Interview With an Expert: Andrea B. Kvam, Head of Customer Success

Where would a company be without a dedicated team helping one of the most important parts of a business; its customers? Customer Success is a vital part of an organisation, building long-term relationships with clients and ensuring they get the best possible experience with a product or service. This team bridges the classic gap between Sales and the operational organisation. Customer Success works proactively to reduce the potential challenges that might occur further down the line in the customers life cycle.

Of course, such a vital department needs a capable and experienced leader, which is why we’re happy to speak to Andrea B. Kvam, Head of Customer Success at Two, the driving force behind our Customer Success team! Andrea has been at the heart of Two since the early days, making sure our merchants have the best possible customer journey with Two.

In this interview, get to know Andrea, her role at Two, and the unique journey that brought her here!

What is your role at Two? 

"My role at Two is to ensure we have a coherent customer journey with dedicated service individuals. Our Customer Success Managers work closely with our merchants to ensure an excellent experience from the very start and throughout their time here at Two. I believe that service isn’t simply an add on to the product; it’s what completes it. Any company worth its salt knows that taking care of the existing customers is key to unlocking future growth.

My department has two pillars: Onboarding and Merchant Success. We also work closely together with our Servicing organisation to ensure that we can address the repetitive challenges before they become a problem. At Two we believe that unlocking growth starts with the best service experience and we truly care about both our merchants and their buyers.

I’m really proud that we've been able to establish a truly cross-functional way of working. There is no one who’s above joining a merchant meeting to discuss solutions or picking up the phone to chat to a buyer."

How did you start your career in the payments industry ?

"Quite randomly actually. After my studies I happened to join the payment scale-up Bambora, and quickly realised that payments is fast paced, technology-driven and an industry that has a lot of history, as well as a bright future. The span in which you can develop is seemingly endless.

From my first introduction to the world of payments, I’ve been able to grow with the companies I’ve worked for, from a sales & service role to Nordic partner success and market support manager positions for Bambora, Ingenico and Wordline. Throughout my journey, I’ve gained experience within acquiring, E-commerce, in-store payments and, closest to my heart, service offerings and growth."

How did you start your journey at Two?

"I was actually approached by Two CEO and Co-Founder Andreas Mjelde. After our initial conversation, I did my research and was convinced that Two would become a company that drives innovation within a space that, until now, has been the forgotten big brother of consumer payments.

Two has always had global ambitions and since joining, we’ve launched in the Sweden and USA markets, announced a unique partnership with Allianz Trade and Santander, and now have more than 200 live merchants."

‍What's the most exciting part of leading our Customer Success team?

"We've established a Customer Service and Merchant Success department, primarily focused on helping our customers to increase their online B2B volume, simplify admin and unlock cashflow that allows the merchants to expand their business. Our approach is technology-driven but prioritises a human touch, which is incredibly exciting. Thanks to the nature of the industry, we also deal with cutting-edge technology that allows us to expand into new markets together with our merchants. 

I’m also delighted to see that we've become an attractive employer, which positively impacts the overall customer experience. Happy employees means happy customers, and this synergy contributes to our success!"

Can you share a standout Customer Success story from your time at Two so far?

"One of our most remarkable case studies is our collaboration with REKKI. We offered to help them build a product that tailored to their unique needs. In turn, this shaped a completely new product that benefited our entire customer portfolio."

How do you gather and use customer feedback to make Two’s products better?

"Voice of Customer is all you need! We’ve established a forum that allows all key stakeholders to systematically review customers feedback. Part of the forum is to present real cases that've been challenging to showcase the real voice of the customers. The output from the forum is product development and quick feedback to our customers on features that’s being released. The forum is open to everyone at Two, enabling a customer centric approach."

What's the biggest challenge when ensuring our customers' success and how do you tackle it?

"The primary challenge in ensuring Customer Success is catering to a diverse array of customer types. Our approach involves a comprehensive understanding right from the sales phase through to the adoption and retention phase. Ensuring efficient information flow and training are crucial in addressing customer needs and fostering strong relationships."

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If you had one piece of advice to give someone starting in Customer Success, what would it be?

"For newcomers in Customer Success, my advice would be to remain curious and open-minded! It’s important that you embrace honesty and transparency to build the best relationships. Ultimately, be yourself, seize opportunities, and have the courage to pursue them."