39 Interview Questions to Ask a Customer Success Manager

1. Tell me about a time when you had to convince a large group to try something new.
2. Tell me about a time when you confronted an unfamiliar problem with a technical component and had to discover the right solution.
3. What kinds of work tasks or projects motivate you?
4. When was the last time you were really curious about something? How did you learn about it?
5. Tell me about the most challenging client you’ve ever had to manage. What made them challenging? How did you keep the relationship healthy?
6. We move fast, and our success depends on everyone working well together. Tell me about a time when you built relationships with other teams or departments in the past.
7. What do you think is an underestimated but critical part of doing customer success well?
8. Tell me about something that happened at work in the last year that made it a truly great day.
9. What kind of coaching would you provide to a new client to ensure we get high adoption?
10. What topics would you include in your first conversation with a new client?
11. Tell me about a time when you created content from scratch to encourage behavior change. What actions were you trying to influence, and what was the result?
12. Describe a time when you led a client through a change management process. What was your role, and what was the final outcome?
13. Tell me about a time when you tracked a client’s engagement data to measure and understand how they use your product. Did you use any business intelligence platforms to track the data?
14. Share an example of a time when you worked in a fast-paced environment. How did you navigate the situation? What steps did you take to thrive in the environment?
15. Describe your ideal work environment. What do you need to do your best work? What environment makes it challenging for you to do your best work?
16. Tell me about a time when you received constructive feedback that you acted on. What was the feedback, and how did you implement it?

Empathy is a critical skill for customer success managers. A great customer success manager knows how to practice empathy when working with customers and helping them problem-solve.

The below questions can help you find candidates who are skilled at empathy.

1. Give me an example of a time when you noticed a colleague felt down, and you provided words of encouragement or support.
2. How do you ensure that people on your team and other colleagues feel heard when you’re interacting with them (especially virtually)?
3. Tell me about a time that you used empathy to turn a negative situation into a positive one.
4. Tell me about a time when listening well was especially challenging. What was the result of that interaction?
5. Tell me about a time when you picked up on negative feelings from a colleague and adapted your communication to overcome the situation.
6. Tell me about a time when you made a mistake because you didn’t listen carefully enough to what a team member said.
7. Sometimes we encounter emotional situations with coworkers. Describe a time when you didn’t handle a situation like this well.
8. Give me an example of a time when you were able to control and filter your emotions in a constructive way in the midst of a difficult situation.
9. Describe a time when you had to deliver challenging news to a team member.
10. Tell me about a time when you didn’t show compassion to a team member. What did you learn from the experience?

A great customer success manager can collaborate well with anyone, from go-to-market teams to engineers to customers.

The below questions can help you find candidates who are great at collaboration.

1. Tell me about a time when it was critical for you to establish an effective working relationship with someone outside of your department to complete an important assignment or project.
2. What is the toughest group that you have had to collaborate with? Describe how you handled it. What was the outcome?
3. Describe a time when you had to work effectively with another team that you had never worked with before.
4. Describe a time when you set aside your own priorities to help a team member. What did you do, and what was the result?
5. Tell me about a time when you wouldn’t have successfully completed a project without teamwork.
6. Have you ever been a member of a group or team where two people did not work well together? How did you resolve the situation?
7. Tell me about a time when you helped others compromise for the good of the team.
8. Give me an example of a time when you were willing to compromise on something relatively important to you so that your team could proceed with a project.
9. Tell me about the most memorable contribution you’ve made as part of a task group or special project team.

Customer success managers must know how to engage customers, help them solve problems, and build trusting relationships. The key to doing all of these things well? A service-oriented mindset.

The below questions can help you find candidates who are service-oriented.

1. Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond in your work for a customer.
2. Tell about the last work-related project you supported or managed that you were really proud of. What made your contribution to that particular project special?
3. Tell me about a time when you had to balance doing high-quality work and driving results while maintaining a work-life balance for yourself.
4. Tell me about a time when you made a lasting impression on a customer.