Escalation
The agreed path for raising a problem - a missed deadline, a complaint, a blocker - to someone with the authority to resolve it.
For example, an SLA defines that an unresolved urgent issue escalates from the account manager to a director within a day. The client knows problems will not get stuck, and the team knows exactly when and to whom to raise them.
Why it matters to your firm: a clear escalation path stops problems from festering quietly until they become a lost client. Defining who handles what, and when an issue moves up, is part of good account management and SLAs - it builds client trust that things will not fall through the cracks.
agency partner
account director
project lead
team member
issues escalate upward, from the team toward the partner
What an escalation path defines
- What triggers an escalation
- Who it goes to, in order
- The response time expected
- How it is tracked
- When it is considered resolved
Common mistakes
- No defined path, so issues stall or explode.
- Escalating far too early, or far too late.
- No owner, so escalations fall between people.