CSE Assigned: Engagement & CSE vs. Success Tiers
Customer interactions and motion differentiation.
Customer engagement
CSEs engage customers directly when their work requires it, to validate signals, gather context not available in product data, or advance a risk or enablement action, with the account team kept in the loop. The CSE’s health assessment adds to what the account team already knows.
An engagement is a bounded, topic-scoped body of work with a customer, for example answering a technical question, working through an adoption topic, or resolving a technical issue (but not a break/fix situation, this is for the support team). It typically takes 1-3 interactions (calls, emails, or working sessions), not an ongoing relationship. This is distinct from the mandatory quarterly customer touch below: a touch keeps the account warm, an engagement is a discrete piece of work. CSE Assigned accounts are capped at three engagements per account per quarter. CSEs should not join persistent Slack channels that include customers. Engagements are bounded and topic-scoped by design. A standing customer Slack channel creates an unbounded, always-on relationship that works against that model and blurs the line with Success Tiers coverage. Use email or scheduled calls instead.
When a customer does not engage: the health assessment still proceeds using available data (usage signals, Gainsight history, AE/SA context). Outreach attempts are logged, sentiment is captured, and “lack of customer engagement” is used as the CTA closure reason where applicable. A customer’s failure to engage is itself a risk signal in the health assessment.
CSE Assigned vs. Success Tiers
CSE Assigned and Success Tiers are complementary, not competing. CSE Assigned is a risk-focused, quarterly motion included in the customer’s contract. Success Tiers are a paid, high-touch offering. When a customer requests more depth than CSE Assigned delivers, that is a Success Tiers opportunity for the AE, not a scope expansion for the CSE.
| Pool (CSE) | CSE Assigned | Success Tiers (Essentials / Advanced / Signature) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer eligibility | Below $100K, no ST | $100K+, no ST (no ceiling; bounded by CSE capacity) | $100K+ (paid) |
| Engagement model | Reactive, case-based | Proactive, quarterly | Proactive, ongoing |
| Named resource | - | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cadence | On demand | Quarterly | Monthly or more |
| Engagement limit | 3 cases max per half | 3 engagements per account per quarter | Uncapped (per standard cadence) |
| Health monitoring | - | ✔ | ✔ |
| Escalation management | - | ✔ | ✔ |
| Success planning | - | - | ✔ |
| EBR / QBR | - | - | ✔ |
| Workshops | Public schedule only | Public schedule only | Tailored |
| Cost to customer | Included | Included | Paid |
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