QBR Process Template

On-demand reference for the cs-operations skill.

Quarterly Business Reviews are the highest-leverage CS touchpoint for T1 accounts. Most fail because they look backwards (usage reports) rather than forwards (strategic alignment).

QBR Agenda Structure (45-60 minutes)

1. Their goals (10 min). What has changed in the business since the last QBR? Are the success criteria still right?
2. Progress review (15 min). Outcomes delivered vs. committed outcomes. Use data, not anecdotes. AI-assisted (2026+): benchmarking insights auto-generated ("You are 40% below similar customers in feature X") provide context.
3. Usage and health (5 min). Keep this short. It's context, not the point. AI platforms surface usage trajectory and adoption metrics automatically; CSM can focus on why, not what.
4. Roadmap alignment (15 min). What's coming that's relevant to their goals? Use this to reinforce retention and create expansion hooks.
5. Joint plan (10 min). 2-3 actions they commit to, 2-3 actions you commit to.

Cadence by Tier

Not every account needs a formal QBR. T1 accounts: quarterly. T2 accounts: semi-annual or on-demand. T3 accounts: no QBR. Use health score cadence only.