How do you decide when to escalate a customer complaint?

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Dealing with customer complaints is a challenging but essential skill for any phone-based service provider. You want to resolve issues quickly and effectively, but sometimes you may need to escalate a complaint to a higher authority or a different department. How do you decide when to do that? Here are some tips to help you make the right call.

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Assess the severity:

When a customer's complaint indicates a serious issue, such as safety concerns or repeated problems, it’s time to escalate. This helps ensure that critical issues are addressed with the appropriate level of urgency and expertise.
Ask open-ended questions:

Engaging customers with open-ended questions can unveil deeper issues, providing clarity on whether a complaint should be escalated. It shows you're listening and values their input, leading to better solutions.

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1 Listen and empathize

The first step is to listen carefully and empathize with the customer. Acknowledge their frustration, apologize for any inconvenience, and show that you care about their situation. Try to understand their problem, ask relevant questions, and repeat back what they said to confirm. This can help you build rapport, reduce tension, and identify the root cause of the complaint.

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Kaara A.

IT Systems Analyst
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Ask open ended question to understand the customer's perspective. This will help you and your company in the development of better processes and products that center around your customer and not you.

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Mel E.

U.S. Navy Vet | Business Administration & Digital Media/Web Technology, B.S.
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It is also important to be genuine. When expressing empathy, care, and/or concern, it helps to put yourself in their place. How would you feel if you experienced what they've experienced? So, when listening, remove yourself from the equation (temporarily) and just really hear the customer. You might find that the most important part of the solution for the customer is to simply be heard.

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2 Assess the severity

The next step is to assess the severity of the complaint and the impact on the customer. Is it a minor issue that can be fixed easily, or a major one that requires urgent attention? Is it a one-time occurrence, or a recurring pattern? Is it affecting the customer's safety, satisfaction, or loyalty? The more severe the complaint, the more likely you need to escalate it.

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3 Follow the protocol

The third step is to follow the protocol of your organization or department. There may be specific guidelines or policies that dictate when and how to escalate a complaint. For example, you may need to escalate a complaint if it involves a legal matter, a technical error, a refund request, or a dissatisfied VIP customer. You may also need to follow a certain procedure to document, transfer, or follow up on the complaint.

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Kaara A.

IT Systems Analyst
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Guidelines vs policy, know the differences. Company policies are difficult to change and must go through a formal process. Guidelines are usually on a department level and can be easily revised. Does your company have established guidelines for different processed? If not, get some!

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4 Offer a solution

The fourth step is to offer a solution to the customer. If you can resolve the complaint yourself, explain what you can do and how long it will take. If you need to escalate the complaint, explain why and how you will do that. Assure the customer that you will transfer them to someone who can help them better, or that you will contact them back as soon as possible. Thank the customer for their patience and cooperation.

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5 Escalate with care

The fifth step is to escalate the complaint with care. If you need to transfer the customer to another agent or department, introduce them briefly and summarize the issue. If you need to contact a supervisor or manager, explain the situation and ask for their advice or approval. If you need to follow up with the customer later, set a clear expectation and keep your promise. Always be polite, respectful, and professional when escalating a complaint.

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6 Learn and improve

The final step is to learn and improve from the experience. After escalating a complaint, reflect on what went well and what could be improved. Seek feedback from your supervisor, manager, or colleague. Identify any gaps in your knowledge, skills, or resources. Look for opportunities to enhance your phone etiquette, problem-solving, and customer service abilities.

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Emily Klimek

Member Service at its best! I am a trusted resource for encouragement and solutions!
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One thing I always do after a call like this is to take a brief break. Assess how I was triggered and how to handle that better next time. For example I had an escalation that went south all because I was triggered by her not believing my answer. Knowing that this is a trigger for me helps on all my calls. I remind myself it’s the information they don’t believe not me personally and see what else I need to feel calm. Escalations are never fun but you can use them to your benefit to learn something about yourself, your knowledge base, and mental acuity.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Sarah Male

People Enthusiast | Advocate | Administrator | Mentor | Social Work | Photography
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I’ve found it helpful to have a co-worker talk to a parent who may be on a satisfied or upset at a teacher as an example. I have suggested many times to the parent or aunt student to talk to my coworker.

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How do you decide when to escalate a customer complaint?

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1 Listen and empathize

2 Assess the severity

3 Follow the protocol

4 Offer a solution

5 Escalate with care

6 Learn and improve

7 Here’s what else to consider

Phone Etiquette

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