A day in the life of a Customer Success Manager with Valerie Wenzel
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a Customer Success Manager (CSM)? Behind every great customer experience is a CSM working diligently to ensure businesses achieve their goals and extract maximum value from their solutions.
At Unit4, CSMs play a pivotal role in fostering strong partnerships, addressing complex challenges, and delivering measurable success.
To provide insight into this dynamic profession, we sat down with Valerie Wenzel, an experienced CSM in the DACH region.
With a rich background that includes six years as a Business Analyst in organizational change initiatives and four years as a SaaS CSM, Valerie brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. She shared her routine, strategies, challenges, and most rewarding moments as a CSM.
Balancing priorities in a dynamic role
For Valerie, no two days are exactly alike. Her work is a blend of proactive planning and reactive problem-solving.
“A typical day begins by reviewing emails to address any pressing issues where clients need immediate support or escalation to internal teams,” she explains.
Once urgent tasks are handled, Valerie shifts her focus to preparing for meetings. "I review usage data and align with each client’s goals to provide detailed updates and plan the next steps. These meetings vary from strategy calls and onboarding sessions to collaborative problem-solving discussions."
Prioritization is crucial in her role. Valerie thoughtfully dedicates time to activities that deliver the greatest impact on her customers' abilities to meet their business objectives. “It’s a balancing act, but the key is to keep the customer's success at the forefront of everything I do.”
Staying aligned with customer goals
Achieving alignment with customers’ business goals requires effective communication and a partnership mindset. Valerie emphasizes, “The first step is to listen—to truly understand my client’s goals, challenges, and vision of success.”
She meticulously defines success criteria with her clients and creates actionable, mutually agreed-upon plans. Transparency is the foundation of her approach. “Frequent check-ins ensure we remain aligned, and we can always course-correct if needed.”
Her goal is to be a trusted advisor rather than just a vendor. “It’s about ensuring clients feel supported while empowering them to achieve the outcomes that matter most to their businesses.”
Navigating challenges with agility
Every customer brings unique challenges, and Valerie thrives on the variety.
“Some situations are straightforward—like helping teams locate documentation or providing onboarding training. Others involve complex technical issues that require coordination across multiple internal teams, such as Support, Engineering, or Product,” she explains.
When faced with multi-faceted problems, Valerie emphasizes the importance of collaboration. She brings the right people to the table, organizes brainstorming sessions, and assigns clear ownership for action items. “The key is aligning efforts to drive tangible progress.”
Advocating for customers’ needs internally
Advocating for customers is an integral part of Valerie's role. She works closely with teams such as Product, Support, and Communications to ensure her clients' voices are heard.
“Depending on the feedback's complexity and impact, I tailor how I engage with internal teams,” she shares.
“Smaller issues might be resolved through an email, but larger concerns often call for dedicated meetings to explore solutions.”
Valerie meticulously tracks feedback to identify patterns. “When trends emerge, I highlight areas requiring immediate attention to drive meaningful change. My role bridges the gap between customers and internal teams—customer feedback is invaluable, and it drives improvement across the board.”
The rewards and success stories
For Valerie, the most rewarding moments in her role come from transforming dissatisfied customers into loyal, successful partners.
“One of my most memorable experiences involved a client facing multiple challenges after undergoing significant organizational changes. They felt unsupported and overwhelmed,” she recalls.
Determined to turn the situation around, Valerie collaborated with the Account Manager to establish weekly calls and a task force. Together, they identified pain points, involved the right internal experts, and collaboratively defined solutions.
“We streamlined communication, provided regular updates, and acted as the client’s voice within our teams. Today, the client is thriving and enthusiastic about their future with our product. Knowing I played a part in their success is incredibly fulfilling.”
Final thoughts
Customer Success Managers like Valerie are the unsung heroes behind exceptional customer experiences. Through empathy, expertise, and a results-driven approach, they help businesses realize the full potential of their solutions.
Interested in learning more about how our CSMs can help your business thrive? You can learn all about Unit4’s approach to Customer Success here, and explore how Success4U brings you personalized guidance on your journey. If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you!
