If you’re on a customer success team and tired of winging it with sticky notes and scattered emails, you’re probably thinking about playbooks. Maybe you’ve heard about Churnzero and want to actually use it for more than just tracking renewals. This guide's for you. We’ll walk through building custom playbooks that make sense for your workflow—not whatever the vendor’s webinar says. No fluff, just what you need to get started and avoid rookie mistakes.
Why bother with playbooks in the first place?
Let’s get real: playbooks are just checklists—structured, repeatable steps so your team isn’t reinventing the wheel every time a customer needs help, is up for renewal, or starts ghosting. Good playbooks mean fewer dropped balls, fewer “I thought you followed up,” and better outcomes for your customers. Churnzero’s playbook builder is pretty flexible, but it’s easy to make things too complicated, too fast.
Step 1: Figure out what you actually need a playbook for
Before you even log in, stop and ask: What’s the problem you’re solving? Playbooks aren’t magic. They just keep your team on the rails. Some typical use cases:
- Onboarding new customers (the classic)
- Handling renewals
- Managing at-risk accounts
- Upsell/cross-sell motions
- QBRs/business reviews
Don’t try to automate everything. Pick one process where you consistently see things fall apart or get inconsistent. Start there.
Pro tip: If your team ignores their current checklists, don’t expect a digital playbook to change that. Get buy-in first.
Step 2: Map out your process on paper (yes, really)
It’s tempting to jump straight into Churnzero and start clicking, but don’t. Open a doc or grab a whiteboard. Write out the actual steps you want people to take. Be honest—what steps matter? What’s just busywork?
- List the key stages (“Kickoff call,” “Send welcome email,” “30-day check-in”)
- Under each stage, jot down the specific tasks (“Schedule call,” “Send agenda,” etc.)
- Note who’s responsible for each step (CSM, onboarding specialist, etc.)
- Flag any spots where things stall or get confusing
You’ll probably realize some steps are unnecessary, or that nobody knows who owns what. Fix that now—Churnzero won’t solve unclear ownership.
Step 3: Build your playbook skeleton in Churnzero
Log in and head to the Playbooks section. Here’s the real-world sequence:
- Create a new playbook
Give it a name your team will recognize. (“Onboarding - Standard,” not “Playbook #1.”) - Set the owner/visibility
Decide who can use it—just you, the whole team, or specific roles. - Add stages and tasks
For each stage from your process doc, add them as “Stages.” Under each stage, list out the actual tasks. - Assign owners and deadlines
You can assign tasks to roles (e.g., “CSM”) and set default due dates (like “2 days after playbook start”).
Stuff to skip:
Don’t get lost in advanced features like branching logic or complex dependencies on your first round. Keep it linear and simple.
Step 4: Make tasks that are actually useful
Be specific. “Follow up with customer” is useless. Try “Send recap email with login details,” or “Schedule 30-day review call.” Each task should be clear enough that someone new could pick up the playbook and know what to do.
You can use Churnzero’s templates for emails or meetings—just don’t overdo it. Most customers can spot a template a mile away.
What works:
- Actionable, clear task names
- Short descriptions if extra context is needed
- Linking to resources (docs, slide decks, etc.)
What doesn’t:
- Vague tasks (“Check in with customer”)
- Overloading stages with too many steps—no one wants 30 tasks for onboarding
Step 5: Add automation (but don’t go overboard)
Churnzero lets you automate a lot—triggering playbooks based on customer data, auto-assigning tasks, even sending emails automatically.
Automate:
- Assigning playbooks when certain criteria are met (e.g., new account signed)
- Reminders for overdue tasks
- Pre-filling email templates for common comms
Don’t automate:
- Personalized communication (yes, you still have to write that tough email)
- Complex branching unless you’ve tested it manually
Real talk:
Automations are like power tools. Handy, but dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Start small. Test everything—preferably with a fake account first.
Step 6: Test the playbook with your team
Before you go live, run through the playbook with your own team. Assign it to a pilot account or just walk through the steps in a group meeting.
- Did anything not make sense?
- Are the deadlines reasonable?
- Any steps missing?
- Is ownership clear?
You’ll catch a lot of “wait, what does this mean?” moments now, rather than when a real customer is on the line.
Pro tip:
Ask someone who wasn’t involved in building the playbook to try it. They’ll spot assumptions you missed.
Step 7: Roll it out (and actually use it)
Once you’re confident, publish the playbook and make sure everyone knows how and when to use it. Don’t just email the team and hope—they’ll ignore it. Show them in a team meeting, answer questions, and get feedback.
- Set clear expectations: “Use this playbook for every new onboarding starting next week.”
- Make it easy to find in Churnzero
- Ask for feedback after a week or two—what’s working, what’s not?
Step 8: Iterate and improve (seriously, you’re not done)
No playbook survives first contact with real customers. Expect to tweak steps, remove unnecessary tasks, or clarify instructions. That’s normal.
- Review usage data in Churnzero—are tasks getting skipped or overdue?
- Ask your team what’s helping and what’s annoying
- Update the playbook regularly (quarterly is plenty)
What to ignore:
Don’t get hung up on making it “perfect.” Done is better than perfect. You can always improve later.
Common pitfalls and how to dodge them
-
Too many playbooks:
If you have a playbook for every scenario, nobody will use any of them. Start with the basics. -
Over-complicating tasks:
If a playbook step takes five minutes to explain, it’s too complex. -
Ignoring team feedback:
If your team hates the playbook, they’ll work around it. Listen when they say something’s confusing or useless. -
Letting playbooks get stale:
Processes change. Review and update playbooks, or they’ll become just another thing people ignore.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, update often
Playbooks in Churnzero are only as good as the process behind them. Don’t overthink it. Start with one, keep it tight, and fix what’s broken as you go. The goal isn’t a perfect checklist—it’s helping your team work smarter and deliver better for your customers. Iterate, prune, and don’t be afraid to throw out steps that don’t add value. That’s how you actually get results.