Escalation Process:

First Contact
A Customer Service Representative (CSR) is empowered to resolve complex issues and first level complaints and make fair and reasonable customer service decisions.

Escalation to a CSM
If a CSR is not able resolve a complaint it can be escalated to a Customer Service Manager (CSM) or an appropriate alternative member of staff if a CSM is not available. The CSM will review the dispute and respond to the complainant and attempt to resolve the complaint to the customer’s satisfaction. If a CSM is unable to resolve the complaint to the customer’s satisfaction, the complaint will be referred to the Solutions team who will be in contact within 2 working days.

Referred to Solutions team
If a CSM is not able resolve a complaint it will be referred to the Solutions team. The Solutions team will review the dispute and respond to the complainant and attempt to resolve the complaint to the customer’s satisfaction. In the rare situation that the Solutions team is unable to resolve the complaint to the customer’s satisfaction, the Solutions team will discuss further avenues outside of the complaint escalation process.

When and how do I escalate a support request?
You can escalate a support request at any time either by speaking directly with the technician assigned or by requesting to speak with a Duty Manager/Regional Escalation Manager.
The escalation process is especially appropriate in the following situations:

• Your production system goes down during an upgrade or other implementation
• You are dissatisfied with the responsiveness to or resolution of a support request

What steps do I take to escalate?
First, please review the details of your support request and verify the following facts:

• Is the problem statement correct?
• Does the support request accurately describe the business impact?
• If there is a workaround, is it impractical or inappropriate?
• Is there a critical milestone date identified in the support request?

What steps do I take to escalate?
First, please review the details of your support request and verify the following facts:

• Is the problem statement correct?
• Does the support request accurately describe the business impact?
• If there is a workaround, is it impractical or inappropriate?
• Is there a critical milestone date identified in the support request?

What happens once I request an escalation?
Once an escalation request has been made, the appropriate Regional Escalation Manager will evaluate the situation and determine the appropriate resources to assign and/or process correction to make.
An Escalation Engineer specializing in the type of situation being experienced will be assigned as the primary point of contact for the issue and will coordinate with all parties involved to ensure an expedited resolution. The Escalation Engineer will set up a conference call with the appropriate parties to begin outlining the action plan and troubleshooting the situation. The Regional Escalation Manager is made aware of all escalations and their current status on a daily basis. The Regional Escalation Manager will work with the primary Escalation Engineers to ensure that the appropriate resources, communication and action plans are in place to expedite resolution.

How do I de-escalate a support request?
Once the support request is back on track and making acceptable progress toward resolution, it can be de-escalated. Before the support request is de-escalated, the Escalation Engineer will complete the following tasks:

• Confirm that the action plan is acceptable
• Ensure that the troubleshooting or root cause analysis process is on track
• Document in the support request your agreement to de-escalate the service request.

Standard Escalation Process:

What can I do if I don’t feel progress is being made with an escalation?
If you are concerned with the current state of an escalation or the situation has digressed, please inform your assigned Escalation Engineer, Duty Manager or Regional Escalation Manager immediately. The Escalation Engineer will immediately inform the management team and the Regional and/or Global Escalation Manager will conduct a conference call with the required parties. If necessary, additional resources will be applied to the situation to determine what is required to resolve the situation.
How often can I expect updates on an escalation?

As the escalation is initiated, the assigned Escalation Engineer will work with you to determine a communication plan that fits your needs. Agreements will be made on communication mode (email, phone call, and conference call), frequency, and required attendees for all updates. If required, the Regional and Global Escalation Program Managers will attend any scheduled conference calls to ensure satisfaction with the current progress.