A Day in the Life of a Cisco CSM

Customer Success Blog Series

The Customer Success Blog Series highlights Customer Success Managers (CSM) and their Customers where we spotlight a Customer Success Story. Learn how Cisco’s collaboration technology is making positive organizational impacts, solving real-live business challenges and can impact a customer’s outcome.

Aha Customer Experience Moment

Success for Amal’s team comes in many flavors, but it’s always about delighting customers—often in ways that surprise them. It’s that fist-bump she shares with her teammates when they make a breakthrough onboarding a customer. And that “Aha!” moment customers experience when their eyes widen in realizing just how much Webex can do for their business.

Every day Amal feels blessed for the opportunity to manage an incredible team of Customer Success Managers (CSMs) comprising of a colorful patchwork of talents, experience, and interests. With diverse backgrounds and personalities on her team, every day at work on Cisco’s RTP campus (Raleigh, NC) is full of fun and excitement.

“My work is comprised of many moving parts. I love that no day is the same as the next” -Amal Abdelwahab Elhag

Amal spends much of her working day interacting with customers and her team. Whether it’s a customer escalation, team strategy meeting, planning session, or CSM interview (Yes, her team is still growing), making connections with people makes her feel right at home.

How Amal’s Team Gets it Done

Amal finds it easy to work with her team on Webex. Whether they’re in the office or traveling to meet customers, everyone can keep connected and stay up to speed. On their Webex Teams space (suitably named ‘Amal About That Webex’), the CSMs share news, updates, and best practices.

They meet at least once weekly to discuss business developments, upcoming events, and to celebrate wins as a team. Webex is also where Amal’s team connects on a more personal level to share family and holiday photos, or a laugh to brighten everyone’s day.

Creating Personalized Adoption Experiences

Setting weekly goals with her team is how Amal ensures they’re always in the best position to help their customers succeed. She explains how these objectives are shaped by what different organizations want to achieve with Webex.

A CSM might wish to review usage metrics with the customer to identify areas for improvement. In other instances, they might prioritize fine-tuning their Webex configuration to the specific needs of their business. It all depends on the customer, their success plan, and exactly where they are on their journey.

Feeling Great About What We Do

There is a strong work ethic in Amal’s team, but they also have lots of fun, both inside and outside the office. When they get out, it’s often to enjoy a meal together, do something fun like bowling, or volunteer locally as a way of giving back to the community.

“We all have so much pride in our work. We genuinely love the products we support and want our customers to love them as much as we do. Because we see firsthand the value and impact of our work every day, being fanatical about Webex is a natural part of the process, for both our customers and us,” says Amal.

When I ask Amal if she can tell me what she loves most about her job, she quickly comes back with, “Everything,” and gives me a broad smile. She then goes on to say that the professional development of her team is the most rewarding part of her job as a CSM leader.

“I love watching my team grow in ability and confidence. From the moment a CSM realizes the role they play in their customers’ success, it’s like a light turns on and they feel ever more determined to help them achieve even more than they set out to,” says Amal.

Being Part of Something Bigger

For Amal, it’s important that every CSM on her team understands how their own success relates to the success of their customers. She sees their role as more than to ensure customers adopt Webex products successfully. Or even to help them work and communicate better.

“We give doctors the tools to see and treat patients everywhere. We help businesspeople build face-to-face relationships with their customers. We break down classroom walls to connect students and teachers in distributed learning programs. And this is just the start—our customers are sharing with us new ways they’re transforming lives using Webex every day,” says Amal.

It’s for these reasons that Amal believes her team is driven to go above and beyond for their customers—because they feel part of something much bigger than the products they serve.

Check out our adoption resources at cs.co/webexadoption

Guest Blogger: Simon Capstick-Dale, Copywriter, Digital Experiences & Collaboration at Cisco
Simon is a copywriter for the Digital Experiences (DXE) team at Cisco focused on Webex products and services within the Collaboration portfolio. His content meets and guides users through every touchpoint of the customer lifecycle to the best possible experience. By creating memorable, adaptive digital-first motions that drive enablement, learning and customer success, he strives to make a true ambassador of every Webex user.