' needs and addressing them even before they arise.

That is why an investment in customer success is an investment in the company’s future. To reiterate, the Global Customer Success Platforms Market alone is projected to reach a staggering $3.1 billion by 2026​.

Customer success drives growth

In the B2B (business to business) and SaaS (software as a service) sectors, the function of those in customer success has transitioned from a supportive role to a frontline growth engine. 

In fact, more than 90% of organizations now boast a dedicated customer success role, signaling a paradigm shift from just a few years ago when this figure was much lower​​. 

This is hardly surprising given the compelling evidence that a happy existing customer is 14 times more likely to purchase than a new lead​​.

Leading businesses recognize the value this brings. IBM, for instance, is ramping up its customer success team from 300 to over 1,000 employees, highlighting the importance of customer success management.

This focus is not just about retaining customers but also expanding their engagement, as seen by the growth in expansion charters within customer success organizations.

Customer success in the sales cycle

Furthermore, the importance of customer success is echoed in the sales cycle, with expectations for onboarding being established over half the time during this phase, underscoring its strategic importance​​. 

The outcome? Companies that prioritize customer success don’t just keep customers—they cultivate loyalty. 

With 89% of customers more likely to make additional purchases following a positive service experience, the role of customer success has never been more critical​​.

What Is Customer Support?

Customer support handles immediate customer issues and inquiries. 

This team is the first point of contact for customers facing challenges or seeking quick answers, playing a crucial role in preserving customer satisfaction through prompt and effective problem resolution.

Customer Support in a B2B SaaS organization transcends the traditional notion of a helpdesk. It is, in essence, a strategic function, integral to customer retention and satisfaction. 

With a significant portion of revenue earmarked for these operations, these teams are equipped not just to answer questions. But also to provide swift, reliable solutions that bolster customer trust and underscore the company's commitment to success.

The importance of customer support in B2B SaaS

SaaS companies significantly invest in customer support. Studies show that a typical B2B SaaS company with an annual recurring revenue spends approximately 10% of it on combined customer support and success functions​​. 

This substantial allocation underscores the weighty role that customer support plays in the overall business strategy. 

They are not merely troubleshooters. They are frontline defenders of the customer experience, ensuring that every interaction reinforces the customer's confidence in the product and the company.

Hence, the success of a customer support team is measured in metrics like ticket resolution time and customer satisfaction scores, where efficiency and speed are non-negotiable. 

Challenges In Scaling Customer Support

Scaling customer support in B2B SaaS environments poses several challenges, especially given the recent surge in support queries. 

Increase in support requests

Since the onset of COVID-19, over half (53%) of support teams have experienced a significant increase in support requests, with 49% of these interactions being highly complex and 32% involving more emotional customer support interactions​​. 

This growth in demand, coupled with the complexity of queries, strains support resources.

Furthermore, scaling customer support involves balancing the quality of service with the expanding customer base.

Request for changes in product or service

As a SaaS solution matures, it often leads to more requests for new features and changes in customer behavior, which can cause confusion or uncertainty among users​​. 

These evolving needs demand a proactive approach in customer service to manage the increased volume of feature requests and ensure they are thoughtfully evaluated and integrated into future developments.

Despite these challenges, the median percent of annual recurring revenue spent on customer support and customer success in SaaS companies remains at 10%, unchanged from the previous year​​. 

This static investment highlights the need for efficient resource allocation and strategic planning to effectively scale customer support operations without compromising service quality.

Difference Between Customer Success And Customer Support

Customer success is proactive, focusing on customer outcomes and long-term goals. On the other hand, customer support is reactive, addressing immediate issues and inquiries. 

Differences aside, their collaboration is crucial for a comprehensive customer experience. This interplay becomes more pronounced as a company grows. 

The Interplay Between Customer Success And Customer Support

Initially, customer support and service roles may overlap, with team members wearing multiple hats. However, as the company scales, it becomes necessary to separate these functions to ensure specialized attention and efficiency. 

Customer success teams can leverage insights from customer support interactions to identify trends, preemptively address potential issues, and tailor their strategies for customer engagement and retention.

Effective collaboration between these teams is key. Regular meetings, shared tools, and integrated feedback loops allow for a seamless exchange of information. 

This synergy ensures that while Customer Support resolves immediate problems, customer success can use these insights to inform broader strategies, such as product improvements or customer education initiatives.

In essence, the relationship between customer success and customer support is not just parallel, but symbiotic.

Each function enriches the other, creating a dynamic where immediate customer needs are met while also nurturing long-term satisfaction and loyalty. 

Customer Success and Customer Support in B2B SaaS Growth

The roles of customer success and customer support are both indispensable in growing B2B SaaS companies as each plays a critical part in shaping customer experience and retention. 

While customer success proactively ensures long-term customer satisfaction and growth, customer support provides the immediate, reactive problem-solving that customers often need. 

The strategic alignment and collaboration between these roles are key to a comprehensive and effective customer engagement strategy. 

As the lifeblood of business growth and customer loyalty, this synergy is the cornerstone upon which successful B2B SaaS enterprises will build their future.