Associate Customer Success Specialist (Entry Level)

Position Overview:

As an Associate Customer Success Specialist (CSS) your job is to ensure existing customers maintain their investment with Follett School Solutions through proactive outreach and day-to-day client management. Your goal is to achieve a high retention rate for a distinct customer segment which is assigned to you. That segment has been identified as Follett’s Tech Touch/Inside/International customer segment. Being assigned to this segment means that you and your fellow Associate Customer Success Specialists are fully accountable for managing these customers leading up to renewal and being their point of contact for any questions that may arise during the renewal period and beyond. You will prioritize which customers you work with based on the renewal date to ensure they renew prior to expiration. You will proactively reach out to customers via phone and email, ensure they receive their renewal quote, discuss, and negotiate as needed to ensure they renew. Each customer conversation will be different, so you are empowered to have thoughtful conversations with customers on price increases, product enhancements and their intent to renew and handle any customer objections professionally. When needed you can escalate customer feedback and recommend concessions to your leadership to ensure the customer renews. You will also be responsible for modifying the quote as needed or upon customer request, documenting all client interactions in the CRM, communicating to the customer in written and verbal form, and bringing negotiations as needed to the Customer Success Manager or your leadership, to ensure each customer renews. You may also at times provide operational support for creating and updating customer quotes for larger renewals that are owned by the Customer Success Specialist team. As an Associate Customer Success Specialist, you will maintain a strong knowledge of Follett School Solutions products and/or services as well as all contract/license agreement service terms, pricing, limitations, etc. You are expected to think independently, have professional conversations with your customers and peers and interact with customers in a proactive and nurturing way to ensure Follett retains each customer.

Responsibilities:

Renewal Management:

• Manages all renewals for assigned customer segment. This involves initial client outreach which is proactive and in advance of renewal term. Outreach can be done via email or phone.
• Handles all customer interactions during the renewal cycle from follow up on inquiries to modification of renewal quotes to delivery of the quote to assigned customers.
• Is accountable for ensuring each customer agrees to quote and renews and follows system workflow to keep track of renewal as it progresses through the stages to closure.
• May at times provide support for renewal creation for the mid-tier customers for the Customer Success Specialist team to manage, negotiate and deliver to customers.

Renewal Negotiations:

• Since the Associate CSS is managing the renewal process for a specific segment that means they will encounter discussions with customers where they may have to negotiate.
• The Associate CSS is empowered to have those conversations unique to each customer and go to management and the CSM with proposed adjustments and concessions to ensure the renewal.
• The back and forth with customers can be handled via email or phone and should be done before and during the 90 -day renewal period. The goal of these negotiations is to resolve any outstanding questions or challenges to ensure the customer renews on time.
• If needed, the Associate CSS should leverage the sales team or customer success management as necessary.
• The Associate CSS should document all client communications accordingly and confirm receipt of quote and customer’s plan to renew. When needed, they should escalate customer concerns to Management.

Customer Success Operations Support:

• There will be times where the Associate CSS will have to support the larger team operationally by providing quote management support in the form of renewal quote modification and creation. This can occur during heavy quoting periods. When asked, the Associate CSS will need to coordinate with Customer Service to manage certain accounts that need specific attention. They may also need to coordinate with Order Fulfillment to process orders. If those teams get backed up, they may also be asked to perform account support activities for customer requests, including blocking and disabling. All of these additional tasks are directly tied to renewals that need to be worked and processed and due to team bandwidth require additional assistance. They may also be asked to work on special projects and other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• 1-2 years of relevant experience
• Solid customer service, organizational, time management, written and phone skills;
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team