Why CSMs Notice UX Problems First
I’ve been in Customer Success long enough to know that when something’s not quite right in the product, it usually shows up in my conversations before it shows up in a support ticket. Maybe customers won’t outright say, “we have a UX problem.” But they’ll ask the same question three times, avoid certain features, or quietly disengage.
I’ve learned to pay attention to that.
The clues are often buried in our metrics. They're not the most obvious hints, but when you’ve seen enough of them, patterns start to emerge. That’s when you realize you’re dealing with something beyond a CS issue, and you’ve got a UX problem on your hands.
In this post, I’ll share the CS metrics I’ve learned to watch closely, how they can reveal hidden friction in the user experience, and how to use those insights to have better conversations with Product.
The UX clues hiding in your CS metrics
Which CS metrics should you really be looking out for? In my experience, things like a longer-than-usual Time to First Value, weak product adoption, or vague NPS feedback often point to something in the product usage that isn’t working for customers.
Other things I look out for are a consistent drop-off in onboarding, or the same “how do I…” questions popping up in tickets. These metrics won’t spell out the problem for you the way a product review might, but they could give you a clue on where to start digging.
A delayed TTFV might mean setup is too complicated. Low adoption can mean the interface is unclear. Vague NPS comments mean something in the overall experience feels off, but users can’t or won’t spend time explaining it in detail. And a dip in health score after a UI change? That usually speaks for itself.
Turning CS insights into Product conversations
Once you’ve spotted the signals, the next step is figuring out what to do with them. In my experience, this is where a lot of CSMs get stuck. We have a feel for what’s wrong, but we’re unsure how to bring it to the Product team in a way that’s helpful.
I’ve learned that flooding the roadmap with every customer complaint usually hurts more than it helps. It’s much more useful to find the patterns, ask the right questions, and translate those into something Product can act on.
For example, if five customers all ask the same question in different ways during onboarding, it might be a sign that the feature itself is confusing or buried. That’s worth taking a closer look at.
When I’m reviewing accounts, I keep a short list of what I call “UX red flags”. These are things like drop-off after onboarding, support tickets that spike after new releases, or consistently low adoption of key features.
I bring these up in internal syncs or product feedback sessions as signals we can explore together. The more specific and data-backed you can be, the more likely you are to spark a meaningful discussion.
How to communicate these insights to your Product team
Spotting a UX issue is one thing. Getting it fixed is another. I’ve been in enough cross-functional meetings to know that “our customers are confused” doesn’t always land. If we want Product to take action, we have to meet them halfway with clarity, evidence, and a shared goal.
Here’s what’s worked for me when turning CS observations into Product conversations:
Speak their language
It helps to avoid vague or emotional phrasing. Instead of saying, “People hate onboarding,” I’ll frame it as, “We’re seeing a significant drop-off between account creation and activation, especially among new admins.”
Terms like activation points, drop-offs, and workflow friction tend to resonate more with Product folks than raw frustration. I’ve also learned to present things as hypotheses, not complaints. That makes the conversation feel more collaborative and less reactive.
Show the impact
Whenever possible, I tie the UX issue to business outcomes. If a confusing dashboard layout leads to repeated support tickets or delayed adoption, that’s time and money lost, for both us and the customer.
I’ll bring real examples: tags from our CRM, support screenshots, and a few quick notes from customer calls.
Propose low-effort fixes
I’ve found that Product teams are more open to feedback when the ask is clear and manageable. Sometimes it’s as simple as updating the copy in a tooltip, changing the order of steps in a modal, or surfacing a feature earlier in the journey.
Communicate that you’re not asking for massive redesigns to the app. Instead, you’re just showing where a small tweak could remove friction.
You don’t need in-depth technical knowledge for this either. All it takes is representing what your customers are experiencing, with enough clarity and context that Product can take it from there.
A CS-driven UX fix that made an impact
Sometimes the most useful thing you can do as a CSM is just flag what’s not working and get it in front of the right people. One of the most effective changes I’ve seen came from something small we noticed in onboarding.
We had a feature that was pretty central to the product’s value. Let’s call it “Smart Reports.” But looking at our adoption metrics, less than half of new users were activating it in their first month.
That didn’t make sense. We covered it in training, and it was highlighted in our onboarding materials.
So I sat down with a few customers and asked them to walk me through how they used the platform. Turns out, the feature was tucked away under a secondary menu most users didn’t even notice.
I flagged this to the Product team, along with some short notes from calls and a couple of screenshots showing how buried it was. To their credit, they took a quick look and agreed it could be surfaced better. So they moved it to the main dashboard.
A month later, adoption had nearly doubled, with no extra training or marketing push.
Changes like that remind me that you don’t need to be a designer to make a real difference in the user experience. You just need to spot the friction early and share what you’re seeing in a clear, constructive way.
These stories might seem small, but they add up.
Conclusion: CSMs hold the clues
Over the years, I’ve stopped thinking of CS metrics as just performance indicators. They’re also signals (although quiet ones sometimes) that something in the user experience isn’t landing the way it should.
When customers get stuck, confused, or disengaged, we often see it first, whether it’s through slower adoption, vague NPS feedback, or a health score that suddenly drops.
That perspective puts us in a unique position. We may not own design or product, but we’re close enough to the customer to spot problems early. With Customer Success Platforms like Velaris helping us centralize insights, it becomes even easier to turn those signals into action.
And when we take the time to interpret those signals and share them clearly, we’re helping to build a better product for everyone.
If this kind of cross-functional thinking is something you’re exploring in your own work, I’d love to hear about it. What signals are you noticing? What conversations are you having with Product? Feel free to drop a comment.
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