The Crucial Differences Between CX and CS

In the world of SaaS, it's easy to hear the terms "Customer Experience" (CX) and "Customer Success" (CS) and assume they’re the same thing. While they are complementary and both crucial to a business’s success, they are not interchangeable and not understanding the difference will negatively impact your business.

CX: THE HOLISTIC APPROACH

Customer Experience (CX) refers to the broader, more holistic view of how a business engages with its customers at every point of interaction. CX spans the entire customer journey — from the moment a potential customer becomes aware of your brand through marketing, to the discovery and sales processes, and into post-purchase customer service and retention efforts.

The main objective of CX is to ensure that every touchpoint a customer encounters is consistent, efficient, and pleasant. This requires a deep understanding of the customer journey, key performance metrics, and a company-wide alignment to ensure that every department is working toward the same goal: improving the overall customer experience.

Key CX Responsibilities

• Overseeing company-wide initiatives to enhance customer relations and boost brand loyalty.

• Designing and optimizing processes customers go through when interacting with the brand, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.

• Ensuring that every CX process is efficient, meets customer expectations, and strengthens the customer journey.

• Implementing tools such as feedback loops, audits, and analytics to monitor customer satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.

• Aligning departments and creating company-wide goals to improve customer experience through actionable insights.

CX Skill Set

CX leaders need to be strategic thinkers with strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills. They work cross-functionally, typically reporting to the CEO or the highest-level sales or marketing leaders. Their ability to analyze data, manage complex processes, and align multiple teams makes them instrumental in building a streamlined and unified customer journey.

CS: CUSTOMER SUCCESS AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

On the other hand, Customer Success (CS) focuses on helping customers achieve their specific goals using the product or service they’ve purchased. The focus here is less about the entire customer journey and more about the post-purchase experience — making sure customers are using the product to its full potential, receiving training and guidance as needed, and getting the results they expect.

While CX is concerned with the entire brand experience, CS is all about individual customer outcomes and their relationship with the product. CS managers work closely with customers to understand their specific goals and challenges, offering tailored support and training to ensure the product delivers value. By building strong relationships, CS managers help increase retention and prevent churn.

Key CS Responsibilities:

• Training new customers and ensuring they understand how to maximize the value of the product

• Building and maintaining strong relationships with individual customers

• Managing post-purchase engagement and working to prevent customer churn

• Focusing on customer-specific goals, ensuring the product or service meets their expectations

CS Skill Set:

CS professionals excel in relationship building, industry knowledge, adaptability, and empathy. They are customer advocates, ensuring each individual feels supported and valued. Their success is measured by customer retention rates, renewals, and expansions—ensuring that the customer not only sticks around but also continues to find value in the product.

WHY UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE MATTERS

CX and CS serve different purposes and focus on distinct goals. While Customer Success prioritizes building strong relationships with customers, Customer Experience takes a step back to look at the bigger picture - encompassing the entire customer journey and every single interaction a customer has with your brand.

For a SaaS company to scale effectively, both CX and CS need to work in tandem. CX focuses on improving processes, aligning departments, and ensuring that the overall brand experience is seamless and consistent. Meanwhile, CS concentrates on helping individual customers succeed with your product post-purchase, fostering long-term relationships.

Without a strong CX strategy, customers might encounter inconsistencies in their experience, leading to confusion, frustration, or dissatisfaction. Without a solid CS team, customers might not feel supported enough to continue using the product, leading to churn. Together, they create a balanced ecosystem where customers feel valued, supported, and satisfied.