CSM Field Notes & FAQ.
The tactical, client-facing knowledge a CSM reaches for mid-call — platform fixes and workarounds, bulk-order setup gotchas, pricing tactics, objection handling, and cross-sell ladders. Evergreen and account-agnostic; live deal context stays in handovers and Attio. This page is fed by the weekly /csm-monday-briefing.
Platform fixes & workarounds
Q: An address won't save — "must be at least two characters long" on the name field.
Caused by a single-word full name with no parseable last name. Put a parseable name in the Full Name field, move long logistics text (event/booth references) to address line 2. If the Send Reward flow still blocks edits, recreate the order from the Events tab instead.
Q: A redemption order is stuck in "collected" and never shipped.
This was a known processing bug (an order redemption not converting to an order). The fix shipped with a backfill of stuck redemptions — if you see a historical one, it's covered by the backfill; raise anything new as a ticket.
Q: Can a redemption page use Amazon-sourced products?
Yes. Amazon products can be added to collections and used on redemption pages. Note there is no UI indicator of a product's source (Amazon vs. warehoused) — it only shows "in inventory" — so confirm sourcing in the account before quoting.
Q: The redemption page text is hard to read on a client's theme.
The background color is customizable; a darker background fixes the font-visibility issue on light-themed accounts. The default order page (beige) is not customizable beyond color.
Q: A catalog item shows discontinued / out of stock for an on-demand client.
For a discontinued item with a successor (e.g. a "2.0" version): in the account, toggle to "all products," find the successor, set colors/logo, create the product, add it to the client's catalog, and remove the old one. Then send the client the new product link.
Bulk-order setup
Q: What are the bulk-kit minimums and discount breaks?
Bulk/onboarding kits start at a 25-unit minimum, with discount breaks at 25, 72, and 144+ units. The proofing stage (a few days to ~1 week) provides photos of the actual items before the full production run.
Q: A client wants fewer units than the product's minimum.
Update the product's MOQ in Settings before approving the order — otherwise it won't go through.
Q: Which items can't go on-demand?
Pens (and similar) must be bulk-ordered and then saved to a collection — they can't be set up as on-demand.
Q: Decoration placement defaults worth knowing?
Socks: logo on the calf/side; wordmark, when feasible, on the footer (bottom of foot) — but event socks often place the logo on the top of the foot, not the spandex section. Backpacks: horizontal logo placement. Stickers: supply an SVG. Custom kit packaging supports outside/inside/both prints in white, craft, or custom color (requires a bulk order).
Pricing tactics
Q: A small bulk order comes in under target margin — how do I price it?
Add the item at its available price, then add a separate line item for the shortfall, framed to the client as a "less than minimum fee." Keeps the headline unit price clean.
Q: A power-bank-only order looks like it loses margin.
The power-bank catalog price already includes shipping, so it looks high and can be a loss if ordered alone. Flag for a pricing review rather than quoting blind.
Q: What's the lever to waive the warehousing fee?
An annual commitment. The warehousing fee is removed when the client commits annually — confirm the waiver before checkout.
Q: SSO add-on — is it worth it?
SSO is an additional cost and isn't needed for offboarding compliance: the included directory sync already handles SOC 2 offboarding. Only recommend SSO if the client's IT has a hard requirement.
Objection handling
| Signal | Move |
|---|---|
| Client wants to drop a program after one stockout/logistics miss | Get on a call to separate the grievance from the relationship before accepting the churn — a single miss is usually fixable. |
| Discomfort with HRIS data being pulled | Offer CSV upload instead of integration; revisit integration if they expand. |
| SSO cost objection | Directory sync already covers SOC 2 offboarding — buy SSO only if IT mandates it. |
Cross-sell & upsell ladders
- New-hire kit → employee storefront → external customer gifting — the natural expansion sequence within one account.
- HR adopts first → marketing follows once HR is happy (often region by region).
- New-hire kits → event swag → sales-team gifting catalog — high-engagement accounts run all three.
- Internal swag store → public-facing store — note the public store is roadmap, not yet GA; set timeline expectations accordingly.
- New-hire / events → birthday & anniversary automations — an easy recurring-send add-on.
- Sporadic on-demand spender → bulk commitment + free-warehousing pitch — the strongest upsell when a client spends elsewhere on branded merch.
Source: synthesized from CSM Granola meeting notes (week of 2026-06-15) and the Monday Briefing knowledge base (product-knowledge.md, upsell-crosssell-playbook.md). Kept evergreen — client-specific context removed. Maintained weekly by /csm-monday-briefing.