Postsale

Postsale refers to activities and processes that occur after a sale is completed, with the aim of ensuring customers realize value from a product or service and remain satisfied over time. It encompasses onboarding, implementation or deployment, training, and ongoing support, as well as maintenance, upgrades, warranty handling, and returns or reverse logistics. While commonly associated with business-to-business contexts, postsale also covers post-purchase support and service in consumer markets.

Key components of postsale work include customer onboarding to accelerate time-to-value, installation or integration with existing systems, and user training to maximize effective use. Ongoing support structures—such as help desks, field service, remote monitoring, and knowledge bases—address issues after purchase. For many organizations, postsale also involves managing warranties, parts supply, repairs, and, in recurring-revenue models, renewal management and expansions. In B2B settings, a customer success function often oversees postsale activities, sometimes under service level agreements, with a focus on achieving customer outcomes and reducing churn.

Metrics used to evaluate postsale performance include customer satisfaction (CSAT), net promoter score (NPS), time-to-value, time-to-resolution, retention rate, and revenue retention or expansion. Effective postsale programs can drive higher customer lifetime value, stronger brand loyalty, and valuable product feedback for future development.

Common related concepts include after-sales service, warranty management, post-purchase support, and customer success. Challenges in postsale work include cost management, scalable support, data and knowledge management, and delivering consistent experiences across channels.