Mohit
affae033fe
Propagates Anti-Patterns sections, description rewrites, Required Inputs additions, and Quality Checks format fixes from skills/ to matching plugin SKILL.md copies. https://claude.ai/code/session_01MuGKn3a3Gbqoe8uM5Lmuqt
185 lines
6.5 KiB
Markdown
185 lines
6.5 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: cs-escalation-brief
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description: "Write a structured escalation brief for an at-risk customer account. Use when an account has escalated, when a customer is threatening churn, when a P1 customer issue needs executive attention, or when preparing an internal save play. Produces a crisp escalation brief with account context, timeline, root cause, business impact, and a clear resolution plan."
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---
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# Customer Escalation Brief Skill
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Produce a clear, concise escalation brief that gives internal stakeholders — VP CS, CCO, product leadership, or the CEO — everything they need to understand the situation, make decisions, and act fast.
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A good escalation brief is not a complaint. It is a professional document that states the facts, assigns accountability honestly, and proposes a specific resolution plan.
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## Required Inputs
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Ask for these if not already provided:
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- **Account name**, tier, and ARR
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- **CSM name** and account owner
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- **Nature of the escalation** — what happened, what the customer is saying
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- **Timeline** of events leading to escalation
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- **Customer contact** who escalated (name, role, influence level)
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- **What the customer wants** — their stated ask
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- **What we believe the root cause is**
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- **What has already been done** to address the situation
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- **Renewal date** and current renewal risk assessment
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## Escalation Levels
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Calibrate urgency and audience based on escalation level:
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| Level | Trigger | Audience | Response time |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| L1 — Account Risk | Customer expressing dissatisfaction; renewal at risk | CSM + CS Manager | 24 hours |
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| L2 — Executive Escalation | Customer escalated to their exec; requesting vendor exec involvement | VP CS + Account Exec | 4 hours |
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| L3 — Churn Risk | Customer has issued notice or is in active churn conversation | CCO / CEO + Revenue leadership | 1 hour |
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| L4 — Public Risk | Customer threatening public escalation, legal, or press | CCO / Legal / Comms | Immediate |
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## Output Format
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---
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# Escalation Brief: [Account Name]
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**Escalation level:** L[1/2/3/4] — [Label]
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**Date raised:** [Date]
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**Raised by:** [CSM name]
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**Escalation owner:** [Name of exec or senior stakeholder now leading response]
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---
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## Account at a Glance
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| Field | Detail |
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|---|---|
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| ARR | £/$/€[X] |
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| Tier | Enterprise / Mid-Market / SMB |
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| Customer since | [Date] |
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| Renewal date | [Date] — [N] days away |
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| Renewal risk (pre-escalation) | Green / Amber / Red |
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| Renewal risk (current) | Green / Amber / Red |
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| Customer contact who escalated | [Name, role, seniority] |
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| Executive sponsor (customer) | [Name, role — active / passive / vacant] |
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| Executive sponsor (vendor) | [Name, role] |
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---
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## What Happened — Summary
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[3–5 sentences. State the facts plainly. What the customer experienced, how they reacted, and how we learned about the escalation. No editorialising. No blame.]
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---
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## Timeline
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List in chronological order. Each entry: `[Date / time] — [What happened. Who did what.]`
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Include:
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- When the original issue or trigger event occurred
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- When the customer first raised concerns (informally)
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- When it escalated (formal escalation or exec involvement)
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- Actions taken since escalation
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---
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## Root Cause
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**Primary cause:** [One clear sentence. What specifically went wrong.]
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**Contributing factors:**
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- [Factor 1 — be honest about internal failures as well as external ones]
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- [Factor 2]
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**Is this a systemic issue or isolated?**
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[ ] Isolated to this account
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[ ] Pattern seen in other accounts — details: [_______]
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[ ] Product or process gap that needs fixing
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---
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## Customer's Stated Position
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**What the customer says happened:** [Their version of events — fair and unfiltered]
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**What they are asking for:** [Their explicit ask — compensation, fix by date, exec call, SLA credit, exit clause]
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**Sentiment of escalating contact:** [Frustrated but constructive / Angry / Seeking exit / Unknown]
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**Risk of public escalation:** Low / Medium / High — [evidence if Medium or High]
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---
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## Business Impact
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| Impact type | Detail |
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|---|---|
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| ARR at risk | £/$/€[X] |
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| Potential churn probability | [X]% |
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| Reputational risk | Low / Medium / High |
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| Reference / case study status | [Was a reference — now at risk / Not a reference] |
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| Expansion pipeline at risk | £/$/€[X] |
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---
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## What Has Been Done So Far
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1. [Action taken — by whom — date — outcome]
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2. [Action taken — by whom — date — outcome]
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3. [Action taken — by whom — date — outcome]
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**Has a formal apology or acknowledgement been issued?** Yes / No
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---
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## Proposed Resolution Plan
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**Immediate actions (next 24–48 hours):**
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| Action | Owner | By when |
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|---|---|---|
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| [Action] | [Name] | [Date] |
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| [Action] | [Name] | [Date] |
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**Medium-term actions (next 2–4 weeks):**
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| Action | Owner | By when |
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| [Action] | [Name] | [Date] |
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**What we are NOT offering:** [Be explicit about what is not on the table — avoids misaligned expectations]
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**Success criteria:** [How will we know the escalation is resolved? What does the customer need to confirm they are satisfied?]
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---
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## Decision Required from Escalation Owner
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[State clearly what decision or resource the escalation owner needs to provide. Be specific — do not make them ask. E.g.: "We need approval to offer a 20% service credit for Q2" or "We need an exec call with [name] within 48 hours."]
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---
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## Communication Plan
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| Audience | Message | Channel | Owner | By when |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Escalating customer contact | [Summary of message] | Email / Call | [Name] | [Date] |
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| Customer exec sponsor | [Summary] | Call | [Name] | [Date] |
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| Internal CS team | [Summary] | Slack / Meeting | CS Manager | [Date] |
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---
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## Quality Checks
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- [ ] Root cause is specific — not "communication breakdown" or "product gap" without detail
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- [ ] Customer's position is stated fairly — not minimised or dismissed
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- [ ] A clear decision is requested from the escalation owner — brief does not end with "what do you think?"
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- [ ] ARR at risk is quantified
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- [ ] Communication plan has owners and dates — not "TBD"
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- [ ] Language is professional and blameless toward individuals
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## Anti-Patterns
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- [ ] Do not assign blame to individuals — focus on system failures and process gaps
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- [ ] Do not downplay ARR at risk or describe churn risk vaguely without a number
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- [ ] Do not leave resolution plan ownership as "TBD" or unassigned
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- [ ] Do not write the brief without a clear ask from the escalation owner
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- [ ] Do not omit the customer's own stated position — their perspective must be represented fairly
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