Creativity in the World of Customer Success
Why adaptive thinking and intentional innovation are the true differentiators in customer success.
Customer success is often framed as rigid and process-driven. Adoption, QBRs, churn prevention, KPIs—these are the buzzwords we hear every day. But as products become more complex and books of business continue to expand, the teams and leaders that truly stand out are not just operationally excellent. They are creative.
Creativity in customer success does not mean being flashy or trying something new for the sake of novelty. It means solving real human problems in non-obvious ways, adapting to real-world needs, and turning hurdles into opportunities. In many organizations, the missing piece that transforms good customer success into great customer success is the ability to adapt thoughtfully and intentionally.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Playbooks are important. They provide structure, consistency, and a shared foundation for teams to operate from. However, rigid adherence to playbooks can sometimes negatively impact both teams and customers.
Treating a playbook as a starting point rather than a script allows customer success teams to remain flexible and customer-centric. Knowing when to follow the process—and when to bend or pivot—is critical. Customers do not operate in identical environments, and creative customer success acknowledges that reality. Often, the greatest impact comes from adjusting the approach to meet the customer where they are.
Creativity in Action: Building New Ways to Engage Users
Some of the most effective creativity in customer success emerges when existing tools are not enough, or when teams rethink how current tools can be used more effectively.
In my own work, creativity has shown up in a few high-impact ways.
First, I created an app available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to engage users more directly. The goal was simple: to keep users informed, engaged, and growing. The app gives users access to our team at their fingertips and centralizes everything they need in one place.
This app was not built to replace traditional customer success methods, but to complement them. Users can RSVP for upcoming events, contact the team directly, submit feature requests, and listen to our monthly product updates—all within a single experience.
Speaking of monthly product updates, I also launched another engagement initiative alongside a colleague with the goal of keeping users informed about new features and enhancements. Instead of long release notes or sporadic announcements, these five-minute monthly videos create a consistent rhythm of communication. Users can quickly understand what is new, why it matters, and how it connects to their goals.
Both initiatives identified gaps in engagement, reimagined how information could be delivered, and intentionally chose formats that respected our customers’ time and attention.
These efforts demonstrate that creativity in customer success does not require massive budgets or complex solutions. It requires curiosity, ownership, and a willingness to experiment in service of clearer communication and stronger relationships.
Strategic Advantages
Creative customer success delivers meaningful advantages. In crowded markets filled with competition and information overload, the one thing that cannot be easily replicated is an exceptional customer experience shaped by creative, adaptive, and human-centered thinking.
This approach leads to stronger relationships built on trust and understanding, faster recovery when challenges arise, more insightful feedback loops, and customers who feel valued and seen rather than simply managed.
Creativity Is a Core Skill
Creativity is a core skill that customer success managers should possess, and it is just as important as communication, analytics, and product knowledge.
By working with individuals who are curious, ambitious, and unafraid of failure, customer success teams become more resilient and more impactful—for both users and the organization.
At the end of the day, customer success is about helping people succeed. And most often, people rarely do so by walking in a straight line. Creativity is what helps teams navigate the curves and ultimately thrive.
