Metrics That Matter: KPIs Every Client Success Leader Should Track

In client success, what you measure shapes what you improve. Tracking the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) helps leaders spot risks, prove value, and drive strategic decisions.

Here’s a list of essential KPIs every client success leader should track—and why they matter.

1. Customer Churn Rate

This measures the percentage of customers who leave your service during a specific period. High churn signals dissatisfaction or unmet needs.

Why it matters: Churn directly impacts revenue and growth. Tracking it helps you identify when and why customers leave so you can take action.

2. Net Revenue Retention (NRR)

NRR shows how much recurring revenue you keep from existing customers, factoring in upsells, downgrades, and cancellations.

Why it matters: It reveals if your growth comes from current clients or just new sales. NRR over 100% means you’re expanding accounts and beating churn.

3. Customer Health Score

This composite score combines product usage, support tickets, and satisfaction data to predict account risk or growth potential.

Why it matters: It helps prioritize outreach. You can focus on “at-risk” customers before they churn and nurture “healthy” accounts for upsell.

4. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

NPS measures customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend your product or service.

Why it matters: It’s a simple gauge of customer sentiment and an early warning system for problems.

5. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

CSAT surveys measure how satisfied customers are with a specific interaction or overall experience.

Why it matters: CSAT gives quick feedback on your team’s performance and helps identify areas for improvement.

6. Time to Value (TTV)

TTV tracks how long it takes customers to realize the promised value after purchase.

Why it matters: Shorter TTV means happier customers who see benefits quickly, reducing churn risk.

7. Expansion Revenue

This includes upsells, cross-sells, and renewals that increase customer lifetime value.

Why it matters: It shows how well you grow accounts beyond the initial sale, which is crucial for scaling.

8. Customer Engagement Metrics

Track logins, feature usage, and interaction frequency to understand how actively customers use your product.

Why it matters: High engagement often correlates with loyalty and success.

Putting It All Together

Tracking these KPIs isn’t just about collecting data—it’s about acting on insights. Use dashboards and regular reports to monitor trends, communicate results to your team, and adjust your strategies.

Start by focusing on a few critical KPIs that align with your business goals. As you mature, add more metrics to paint a complete picture of customer health and success.