5 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Let’s face it—onboarding can make or break your customer relationship. First impressions matter, and a rocky start can send your new customer running for the hills. Through our extensive experience in Customer Success, we've made our fair share of mistakes. Now, we're here to share five common onboarding pitfalls—and how you can avoid them..

1. Skipping the Goal-Setting Stage

The Mistake: Diving into onboarding without understanding your customer’s objectives.
Why It Hurts: If you don’t know what success looks like for your customer, how can you deliver it?
The Fix: Start with a discovery call to define clear, measurable goals. For example, “Automate 50% of manual tasks within the first month” or “Reduce onboarding time by 30% by Q2.” Document these goals and revisit them during check-ins.

2. Overloading Customers with Information

The Mistake: Bombarding customers with endless training sessions, manuals, and emails in the first week.
Why It Hurts: Too much information leads to overwhelm, and overwhelmed customers disengage.
The Fix: Break the process into bite-sized milestones. Start with the essentials and add complexity as they progress. A phased approach keeps things manageable and builds confidence over time.

3. Ignoring Personalization

The Mistake: Using a one-size-fits-all onboarding plan for every customer.
Why It Hurts: Every business is different. A generic approach misses the mark and feels impersonal.
The Fix: Tailor the onboarding experience to your customer’s specific needs. Whether they’re a small startup or a global enterprise, customize the roadmap to fit their goals and pain points. Tools like Ascendr make this easier by allowing you to create personalized onboarding workflows.

4. Failing to Track Progress

The Mistake: Not measuring how onboarding is going—or worse, waiting until the end to check results.
Why It Hurts: Without tracking, you can’t identify roadblocks or celebrate small wins, both of which are critical for keeping momentum.
The Fix: Use leading indicators to track progress (e.g., % of training completed, features adopted) and lagging indicators to measure outcomes (e.g., reduced churn, higher satisfaction scores). Share progress updates with your customer to keep them in the loop.

5. Forgetting the Human Touch

The Mistake: Automating everything without providing real human support.
Why It Hurts: Customers want to feel supported, especially when they’re navigating something new. A lack of personal connection can lead to frustration.
The Fix: Balance automation with accessibility. Provide self-serve resources like how-to videos and FAQs, but ensure there’s a dedicated CSM or support team available for guidance. Regular check-ins make a big difference.

Wrapping It All Up

Onboarding isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about setting your customers up for success, one step at a time. Avoiding these common mistakes ensures your customers feel confident, supported, and ready to achieve their goals.