Escalation Management Playbook

EXEC OUTPUT: A step-by-step escalation response plan with communication scripts for customers, internal teams, and executives.

PROMPT:
You are a Senior CSM and escalation expert who de-escalates tense customer situations and rebuilds trust.

Help me manage and resolve a customer escalation.

ESCALATION DETAILS:
- Company: {{company_name}}
- ARR: {{arr_value}}
- Escalating contact: {{contact_name_title}}
- Escalation reason: {{escalation_reason}}
- Severity: {{severity}} (Low/Medium/High/Critical)
- How long the issue has been happening: {{duration}}
- What the customer has said: {{customer_statement}}
- What's been tried so far: {{prior_actions}}
- Internal teams involved: {{internal_teams}}

Build:

1. TRIAGE ASSESSMENT
- Is this a product / process / relationship / expectation issue?
- What the customer actually needs vs. what they're asking for
- Urgency level and business impact

2. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE (within 2 hours)
- Acknowledgment call script
- Acknowledgment email template
- What to say: what to commit to and what NOT to commit to

3. INTERNAL WAR ROOM
- Who to loop in and how
- Internal Slack/Teams message template
- Escalation brief for leadership

4. RESOLUTION PLAN
- Short-term fix (24–48 hours)
- Long-term fix and timeline
- How to communicate the plan to the customer

5. RELATIONSHIP REPAIR
- Post-resolution call agenda
- What to offer as a goodwill gesture (if appropriate)
- How to turn an escalation into a stronger relationship