Debate: automated onboarding vs. human led demos for new SaaS clients

I had to pick between a fully automated onboarding sequence with chatbots and a team of CS reps doing live demos for every new account. I went with the automated route to save on costs, but churn jumped 15% in the first quarter because clients felt abandoned. Are people leaning one way or the other in their own ops?

3 comments

3 Comments

john_fisher1mo agoTop Commenter

That 15% churn spike is brutal lol. I was all about automation saving time and money until I saw how fast new users bail without a real person helping them through the first few steps.

the_hayden1mo ago

Speaking of automation and new users bailing, it reminds me of when my buddy tried to automate his dog's feeding schedule with one of those smart bowls. The thing worked fine but his dog just sat there staring at it confused for three days straight until he finally gave in and poured the food out by hand. Sometimes you just need that personal touch even if the machine does the job right.

jadej501mo ago

Jumping in here with a little different take... I think that 15% spike might not be just because of automation itself. It could be how it was set up. Automated onboarding can work if you still have a real person reach out at key moments, like after day 3 or when they hit a wall. Just handing them a chatbot and a video library feels cold, you know. Maybe blending a quick 10-minute check in call with the automated flow would've kept more of those clients around.