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Churn Risk Intervention Case

Customer Success

What it tests

Ability to identify early churn signals, build a save plan, and execute a difficult customer conversation

Format

  1. 1Candidate receives a one-page account brief: 18-month customer, usage dropped 40% last quarter, champion left, renewal in 60 days
  2. 230 minutes to write a save plan: root cause hypotheses, immediate actions, stakeholder mapping, and proposed success metrics
  3. 3Live role-play: interviewer plays the new, skeptical champion who is considering cancellation
  4. 4Debrief: candidate explains their reasoning and what they would do if the call went badly

What to look for

  • Do they diagnose root cause first, or jump straight to discounting?
  • Is their stakeholder mapping thoughtful — do they identify the economic buyer, not just the contact?
  • In the role-play, do they listen and uncover the real objection, or pitch features defensively?
  • Is their fallback plan (if the call fails) realistic and proactive?

Adaptation guide

Adjust churn signals to match your product's actual health indicators (login frequency, API calls, support tickets). Add a health score dashboard screenshot to the brief for data-driven CSM roles.

Full description

Format:

  1. Candidate receives a one-page account brief: 18-month customer, usage dropped 40% last quarter, champion left, renewal in 60 days
  2. 30 minutes to write a save plan: root cause hypotheses, immediate actions, stakeholder mapping, and proposed success metrics
  3. Live role-play: interviewer plays the new, skeptical champion who is considering cancellation
  4. Debrief: candidate explains their reasoning and what they would do if the call went badly

Time: 45 minutes

What to look for:

  • Do they diagnose root cause first, or jump straight to discounting?
  • Is their stakeholder mapping thoughtful — do they identify the economic buyer, not just the contact?
  • In the role-play, do they listen and uncover the real objection, or pitch features defensively?
  • Is their fallback plan (if the call fails) realistic and proactive?

Adaptation: Adjust churn signals to match your product's actual health indicators (login frequency, API calls, support tickets). Add a health score dashboard screenshot to the brief for data-driven CSM roles.