CSM Interview Questions You Should Know How to Answer

To land your dream job as a CSM at your dream company, you'll have to answer at least a few CSM interview questions first. You've worked so hard to get that interview at a company you've always wanted to work for. You've put in the hours to refine the needed skillset. Those questions — and their answers — are the only things standing between you and your dream job.

But what are those questions, anyway? And how do we know they will be asked? Well, let's just say there are a few questions or variants that really speak to the quality of the candidate and their alignment with the role.  

Whether you’re stepping into your first CSM interview or your 10th, we’re here to share those questions. And arm you with strategies for answering them like the customer success pro you are.

What does it take to be a successful Customer Success Manager?

A Customer Success Manager is like a front-line mentor or guide when it comes to the post-sale side of a client relationship. They help customers on a 1:1 basis navigate the post-sales processes and product implementation. If they have questions, you’re there to answer them. They don’t understand your product or service? You’re there to explain it. If they need extra support, you’re there to provide it.

In short, the job is about relationships and retention. The more successful a customer is, the more likely they’ll stick around for the long haul. While CSMs focus on helping others, they’re also salespeople who upsell and cross-sell. 

That’s why the most successful CSMs are likely to show a powerful mix of skills that span both worlds, such as:

• Communication. You ask the right questions about what success looks like for your customers. Then you educate them about how you can help them get there.
• Mentorship. You are the key point of contact when it comes to supporting customers. As an expert, you walk them through the how do I...” questions.
• Relationship-building. A company embeds CSMs in the sales process to establish trust with clients. Building a foundation for future growth is critical.
• Organization. With many customer accounts on the go you’ll need to stay on top of things. Especially when everyone has different needs and timelines.
• Mediation. CSMs drive success for both their customers and their organization. As such, they are masters at managing expectations and finding a middle ground for both sides.

All of the CSM interview questions below are asked to test the above skills. If you can highlight one — or more — of those in every answer, then you’re well on your way to landing the job.

What makes a good answer?

Like any job, research the company and find a few examples of their customers. Case studies are a great place to start. Learn the job description inside-out and backwards. Align your past experience to their stated needs and have examples ready to go.

Doing your research helps you prepare for questions! From the most basic — like What do you hope to learn in this role?” — to the most off-the-wall requests. Strong, clear answers to key job-specific questions are what will start tipping the scales in your favor.

1. How would you explain our product and how it works to a new customer?

Do you dive right into the technical details? Do you speak in broad terms? With these CSM interview questions, your interviewer is gauging how you meet customers where they're at. So, educate a client on their level.

Define what the company does at a broad level, in one sentence. Ask your interviewer a few questions as if they were a customer, to suss out a key pain point Address that pain point in your explanation of the product or service. Recap your thought process behind connecting that problem to the solution.

Do...

Center the customer. Have a customer-centric mindset in how you uncover customer pain points. Put their needs first when you frame your solution.

Show your knowledge. Show what you know about the company, its products, and the people it serves. Mention the helpful resources that are available to their customers.

Be confident. Show off your ability to think on your feet, even when under pressure — like in a job interview setting.

Don't...

Over-complicate information. Communicate in a way that breaks complex ideas into simple terms. You might use anecdotes, analogies, or guiding questions, for example.

Rely on jargon. You want to inspire confidence that you know your stuff. But, that’s best done with language everyone can understand.

Start with a pitch. If you lead with a generic sales push, you send the message that you don’t care about your customers as individuals.

2. When have you gone above and beyond for a customer?

Sometimes, a CSM needs to jump through a few hoops to help a customer reach their goals. This question shows your willingness and motivation to jump through those hoops.

Give an example of a customer who had a problem that needed extra support. Describe how you identified their needs and planned your next steps. Walk through the specific actions you took to make sure you met their needs. Highlight any notable outcomes that resulted from this event. If there was positive customer feedback or an upsell, make sure to mention it!

Do...

Take initiative. When you identify which customers need that extra level of service, show how you would deliver it.

Use your creativity. Bring creative ideas to the table. Use the resources at hand to deliver that next tier of support.

Find balance. What does your customer want? What are you willing to offer them? And what will benefit your organization in the long run?

Don't...

Try a hands-off approach. Be proactive in your customer outreach to identify cases that need a little extra TLC. Especially before they become a CSM emergency.

Get defensive. Be open and honest about your thought process. If your interviewer challenges your process, take that as a sign they want to know more!

Go too far. Needless to say, you should show you keep reasonable boundaries. No one expects or believes unrealistic examples just to achieve a happy customer.

3. How would you de-escalate an upset or angry customer?

No matter how great the product, service, or support, you can’t please everybody. Your interviewer is checking that you can resolve an issue when tempers flare.

Talk about approaching anger, disagreements, or aggression from a place of empathy. Give an example of a time when a customer was angry. How did you handle the immediate, emotional response? Walk through the solution you presented, and how it solved the problem.

Do...

Be empathetic. Have patience, and be sincere while listening to customer complaints. Show how you put yourself in their shoes to understand where they’re coming from.

Stay professional. Stay calm and in control of a tense situation. You don’t make matters worse by matching a customer’s angry energy.

Stay positive. Focus on providing a positive response and finding a solution to the problem. Stay away from pointing fingers or assigning blame.

Don't...

Blame others. Take ownership of any mistakes you may have made that led to the situation. Being open and accountable for your actions works to your benefit.

Smack-talk a customer. If you’re giving an example of a past experience, avoid talking about your customer in negative terms. It reflects your character more than it reflects theirs.

Avoid conflict. It’s natural to want to keep conflict to a minimum. But if you turn off the lights and pretend you’re not home, you might not be a great CSM fit.

4. How do you measure customer success?

Success means different things to different people. Your interviewer wants to see if the metrics you value as a CSM align with their own.

Highlight 3 to 4 metrics you’ve used in the past. Focus on what those metrics say about the customers you serve. Talk about why those metrics matter to your role, and to the broader organization. Share some of your own real-world numbers, or feedback you’ve received.

Do...

Show familiarity. What are the kinds of metrics by which you measure customer success? This includes the quantitative — cross-sells, upsells, and renewals — along with the qualitative.

Prove your tech skills. Particularly with the tools, you’ll be using often. For example, you might use your CRM to help measure your daily touchpoints.

Be honest. Be open about the feedback you've received from customers — satisfied or otherwise. Share input from team members and leadership as well. Show how you took their feedback.

Don't...

Focus on the internal. While CSMs do generate revenue, their job is ultimately about helping clients. Those external metrics matter, too.

Focus on just numbers. Quotas matter for CSMs. But don’t forget about the softer skills like empathy, trust, and rapport.

Be a lone wolf. Collaboration with internal team members is essential. Especially to reach broader organizational goals, beyond individual targets.

5. How would you prioritize multiple customer requests at the same time?

CSMs rarely deal with one customer at a time. Chances are, you’ll have many questions or issues on the go at once. Your interviewer is checking to see how you balance a full plate.

Share a time when you were juggling many needs at once. Talk about the factors that helped you determine what to do first, second, and third. Align those factors with customer needs and business goals. Wrap up by describing how you try to stay on top of issues before they become a larger problem.

Do...

Prioritize. How do you determine which issues or questions are most important? Which needs the fastest response? Which are the most urgent?

Manage your time efficiently. Time management habits are key in a CSM position. Particularly around your daily schedule, your weekly goals, and the tools, you use to stay on track.

Have self-awareness. Know when you’ve taken on too much and need to delegate tasks to others.

Don't...

Stay rigid. Adaptivity under pressure is important. Especially when needs change or when urgent requests come through.

Emphasize quantity above all else. The quality of your support may matter more than the number of people you help.

Refuse backup. It’s okay to ask for help when there’s too much going on. Knowing when to delegate tasks or ask for advice is key in a CSM role.

Answer CSM Interview Questions from Experience

Want to wow your hiring manager with your skills and knowledge? Ready to put your customer success muscles to the test? Hungry for new professional growth opportunities?

Then back it up with hands-on experience! The more scenarios you have under your belt the better you can expect your answers to be. And the more expert guidance you have along the way, the more prepared you'll feel. Especially answering the above CSM interview questions.

That’s exactly what we do in our Customer Success Management course. Over 4 weeks, leaders in the field will guide you through creating customer success plans. You'll be using cutting-edge CSM tools to educate and instruct customers. You'll practice and apply important relationship-building soft skills like empathy and communication.

Explore your Customer Success Management style today! Or check out our Career Success Catalog to check out our other offerings. There’s something for everyone, wherever you are in your career journey.