Sarah Zuidema is Customer Success Lead at Expansive. She joined the team in March 2024 and has been blazing trails in the business ever since. In this blog post, she explains why the CAFM industry’s approach to client services in the UK is ripe for change and why Expansive does things differently.
Hailing from Washington DC, Sarah brings with her a wealth of experience from the US start-up scene. She’s now transforming the experience of Expansive’s clients in their own digital transformations. Here are just a few of the lessons she’s learned along the way!
But at Expansive it’s a role that goes hand in hand with our whole approach as a business. We know CAFMs often go underused by the teams they are built to help. And we understand why.
Having someone there to provide one-on-one attention and support as the whole team gets to grips with its full potential is a big benefit for our customers.
But Expansive is different. Once a client is live, as Customer Success Lead, I’m there to ensure they receive all the support and guidance they need. My focus is on building lasting relationships and proactively driving our innovation as a business.
We’ll take that time to understand where they are and how Expansive is going to help them reach their strategic goals.
Not everybody is in the same place in their FM journey after all. Some are just starting out and want to get their help desk and reactive maintenance process sorted out. For others, it’s about ensuring they’re growing their digital capabilities.
But we show them it’s possible to start small and build over time.
Just recently, I helped one client implement their Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) strategy that had been stalling for months. With regular check-ins and step-by-step training, we automated their workflows and got them back on track. That’s what customer success is all about.
I use Expansive’s excellent reporting tools to identify issues and opportunities we can take steps to address.
So if I notice a drop in usage or a particular trend with a client’s account, I’ll reach out to address it right away. This helps Expansive identify potential problems early on.
Expansive is unique because we have so many customisable features. While we can help you figure out and implement best practice when it comes to compliance, you shouldn’t have to change the way you work to fit in with your software. Part of my job is helping meet our client’s unique needs with our unique tools.
That experience has been really valuable in my role here, because customer feedback continually informs our product development road map.
I’m constantly taking customer feedback and making recommendations for improvements and new features, which can be prioritised and actioned in future sprints.
I encourage clients to send me a million feedback requests rather than hold back on something even if they think it’s a silly idea.
It allows us to catch things we might not have noticed during development and continue to improve before release.
It’s just not that common in a lot of start-ups. I saw a great opportunity to help create strong customer relationships to make world-beating software - and I hope I’ve grasped it with both hands.
When I see their reporting and processes all working together, I know I’ve done my job right!
(Image above) Expansive team photo from recent outing to Flight Club Darts in London.