What they are actually testing
A cancellation email is a gift. It's a chance to show you lead with value, not concessions.
They told you the constraint on purpose: you cannot approve a downgrade or cancellation. That removes the easy exit and forces the real skill — can you de-escalate, find the story in the data, and re-anchor the relationship on outcomes? Here's the rubric hiding inside the prompt.
The 5 things they're scoring read between the lines
- De-escalation under constraintDo you reflexively concede, or hold the line warmly and earn the conversation?
- Data literacyCan you turn two CSVs into one clear narrative — not a number dump?
- Value articulationCan you reframe "cost" as ROI, owned-channel value, and assets he'd lose?
- Executive communicationIs the email empathetic, specific, and commercially confident in equal measure?
- OwnershipOne next action, one named owner, a date. No vague "we'll circle back."
Decode Bob's message the real problem
"The product seems fine, but I'm just not seeing results." In CSM, "not seeing results" almost never means the product failed. It decomposes into three diagnosable causes — and your CSVs will tell you which:
- Adoption gapHe pays for Pro (CRM email, loyalty, custom app) but isn't using the revenue features. Check campaign volume & cadence.
- Attribution blindnessSales may be flat-to-up vs his old provider, but he has no clean before/after, so it "feels" like nothing.
- Wrong baseline / expectationsJoined January — owned-channel ordering ramps. ~5 months is early, and no one set 90-day targets with him.
Your one-sentence thesis (build everything around this): Bob doesn't have a product problem — he has an adoption-and-visibility problem, and his own data proves the Pro package is already creating value he can't see. Before any contract change, we activate the unused features and make the ROI visible on a 90-day plan.
The submission, mapped to 6 slides
Max 6 slides total. Part 1 is 3–4, Part 2 is 1–2. Don't waste a slide on a title page — make every one carry weight.
Performance summary + your diagnosis
Value vs cost (the money slide)
90-day strategy + the single next action & owner
The exact email (verbatim)
Top 3 book-of-business insights
How they shape your prioritization
Tip: the CSV analysis lives in your .csv deliverables — slides show the conclusion, the CSVs show the work.
Turn two CSVs into one story
Don't compute everything. Compute the five numbers that change the decision.
You have Bob's Burger Sales Data.csv and Bob's Burger CRM Campaign Data.csv. Below are the exact metrics that build the "you're getting value you can't see" case, plus copy-paste Google Sheets / Excel formulas. Adapt the column letters to your file (use the inspector at the bottom to map them fast).
The 5 numbers that win the argument
- Sales trend since January — is online ordering growing month over month?If yes: "your channel is compounding." If flat: it's the adoption gap, which you can fix.
- Owned-channel value (commission avoided) — first-party orders carry no marketplace commission.Often the single number bigger than the fee. This is the headline of your value-vs-cost slide.
- CRM engagement vs potential — how many campaigns has he actually sent?The likely smoking gun: low/zero campaigns = low results. That's not failure, that's runway.
- Repeat / loyalty rate — is the loyalty program creating return visits?Repeat customers are the asset he'd forfeit by leaving.
- Per-location spread — are some of his 5 stores thriving and some dormant?Variance proves it's executional, not the product. Lift the laggards to the leaders.
Copy-paste formulas Sheets / Excel
=(ThisMonth - LastMonth) / LastMonth=SUMIFS(SalesCol, LocationCol, "Store 1", MonthCol, "Feb")=SUM(SalesCol) / COUNTA(OrderIDCol)=COUNTIF(CustomerIDCol, ">1 order") / COUNTA(UniqueCustomers)
// or with a helper: returning customers ÷ total customers=OwnedChannelSales * 0.20 // 15–30% typical marketplace take rateOpenRate =Opens / Delivered
ClickRate =Clicks / Opens
ConvRate =OrdersFromCampaign / Clicks=(AttributedRevenue - CampaignCost) / CampaignCost=MonthlyOnlineSales / (5 * 205) // 5 stores × $205 = $1,025 / mo=FORECAST.LINEAR(NextMonthX, KnownSalesYs, KnownMonthXs)
// quick visual: =SPARKLINE(MonthlySalesRange, {"charttype","line"})Live value-vs-cost calculator play with it
Drop in Bob's real numbers to pressure-test your slide before you build it.
This is a directional model to sharpen your instinct — your CSV is the source of truth. Always state assumptions (commission %, attribution) on the slide.
CSV inspector map your columns fast
Drop either CSV here. It runs entirely in your browser (nothing uploaded) and shows every column, type, totals, averages and a quick trend — so you know exactly which column letters to feed the formulas above.
The exact reply you'd send
Warm. Specific. Confident. You're not negotiating — you're inviting him back to his own numbers.
This is a ready template. Swap the [bracketed] bits for the real findings from your CSVs once you've run the formulas. The annotations below explain why each move works — be ready to defend them in the interview.
Hi Bob,
Thank you for the honest note — I'd much rather you tell me where things stand than walk away quietly. You moved to us in January to grow Bob's Burgers, and if you're not feeling that growth, helping fix it is exactly my job.
Before we talk about any change to your contract, I want to earn that conversation by showing you what your own numbers are telling me. I pulled your ordering and campaign data across all five locations, and a few things stood out: [1–2 specific, true findings — e.g., online sales are up [X]% since January / your owned-channel orders avoided roughly $[Y] in marketplace commission / you've built a list of [Z] customers you now own outright].
I also see real, unused horsepower in your plan. [The CRM email and loyalty tools you're already paying for are barely switched on] — and in my experience that's usually the whole difference between "fine" and "results."
Here's what I'd like to do: a 30-minute working session this week where we (1) look at your performance together, (2) turn on the Pro features driving the most revenue for merchants like you, and (3) set a 90-day plan with targets we both sign off on. If we hit them, you'll see precisely what this package is worth. If we fall short, you'll have a CSM who did everything to get you there.
Are you open to [Tuesday or Thursday] this week? I'll bring your data and a plan — you just bring your goals.
Harshleen Kaur
Customer Success Manager · Online Ordering
Why each move works be ready to explain
6 slides, max — every one earns its place
Slides show the conclusion. Your CSVs show the work.
A slide-by-slide blueprint with the headline, the supporting points, and the suggested visual for each. Use a clean, branded template; one idea per slide; let charts do the talking.
Part 2 · the CSM Book of Business CSV
Insight isn't "I have 100 merchants." It's "so here's where my hours go."
You won't know the columns until you open it, so here's the framework that works on any book of business — plus the formulas to build it and the matrix to present it.
Step 1 — Build a simple health score
Normalize a few signals to 0–1 and weight them. Tune weights to whatever columns the CSV actually gives you.
Health = 0.30*Revenue_n + 0.25*Adoption_n + 0.20*Sentiment_n
+ 0.15*Tenure_n + 0.10*GrowthTrend_n
// _n = normalized 0–1, e.g. =(x-MIN)/(MAX-MIN)=SUMIF(RevenueCol, ">="&LARGE(RevenueCol, 20)) / SUM(RevenueCol)
// what % of revenue do your top 20 accounts hold?=COUNTIFS(RevenueCol, ">="&MedRev, HealthCol, "<"&MedHealth)
// high value + low health = your Protect listStep 2 — Drop every merchant into the matrix
Value (revenue / package tier) on one axis, Risk (low health, near renewal, low adoption) on the other. This single picture is your prioritization slide.
🛡 Protect
Proactive saves. White-glove. Bob's Burgers lives here. Your highest-leverage hours.🌱 Grow
Expansion & advocacy. Upsell, references, case studies, multi-year renewals.⚖ Triage
Scaled outreach. Don't over-invest; right-size effort to value, accept some churn.🔁 Automate
Tech-touch & self-serve. Nurture cheaply; watch for ones quietly becoming Grow.Step 3 — The 3 insights to actually surface
Open the CSV, then look for these patterns. Lead each slide bullet with the number, not the adjective.
- Concentration of value"My top [N] merchants drive [X]% of revenue" → they get named, scheduled, protected.
- Adoption predicts retention"Low-adoption accounts show [the churn signals]" → proactive activation plays before they ever email like Bob.
- A timing cluster"[N] accounts renew in the next quarter / are newly onboarded and unactivated" → a focused, calendar-driven motion.
Whatever the exact columns, the move is the same: from "100 accounts" to "here are the 8 I touch this week and why."
Stick the landing
They're not buying the deck. They're buying how you think out loud.
How to present it
- Open with the thesis, not the data"Bob doesn't have a product problem, he has a visibility problem — and his data proves it." Then earn it.
- Every number ties to a decisionIf a chart doesn't change what you'd do, cut it.
- Empathy + commercial backboneShow you can be warm to Bob and protect $12,300 of ARR at the same time.
- End on ownershipOne action, your name on it, a date. Leave no doubt who drives the save.
Likely interview questions
"What if Bob still wants to cancel after the meeting?"
"What if the data shows he's genuinely underperforming?"
"How did you pick your assumptions?"
"Why is the next action yours and not support's?"
Your AI-use statement have this ready
If they ask how you used AI, be specific and confident — it reads as maturity, not weakness:
"I used an AI tool to pressure-test my structure and tighten wording — outlining the slide flow and proofreading my email. The analysis, the diagnosis, the strategy and every conclusion are mine: I ran the formulas on the CSVs, decided the thesis, and chose the next action. I can walk through any number on these slides without it."
Pre-submit checklist
- ≤ 6 slides, exported as one PDFPart 1: 3–4 · Part 2: 1–2
- .csv files attached with your analysisThe work behind the conclusions — clean tabs, labeled columns
- The verbatim email is on a slideIt's an explicitly requested deliverable
- One next action + named owner + dateDon't let this be vague
- Every assumption labeledCommission %, attribution, normalization
- Submitted via the link, inside 48 hoursEarly is a signal too
Walk in fluent · verified from DoorDash's own docs, June 2026
Know exactly what Bob bought — and the commercial model behind it.
The role is CSM for Online Ordering — DoorDash's first-party SaaS product, which is a different animal from the Marketplace app. Knowing the difference is how you sound like an insider, not a candidate. Here's the verified landscape.
The product you'd own first-party
Online Ordering / Storefront lets a restaurant take orders on its own website and branded app — commission-free, paid as a SaaS subscription instead of a per-order marketplace cut. Bob's Pro package ($205/store) bundles the full stack:
- Website online ordering + custom mobile appHis own branded channel — he owns the customer, not the platform
- CRM email marketingDirect-to-customer campaigns — the unused lever in Bob's case
- Custom loyalty programRepeat-visit engine and a customer list he keeps
This is why your value-vs-cost case is strong: first-party orders dodge the 15–30% marketplace commission entirely. The package is the owned channel.
The Marketplace tiers context
The other way restaurants sell on DoorDash — the app itself, priced on commission. Good to know so you can speak to the whole portfolio:
- Basic — 15% delivery commissionSmallest delivery radius, 7-day trial
- Plus — 25% delivery commissionLarger radius, DashPass, 30-day trial
- Premier — 30% delivery commissionBiggest radius + Automatic Ads + $200 photo credit + Growth Guarantee (refunds commission in any month with ≤20 orders)
All tiers: flat 6% pickup commission, $0 activation, free trial, and a free professional menu photoshoot.
What a merchant actually receives — physical & digital
- Merchant PortalDesktop menu editor — items, photos, modifiers, hours
- Business Manager appiOS/Android — live order management, refunds, subs
- Order Manager appThe tablet app — pop-up on each new order
- 10" Android tabletFree during trial, then $6/week in the US
- Ships in ~7 daysAfter the confirmation email; opt-in, not bundled
- It's the order hubFor merchants without a POS integration
- The tablet is the only confirmed shipped itemper DoorDash's own docs
- Printed kit is order-on-requestDoorDash runs a "marketing materials" ordering program; exact contents (decals, table tents, QR cards) vary by region — verify, don't assume auto-ship
Sourced from DoorDash's pricing page, learning center, and help center via a 102-agent fact-check (all claims verified against primary docs). Figures are US, 2025–2026, and DoorDash can change them.
~$105K in Manhattan · what it actually means
$105K sounds big. Manhattan quietly takes ~30% in tax and rents most of the rest.
Walk into the comp conversation knowing the real number. These are directional 2026 estimates for a single filer — confirm your exact figure with a paycheck calculator (e.g. SmartAsset). But the shape is right, and it changes how you negotiate.
Live take-home & budget calculator NYC, single filer
"Comfortable rent" is the classic 30%-of-take-home guideline. Note how far below a solo Manhattan apartment that sits — which is the whole point.
Three realistic ways to live on it
Studio ~$3,300–4,200/mo
Eats 55–70% of take-home. Doable only if you forgo most saving. The "I made it" flex that quietly breaks the budget.
Room in 2BR ~$1,900–2,600/person
Manhattan or brownstone Brooklyn with a roommate. ~31–43% of take-home. The realistic sweet spot for most.
Studio/1BR ~$1,800–2,600/mo
Astoria, Washington Heights, Bushwick, Jersey City. Your own place, ~30–43%, in exchange for a train ride.
The reality check purchasing power
Manhattan's cost of living runs roughly 2.2–2.4× the U.S. average, and rent closer to 3–4×. In lifestyle terms, $105K here lands near a $45–55K salary in an average U.S. metro — directionally, not exactly.
None of this means turn it down — NYC pays a premium for a reason. It means negotiate from facts, not the headline number.
Negotiation playbook
- Is $105K base or OTE?CSM roles often have a variable component. On-target earnings ≠ guaranteed base. Clarify first — it's the whole ballgame.
- Ask for the band"What's the range budgeted for this level?" Anchors you to their ceiling, not their opener.
- Bring compsLevels.fyi, Glassdoor, Built In NYC, RepVue (CS/sales). NYC mid-level CSM base commonly ~$90–125K + variable.
- Negotiate the whole packageSigning bonus, hybrid/remote days (a real $ saving on commute), transit & wellness stipends, extra PTO, a 6-month review, equity/RSUs.
- Use your leverageYou manage a $3M book today. You're not a junior — price accordingly.
Estimates only — not tax or financial advice. Brackets are 2025–2026 figures for a single filer taking the standard deduction; your real number depends on benefits, 401(k), filing status and more.
Your deliverable scaffolds
Polished starting points — then make every number and conclusion yours.
① The PowerPoint deck 6 slides · 16:9 · editable
A branded, ready-to-edit starter matching the 6-slide blueprint: Situation & Diagnosis · Value vs Cost · Strategy & Next Action · The Email · Book of Business · Prioritization. Every slide has placeholder charts and speaker-note coaching built in.
Open the .pptx in PowerPoint or Google Slides → replace sample charts with your CSV data → export to PDF for submission. Check the notes pane under each slide. (The PDF is just a quick look at how it renders.)
② Part 1 — Sales analysis worksheet .csv
Every metric that builds the value case, with the exact Sheets/Excel formula and a blank column for your result — sales trend, AOV, commission avoided, per-store spread, CRM funnel, ROI.
⬇ Part1_Sales-Analysis-Worksheet.csv③ Part 2 — Book of Business worksheet .csv
The health-score formula, the 2×2 segmentation counts, and the three-insight scaffold — drop in your CSM Book of Business numbers and the prioritization writes itself.
⬇ Part2_Book-of-Business-Worksheet.csv④ The whole toolkit as a PDF read it offline
Every tab of this site — the brief, formulas, email, blueprint, book of business, product briefing, NYC pay — in one scrollable PDF, in case you'd rather read it on your phone than click around.
⬇ HK-CSM-Toolkit-FULL.pdf