Bring customer intelligence directly into the AI tools your teams already use
Gainsight’s MCP connects your live customer intelligence from Staircase to tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini—so every answer, insight, and recommendation is grounded in real customer context.
How It Works
From question to customer intelligence in seconds.
A simple, secure flow that turns any prompt into customer-aware intelligence.
You ask
Start with a simple prompt in your AI assistant. Ask about meeting prep, account health, stakeholder alignment, or renewal risk.
AI connects to Staircase
Behind the scenes, your AI securely accesses Staircase to gather the customer context needed to answer your question.
Ready-to-use insight
Receive a structured, customer-aware response you can use immediately.
What is MCP?
Model Context Protocol
An open standard that lets AI assistants securely connect to business tools and data sources. Before MCP, AI only knew what you typed. With MCP, it can look things up.
Developed by Anthropic and adopted by OpenAI and Google — it's the universal adapter for AI tools. Staircase's MCP connector uses this standard to give your AI access to customer intelligence.
Fifteen proven ways teams use Staircase inside their AI tools.
Real workflows. Real impact.
Every workflow below reflects how customers are actually using Staircase today, drawn from 64,000+ real queries across 243 organizations.
Meeting Prep in 60 Seconds
Walk into every call prepared.
I have a meeting with [Account Name] tomorrow. Query Staircase for: - Current account health and sentiment - Recent concerns or risks mentioned - Recent wins or positive moments - Key stakeholder engagement Create a meeting prep brief with: - Top 3 things to know going in - Potential landmines to avoid - Suggested talking points
A structured one-page brief covering health snapshot, key risks, wins to reference, and suggested conversation flow.
QBR Outline Builder
Structure your QBR with evidence from the last quarter.
I'm preparing a QBR for [Account Name]. Query Staircase for the last quarter of activity and create a QBR outline covering: - Wins and milestones achieved - Challenges and how we addressed them - Upcoming priorities and success metrics - Expansion opportunities Include specific evidence where relevant.
A structured QBR outline with evidence from account communications — ready to drop into a slide deck.
Pre-Call Research for AEs
Self-serve account context — no CSM back-channel needed.
I'm an AE preparing for a call with [Account Name] about expanding their usage. Query Staircase for: - Current relationship health and satisfaction level - Recent product feedback or feature requests - Key stakeholders and what they've been discussing - Any expansion signals or growth indicators Create a pre-call cheat sheet with talking points.
A sales-ready cheat sheet with relationship context, recent feedback, and expansion angles.
Risk Escalation Workflow
Full risk context — fast — when a signal fires.
[Account Name] has been flagged as at-risk. Query Staircase for a deep risk assessment: - What specific risk signals are present? - When did the sentiment shift start? - What stakeholders are involved? - What actions have already been taken? - What do we need to do immediately?
A risk brief with timeline of how the situation developed and a recommended response plan.
Seamless Account Handoffs
Get full context on a new account without hours of digging.
I'm taking over [Account Name] from a colleague. Query Staircase for comprehensive account context and create an onboarding brief covering: - Key stakeholders and their relationships - Recent history (wins and challenges) - Current priorities and concerns - Red flags to watch - Recommended first 30-day actions
A structured onboarding brief capturing months of relationship context — who the key people are, what they care about, where the risks are.
New Hire Account Briefing Pack
An entire book of business understood in hours, not weeks.
I'm onboarding a new CSM who is taking over these accounts: [Account 1], [Account 2], [Account 3]. For each account, query Staircase and create a brief covering: - Account health and sentiment summary - Key stakeholders and their engagement - Top 3 things the new CSM needs to know - Current risks or concerns - Recommended first actions
A briefing pack for the entire portfolio — what used to take weeks of shadowing, delivered before Day 1.
Contextual Email Drafting
Personalized outreach grounded in real account context.
I need to re-engage [Stakeholder Name] at [Account Name] — we haven't connected in a while. Query Staircase for recent activity and context, then draft a personalized email that: - References something specific from recent communications - Acknowledges their priorities or challenges - Offers clear value for reconnecting - Sounds conversational, not salesy
A ready-to-send email grounded in real account context — not a template, but a message that shows you've been paying attention.
Weekly Portfolio Triage
Prioritized view of what needs attention this week.
What are the top concerns across my portfolio? For any accounts with risk signals, tell me: - What the signal is - How urgent it is - What I should do about it this week Prioritize by urgency.
A prioritized list of accounts needing attention, with specific context on why and recommended next actions — your weekly game plan in under a minute.
Executive Briefing on Any Account
On-demand account intelligence for leadership — no CSM required.
Summarize [Account Name]'s health, risks, and opportunities for an executive briefing. Include: - Health status and trend - Key wins from the last quarter - Active risks or concerns - Strategic opportunities - Recommended executive talking points
A one-page executive briefing with health trajectory, key risks, and strategic talking points — same quality as a CSM-prepared brief, available on demand.
Portfolio Health Report
Weekly health synthesis without the data assembly work.
Which accounts have churn risk indicators? Group them by severity and for each include: - The primary risk signal - How long the signal has been active - Recommended action - Renewal date if known
A structured risk report sorted by severity with specific signals and recommended actions — ready to share with leadership.
Renewal Risk Assessment
Walk into every renewal conversation confident and prepared.
Help me prepare for [Account Name]'s renewal conversation. Query Staircase for: - Relationship health summary and trend - Value delivered (wins and milestones) - Open concerns to address before renewal - Expansion opportunities - Risk factors (competitor mentions, budget concerns, stakeholder changes) Create a renewal prep document with talking points for each area.
A comprehensive renewal playbook with health trajectory, value narrative, risk mitigation plan, and expansion opportunities.
Value Documentation for Renewals
Evidence-backed value narrative for the renewal conversation.
Build a value narrative for [Account Name]'s renewal. Query Staircase for the past 12 months and find: - Specific wins or milestones the customer acknowledged - Positive feedback or quotes from stakeholders - Problems we helped them solve - Growth in their usage or engagement Format as a "Value Delivered" summary I can share with the customer.
An evidence-backed value narrative with specific wins, customer quotes, and outcomes for the renewal conversation.
Stakeholder Mapping
Know who matters, what they care about, and how engaged they are.
Who are the key stakeholders at [Account Name]? For each person, tell me: - Their role and influence level - Last engagement date - Recent topics they've discussed - Sentiment trend
A stakeholder intelligence brief showing who's active, who's gone quiet, and how to approach each person.
Competitive Intelligence Check
Surface competitor mentions before they become threats.
Has [Account Name] mentioned any competitors recently? If so, tell me: - Which competitor and in what context - Who brought it up and when - What their sentiment was - How I should respond
A competitive intelligence brief showing exactly who mentioned a competitor, why, and recommended counter-positioning.
Customer Feedback Summary
Customer signal without hours of manual research.
What are customers saying about [Topic/Feature]? Synthesize feedback patterns: - Common requests or complaints - Which accounts mentioned it - Overall sentiment - Specific quotes or evidence
A structured summary of what customers are saying, grounded in real communication data, including specific accounts, direct quotes, and sentiment trends.
Showing 6 of 16 use cases
Try These First
6 prompts to start with
Highest success rates from 64,000+ real queries. Copy and replace [Account Name] with your account.
Platform Setup
Connect in 5 Minutes
One-time setup, then just ask questions. Choose your AI tool below.
Staircase MCP works with any MCP-enabled AI tool. Below, we highlight setup instructions for a few common tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini, but you are not limited to those platforms. If your AI tool supports MCP, you can connect Staircase to it.
Open Claude Desktop Settings
Click Claude in the menu bar (macOS) or File (Windows) → Settings → Developer → Edit Config
Add Staircase MCP Configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"staircase-ai": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.staircase.ai/sse"]
}
}
} Save and Restart Claude Desktop
Save the file, then fully quit and relaunch Claude Desktop (just closing the window is not enough).
Authenticate
A browser window will open automatically. Sign in with your Google or Microsoft work account and grant permission.
Test the Connection
Ask Staircase: What topics are trending in customer conversations?
macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonWindows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json Open ChatGPT Settings
Click your profile icon (bottom left) → Settings → Connectors → Advanced → Toggle Developer Mode ON
Create Staircase Connector
Settings → Connectors → Create Connector (+)
Name: Staircase AI
URL: https://mcp.staircase.ai/mcp
Authenticate
Sign in with your Google or Microsoft work account when prompted. You should see a green "Connected" status.
Test the Connection
Use Staircase to find accounts with recent risk signals
/mcp endpoint, not /sse like Claude Desktop. Install Gemini CLI
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
Create config file at ~/.gemini/config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"staircase-ai": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.staircase.ai/sse"]
}
}
}
Authenticate with Google
gcloud auth login
Authenticate with Staircase
On first query, a browser opens. Sign in with your work Google or Microsoft account and grant permission.
Test the Connection
Query Staircase for trending customer topics
Security
Per-user authentication via Google or Microsoft. Your AI tool connects directly to Staircase — no third parties. Content visibility follows your existing Staircase RBAC settings.
Security DocumentationFor Admins
Enable MCP for your organization in Staircase settings:
Admin Config → Privacy/Security
→ Enable MCP Server Access
Power Up
Exploring Claude? Try these next.
If you’re experimenting with Claude like we are, here are a few powerful tools and templates to take things further. Install pre-built Skills or copy project templates to level up how you use MCP.
Claude Project Templates
Meeting Prep Specialist
Structured prep briefs for every customer call
You are a meeting preparation specialist with access to Staircase via MCP. ## Your Purpose Help users prepare for customer meetings by gathering relevant intelligence and creating actionable prep documents. ## Meeting Prep Framework For every meeting prep request, gather: 1. Account Health: Current sentiment, trends, overall health 2. Recent Activity: Last 30-90 days of notable communications 3. Risks & Concerns: Any flags, complaints, or warning signs 4. Wins & Positives: Recent successes to reference 5. Stakeholder Context: Who's in the meeting and their history ## Output Format Structure every prep brief as: ### Meeting Brief: [Account Name] **Health Snapshot** — 1-2 sentences on current state **Top 3 Things to Know** 1. Most important context 2. Second most important 3. Third most important **Potential Landmines** - Risk or sensitive topic to handle carefully **Talking Points** - Suggested topics based on context **Questions to Ask** - Thoughtful questions based on Staircase data
Portfolio Review
Weekly portfolio triage, risk detection, expansion signals
You are a portfolio management assistant with access to Staircase via MCP. ## Your Purpose Help customer success and account managers monitor their portfolio, identify priorities, and take proactive action. ## Key Workflows ### Weekly Portfolio Review 1. Identify accounts with risk signals 2. Highlight accounts with positive momentum 3. Flag accounts needing immediate attention 4. Suggest priority order for the week ### Risk Detection - Check for churn/cancellation mentions - Look for budget or pricing concerns - Identify competitor discussions - Note declining sentiment trends ## Output Preferences - Use tables for comparing multiple accounts - Bold the most critical items - Include recommended actions, not just observations - Keep it scannable for busy people
Renewal Specialist
Health assessment, value documentation, renewal conversation prep
You are a renewal preparation specialist with access to Staircase via MCP. ## Your Purpose Help users prepare for renewal conversations by assessing relationship health, identifying risks, and building compelling value narratives. ## Renewal Prep Framework ### Health Assessment - Overall sentiment trajectory - Engagement levels and trends - Champion/detractor identification ### Risk Analysis - Churn signals or explicit concerns - Competitor mentions or evaluations - Budget or economic concerns - Stakeholder changes ### Value Documentation - Wins and milestones achieved - Problems solved, outcomes delivered - Customer quotes and positive feedback ## Output Format Structure renewal preps as: ### Renewal Prep: [Account Name] **Relationship Health:** Good / Moderate / At Risk **Value Delivered** — Specific wins from Staircase data **Concerns to Address** — Each with suggested response **Recommended Approach** — Strategy for the renewal conversation
Customer Intelligence Assistant
Meeting prep, health checks, outreach, stakeholder research
You are a customer intelligence assistant with access to Staircase via MCP. ## Your Capabilities - Query Staircase for account health, sentiment, and activity - Find stakeholder information and engagement patterns - Identify risks, concerns, and opportunities across accounts - Create meeting prep documents, executive summaries, and outreach drafts ## How to Use Staircase When the user asks about customers, accounts, or stakeholders: 1. Query Staircase for relevant data 2. Synthesize the results into actionable insights 3. Provide evidence-backed recommendations ## Response Style - Be concise and actionable - Include specific evidence (account names, dates, quotes when available) - Prioritize by urgency or impact - Offer next steps, not just information ## Default Behaviors - When asked "prep me for [meeting]": Create a structured meeting brief - When asked about "account health": Provide 90-day health summary - When asked about "risks": Focus on churn signals, budget concerns, competitors - When asked to "draft an email": Make it conversational and evidence-based
Skills
Meeting Prep
Prep for customer meetings combining Staircase intelligence with calendar context.
Account Transition Brief
Onboarding brief generator for new CSMs inheriting accounts.
Executive Briefing
Multi-account executive summary creator for leadership and board prep.
Explore Staircase
Staircase helps teams uncover churn risk up to 3 months earlier and generate 95% accurate forecasts — automatically analyzing the emails, meetings, Slack messages, and customer interactions you already have.
No manual tagging. No guesswork. Just clear visibility into what’s actually happening in your accounts.
Curious what Staircase can uncover across your customer conversations? Learn more about Staircase’s capabilities or schedule a personalized demo to see it in action.