Role Clarity = Customer Clarity

“Customers just want a single point of contact.”
That’s what leaders tell me. And have told me for years.

But usually?
It’s a symptom of broken role clarity.

At one company I worked with, CSMs were positioned as the single point of contact. That meant all support tickets, renewals, and strategy conversations went through them.

What happened?
CSMs spent all day either triaging support issues or pushing renewals. There was zero time for account strategy or driving outcomes.
Customers weren’t happy, and neither were the CSMs.

Here’s what works instead:

1. Telegraph the handoffs early. Let customers know upfront who does what.

2. Reinforce it constantly. Remind them in each interaction.

3. Create visibility across every discipline. When onboarding, support, CS, and services each own their lane, requests don’t get lost, and outcomes improve.

Leaders think customers want a “pleasant” relationship. What they really want is a predictable path to solutions.

Don’t believe the hype. Customers don’t care if they talk to one person or five. They care if the right person solves their problem the first time.