Capability template for customer success and account management

Renewal risk review

Once a month, the account manager sees every contract coming up for renewal on one page: the dates that matter, the warning signs your organization watches for, which accounts are at risk, and the next step for each with an owner and a date. A person decides and makes every contact.

The outcome

No renewal arrives as a surprise. Every contract ending in the next four months sits on one page, sorted by the date that matters most: the last day the customer can give notice, or the contract end when there is no notice date. Each account carries a start-by date, so a conversation that should have opened last month shows up as late instead of quietly slipping.

Each account gets one of three verdicts, at risk, watch or steady, and every verdict shows the evidence behind it. The warning signs are your own: the ones your team has learned to take seriously, such as a customer who has gone quiet, a new decision-maker or an open complaint. Each at-risk account leaves the page with its next steps, each owned by one person and due on a date.

The account manager and their lead still run every renewal. The AI assistant prepares the page; it contacts no customer, changes no record and sets no price.

Who starts the work, and when

The account manager, the head of customer success or the owner of a smaller company runs it once a month, usually in the first week, from that day's export of the contract list. The head of customer success, or whoever leads the accounts, reviews the page and agrees the next steps with each account owner before anyone acts on them.

What they supply

The contract list, exported from the CRM, the billing system or a spreadsheet: each account, its owner, the contract end, the notice date, how it renews, its annual value, and the fields your team uses for warning signs, such as last contact and open issues.
Your warning signs and next steps. Which signs count, how they turn into a verdict, and the usual next step for each. A starter set is included for teams that have not written theirs down yet, and the page says when it was used.
Account owners' notes, where they have them: something a customer said, a budget review, a new contact.
Last month's review, so the page shows what moved and which next steps were never reported done.
The settings: the run date, how far ahead to look, and how many days before the deadline a renewal conversation should start.

What comes out

One page in a fixed order. At the top, the totals: how many accounts renew in the window and the annual value at risk, on watch and steady. Then the at-risk accounts, each with its dates, its warning signs and the evidence for each, and its next steps. Then the accounts on watch, the steady ones, and a calendar of every deadline in date order.

After the calendar come the expansion signs for each owner to consider, the gaps in the contract list written as questions for whoever keeps it, and what changed since last month. A blank field is shown as unknown, never treated as good news.

An invented example

Illustrative example with invented data. The company, its customers, the people, the dates and the amounts below are all invented. The company is an invented 35-person business that sells scheduling software to trade contractors on yearly subscriptions. Its account team is a head of customer success and two account managers; an operations coordinator keeps the contract list. First come the inputs the head of customer success supplied, in full, then the page the capability returned.

The inputs

1. Settings

Run date: Monday 2 November 2026
Window: 120 days
Lead time: start the renewal conversation 60 days before the deadline
Response times: at risk 7 days, watch 10 days
Reviewer: Head of customer success
Keeps the contract list: Operations coordinator
Contract questions: Operations director
Closes customer issues: Support lead
Column mapping: none (our export uses the default headers)

2. Our warning signs, verdict rule and next steps

Warning signs
Quiet               raises risk (light)  No two-way contact for 45 days
                                         or more (Last contact)
New decision-maker  raises risk (heavy)  Contact change = yes
Open tickets        raises risk (light)  Open issues of 1 or more
Usage down          raises risk (light)  Usage trend = down
Price pressure      raises risk (heavy)  A note says the customer is
                                         comparing prices, cutting its
                                         software budget or talking to
                                         a competitor
Expansion talk      expansion            Expansion talks = yes
Auto-renews         context              Renews = auto

Verdict
At risk: a heavy sign together with any other risk sign; three or
  more light signs; any risk sign once the start-by date has passed;
  or the customer has given notice.
Watch: any one risk sign; or the start-by date has passed and no
  renewal has been opened.
Steady: everything else. Auto-renews never lowers a verdict.

Next steps
Quiet: account owner phones the main contact.
New decision-maker: account owner arranges an introduction meeting
  with the new decision-maker.
Open tickets: support lead resolves the open tickets and tells the
  account owner when they are closed.
Usage down: account owner runs a usage check-in with the customer's
  main users.
Price pressure: account owner prepares the renewal case with the head
  of customer success before price is discussed.
Any account at risk: head of customer success calls the customer's
  senior contact.
Start-by passed and no renewal opened: account owner books the
  renewal meeting.

3. Contract list (exported from the CRM on 2 November 2026)

Account,Account owner,Contract end,Notice by,Renews,Annual value,Last contact,Open issues,Contact change,Usage trend,Expansion talks,Renewal opened
Customer A,Account manager 1,2026-12-31,2026-11-30,auto,18000,2026-09-08,2,yes,down,no,no
Customer B,Account manager 2,2027-01-31,,signature,42000,2026-10-27,0,no,up,yes,yes
Customer C,Account manager 1,2027-02-28,2027-01-29,auto,9600,2026-10-30,1,no,flat,no,no
Customer D,Account manager 2,2026-12-15,,signature,27500,2026-10-12,0,yes,flat,no,yes
Customer E,Account manager 1,2027-03-31,,signature,15000,2026-10-19,0,no,flat,no,no
Customer F,Account manager 2,2027-01-15,2027-01-31,auto,,2026-10-21,0,no,flat,no,no
Customer G,Head of customer success,2027-02-10,2026-12-11,auto,64000,2026-10-29,0,no,down,yes,no
Customer H,Account manager 1,2027-02-20,,signature,12000,2026-08-31,0,no,flat,no,no

4. Account owners' notes

2026-10-14, Account manager 1, Customer A: A new operations manager
  started in September and now signs off on software. I have not met
  them yet. The two sync problems with the mobile app are still open.
2026-10-20, Account manager 2, Customer D: Their finance director says
  they are reviewing all software spend for next year and want to see
  our price against two alternatives.
2026-10-29, Head of customer success, Customer G: They asked about
  adding the inventory module for their second depot. Logins have
  dropped since their busy season ended.
2026-10-30, Account manager 2, Customer F: Their office manager asked
  us to change the contract end to 31 January so it matches their
  notice date.

5. Last month's review (run 1 October 2026, window to 29 January 2027)

Customer A: watch. Next step: Account manager 1 phones the main
  contact, due 15 October 2026. Reported done: no.
Customer C: steady.
Customer D: steady.
Customer F: steady.
Customer G: steady.

The output

RENEWAL RISK REVIEW: November 2026

For: Head of customer success. Run date 2 November 2026. Window: 2 November 2026 to 2 March 2027 (120 days). Lead time: 60 days.
Sources: contract list, export of 2 November 2026, 8 rows; warning signs: your organization's; owners' notes; last month's review, run 1 October 2026.
Not supplied: nothing.
In the window: 7 accounts, 173,100; 1 without a value. At risk 3, 109,500. Watch 2, 21,600. Steady 2, 42,000. Outside the window: Customer E.

AT RISK: 3

Customer A. Owner: Account manager 1. Contract end 31 December 2026. Notice by 30 November 2026. Renews automatically. Annual value 18,000. Deadline 30 November 2026; start by 1 October 2026, passed.

Signs: New decision-maker: Contact change is yes; a new operations manager now signs off on software (Account manager 1, note of 14 October). Quiet: last contact 8 September 2026, 55 days before the run date (Last contact). Open tickets: 2 open issues (Open issues); the note of 14 October says the two mobile app sync problems are still open. Usage down: Usage trend is down. Context: Auto-renews. Unknown: none.
Next steps: 6.
1. Account manager 1 phones the main contact. Owner: Account manager 1. Due: 9 November 2026. (Quiet; also carried from last month)
2. Account manager 1 arranges an introduction meeting with the new operations manager. Owner: Account manager 1. Due: 9 November 2026. (New decision-maker)
3. The support lead resolves the two open tickets and tells Account manager 1 when they are closed. Owner: Support lead. Due: 9 November 2026. (Open tickets)
4. Account manager 1 runs a usage check-in with Customer A's main users. Owner: Account manager 1. Due: 9 November 2026. (Usage down)
5. The head of customer success calls Customer A's senior contact. Owner: Head of customer success. Due: 9 November 2026. (At risk)
6. Account manager 1 books the renewal meeting. Owner: Account manager 1. Due: 9 November 2026. (Start-by passed, no renewal opened)

Customer G. Owner: Head of customer success. Contract end 10 February 2027. Notice by 11 December 2026. Renews automatically. Annual value 64,000. Deadline 11 December 2026; start by 12 October 2026, passed.

Signs: Usage down: Usage trend is down; logins have dropped since the busy season ended (Head of customer success, note of 29 October). One risk sign with the start-by date passed makes it at risk. Context: Auto-renews. Unknown: none.
Next steps: 3. The owner is also the reviewer, so every step stays with the head of customer success.
1. The head of customer success runs a usage check-in with Customer G's main users. Owner: Head of customer success. Due: 9 November 2026. (Usage down)
2. The head of customer success calls Customer G's senior contact. Owner: Head of customer success. Due: 9 November 2026. (At risk)
3. The head of customer success books the renewal meeting. Owner: Head of customer success. Due: 9 November 2026. (Start-by passed, no renewal opened)

Customer D. Owner: Account manager 2. Contract end 15 December 2026. Notice by none. Renews on signature. Annual value 27,500. Deadline 15 December 2026; start by 16 October 2026, passed.

Signs: New decision-maker: Contact change is yes. Price pressure: the customer's finance director is reviewing all software spend for next year and wants to see the price against two alternatives (Account manager 2, note of 20 October). Context: none. Unknown: none.
Next steps: 3.
1. Account manager 2 arranges an introduction meeting with the new decision-maker. Owner: Account manager 2. Due: 9 November 2026. (New decision-maker)
2. Account manager 2 prepares the renewal case with the head of customer success before price is discussed. Owner: Account manager 2. Due: 9 November 2026. (Price pressure)
3. The head of customer success calls Customer D's senior contact. Owner: Head of customer success. Due: 9 November 2026. (At risk)

WATCH: 2

Customer C. Owner: Account manager 1. Contract end 28 February 2027. Notice by 29 January 2027. Renews automatically. Annual value 9,600. Deadline 29 January 2027; start by 30 November 2026.

Signs: Open tickets: 1 open issue (Open issues). Context: Auto-renews. Unknown: none.
Next steps: 1.
1. The support lead resolves the open ticket and tells Account manager 1 when it is closed. Owner: Support lead. Due: 12 November 2026. (Open tickets)

Customer H. Owner: Account manager 1. Contract end 20 February 2027. Notice by none. Renews on signature. Annual value 12,000. Deadline 20 February 2027; start by 22 December 2026.

Signs: Quiet: last contact 31 August 2026, 63 days before the run date (Last contact). Context: none. Unknown: none.
Next steps: 1.
1. Account manager 1 phones the main contact. Owner: Account manager 1. Due: 12 November 2026. (Quiet)

STEADY: 2

Customer F. Owner: Account manager 2. Deadline 15 January 2027; start by 16 November 2026. Annual value not stated. Context: Auto-renews. Unknown: none.
Customer B. Owner: Account manager 2. Deadline 31 January 2027; start by 2 December 2026. Annual value 42,000. Context: none. Unknown: none.

CALENDAR

30 November 2026: Customer A, at risk, 18,000, start by 1 October 2026, passed.
11 December 2026: Customer G, at risk, 64,000, start by 12 October 2026, passed.
15 December 2026: Customer D, at risk, 27,500, start by 16 October 2026, passed.
15 January 2027: Customer F, steady, not stated, start by 16 November 2026. See record gaps.
29 January 2027: Customer C, watch, 9,600, start by 30 November 2026.
31 January 2027: Customer B, steady, 42,000, start by 2 December 2026.
20 February 2027: Customer H, watch, 12,000, start by 22 December 2026.

EXPANSION SIGNS: 2

Customer G, at risk: Expansion talks is yes; the customer asked about adding the inventory module for its second depot (note of 29 October). For the head of customer success to consider. At risk: the owner decides whether to raise it before the renewal is settled.
Customer B, steady: Expansion talks is yes. For Account manager 2 to consider.

RECORD GAPS: 2

Customer F: the notice date, 31 January 2027, falls after the contract end, 15 January 2027. Used: the contract end as the deadline. Question for the operations coordinator: which dates does the signed contract give? A note of 30 October from Account manager 2 says the customer asked to move the contract end to 31 January; it is under Notes to check and was not used to settle the dates.
Customer F: the annual value is blank. Used: not stated, and left out of the value totals. Question for the operations coordinator: what is Customer F's annual value?

SINCE LAST MONTH

Changed: Customer A, watch to at risk. Customer C, steady to watch. Customer D, steady to at risk. Customer G, steady to at risk.
New in the window: Customer B, Customer H. Left the window or the list: none.
Carried: Account manager 1 phones Customer A's main contact, Account manager 1, due 15 October 2026, not reported done.

NOTES TO CHECK: "Their office manager asked us to change the contract end to 31 January so it matches their notice date." (Account manager 2, note on Customer F, 30 October 2026.) Not acted on; the review uses the contract end on the list.

Prepared for the head of customer success. Nothing has been sent, no customer has been contacted and no record has been changed.

Where it fits

Customer success and account management, which owns the renewal and the relationship behind it.
Sales, where account managers carry renewals alongside new business.
Software technology, where subscriptions renew every year and many renew automatically.
Professional services, where retainers and service agreements come up on fixed dates.
Marketing and advertising, where an agency's retainers are its revenue and a quiet client is the first warning.
Established businesses, where renewals have run on one person's memory and a calendar reminder.

What has to change for your company

Write down your warning signs: which fields show them, and how many it takes to call an account at risk. Name the usual next step for each sign and who owns it. Set how far ahead to look, and how many days before the notice date a renewal conversation should start. Match the column names in your export to the ones the template expects, once. Name who reviews the page and who keeps the contract list. It runs in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini from the files you supply; it needs no connection to your CRM.

What has been checked

Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template. It was editorially reviewed on 9 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example on 9 November 2026 in two runs and a shorter check of its starter warning signs: the instructions were revised after the first run, and the record of the second, a blind run, is published with it. Its verdicts, dates, next steps and totals matched the example, with small departures from the page layout that the record lists. The instructions were tightened after that run, and the record says how. It has not yet been tested in a client environment. It has not yet been tested as a packaged version in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini.

Testing in your environment means running it on two or three past months whose renewals your team already knows the outcome of, plus hard cases written in advance: a notice date after the contract end, a blank warning-sign field, a customer who has already given notice. The head of customer success checks every date and verdict against the contract list before anyone acts. Pilot acceptance-test preparation builds that test set, and what we test before we call an AI workflow ready describes the record we keep.

The full capability template

Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.

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