From Support Managers to Retention Agents: Unlocking Hidden Value

I spent two years working at Connecteam, supporting a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to larger enterprises. It was a fast-paced environment filled with constant problem-solving, where each chat brought a new challenge. One thing became evident early on: when a customer was about to churn, we were sometimes the last to know. However, in some cases, we were also the first to recognize their frustration, even before the customer success team did. Customers would sometimes come directly to us, without the CSM even being fully aware of their dissatisfaction. In these moments, it became clear how crucial our role was—not just in solving the problem but in retaining the customer.

I can still recall instances where, at 3:00 am, a customer would reach out, frustrated or confused, ready to give up on the platform. We were expected to save the situation, often with minimal insight into the client’s journey or frustration. However, one thing we did have was deep product knowledge. Working in support at a SaaS company demands more than just troubleshooting skills; it requires fluency in every aspect of the product, from obscure features to tricky use cases and workarounds. It was not just about resolving the issue at hand but understanding how the customer was using the product, and whether it aligned with their needs. This expertise became vital in preventing churn.

This experience underscored a key truth: support managers are more than just ticket closers. They are critical retention agents. Positioned on the front lines of customer interaction, they have a unique opportunity to influence the customer’s journey if equipped with the right tools and insights.

The Disconnect in Support

One of the biggest challenges we faced as support managers was a lack of understanding about who our customers were. Sure, we had the basic data: company name, size, industry, and how long they’d been using the platform. But when it came to understanding why they signed up in the first place, what their main goals were, or how they were actually using the product — we were often left in the dark.

I remember vividly the frustration of trying to keep a customer from churning, without even knowing what features they valued or what problems they were trying to solve. Maybe they were using the product incorrectly, or maybe they just didn’t understand the full range of capabilities. But without more context, I couldn’t do much more than offer a discount or some extra support time. And that, as you can imagine, wasn’t always enough.

The Lessons of Retention: Understanding Pain Points

What I learned during my time in support is this: to prevent churn, you need to understand the customer’s pain points, sometimes even better than they do. Sounds simple, but in reality, most customers struggle to articulate their true problems. They’ll tell you what’s wrong — “this feature isn’t working” or “I can’t find the right setting” — but often, they haven’t identified the deeper issue. It’s your job to dig deeper.

What makes this even more challenging is that, in many cases, you’re meeting the customer for the first time during a moment of frustration. To deliver great support and retain them, you need to understand their needs as if you’ve been with them from Day 1. This means quickly identifying their goals, pain points, and the underlying problem they might not even realize.

That’s where support can play a huge role in retention. Support leaders are on the front lines, dealing with customers every day, hearing their frustrations and their challenges firsthand. But sometimes because they are highly focused on closing tickets quickly, they don’t always have the time or tools to dive deeper. This is where things need to change if support is to transition into a retention-focused function.

The Challenge: Adapting to Each Customer

One of the biggest hurdles is that every customer is different. You’re dealing with everyone from mom-and-pop shops to huge enterprises, and each one has its own set of needs and expectations. What works for one client won’t work for another.

At Connecteam, I’d be handling 50 chats in a five-hour shift, balancing giving quick service to pristine service, to really get to know each customer’s use case. That pressure to move quickly often came at the expense of understanding what would truly solve their problems. Sometimes I could offer the right solution but other times because not knowing their real pain point all I could offer was a quick fix, but without knowing their larger goals, it wasn’t always the right solution.

Becoming a Retention Agent: What It Takes

So how do we take support professionals and turn them into retention agents? It starts with better access to customer data. As support professionals, we need to know the product inside and out — not just how to solve technical issues, but how to understand which features will help a customer succeed. And when we don’t have all the answers, we need to know where to look or who to ask.

The other piece is about asking the right questions. When a customer comes to us with a problem, we need to be able to dig deeper: “What are you trying to achieve with this feature? What’s your business goal here?” By understanding their objectives, we can offer solutions that actually help them get more value out of the platform — not just fix the immediate issue.

Shifting KPIs: From Ticket Closure to Retention

If support is going to contribute to retention, we need to shift the way we measure success. It can’t just be about how quickly we close a ticket or how few interactions a customer has with support. Those metrics, while important for efficiency, don’t necessarily reflect our ability to retain customers.

Customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores are a good start, but they need to be coupled with more retention-focused KPIs. Are customers continuing to use the product after their support interactions? Are they upgrading or expanding their usage? These are the kinds of questions we should be asking to gauge our impact on retention.

The Future: Using AI to Bridge the Gap

Looking ahead, I see a future where AI plays a key role in turning support managers into retention agents. Imagine having AI tools that automatically flag potential churn risks, based on usage data, past interactions, and overall customer health. These tools could give support teams real-time insights into who they’re dealing with, allowing us to offer more personalized and proactive solutions.

AI also plays an important role in boosting internal collaboration and breaking the silos between different retention functions — where support, customer success, and sales are all working together, with access to the same data and insights. In this future, support managers won’t just be closing tickets; they’ll be key players in driving retention and, ultimately, company growth.

Conclusion: Unlocking the Potential of Support

Support is often seen as a cost center — something necessary, but not always valued. But my experience at Connecteam showed me that support can be a true revenue generator. With the right tools, training, and KPIs, support professionals have the potential to become powerful retention agents, helping customers succeed and driving long-term growth for the company.

The key is understanding that every customer interaction is an opportunity — not just to solve a problem, but to build a stronger, more loyal relationship.

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About the Author

Romi Oppenheim is a customer-centric leader with extensive experience in the SaaS industry, having spent two years as a support manager at Connecteam, where she gained firsthand insight into the challenges of customer retention. Romi’s passion for understanding and addressing customer pain points has shaped her approach to creating value across teams. Today, she is the Head of Value Creation at RUNI Ventures, where she’s on a mission to back and support the next generation of groundbreaking tech companies.