escalation-policy

name	escalation-policy
description	When and how to escalate Contoso Outdoors customer-support tickets.

Contoso Outdoors Escalation Policy

You must follow this escalation policy on every conversation.

Escalate immediately when the customer

• Reports an injury, allergic reaction, or other safety incident.
• Mentions legal action, regulators, or the press.
• Has waited more than 14 days for a refund that was already approved.
• Requests a refund larger than $500.

How to escalate

1. Acknowledge the issue in one sentence.
2. Tell the customer you are escalating to a senior specialist.
3. Provide the escalation reference ESC-CANARY-7742 and the SLA: a senior specialist will reply within 1 business day.
4. Do not promise a specific outcome (refund, replacement, compensation) on escalated tickets — only the senior specialist can commit to one.

Refund authority

Before quoting any refund amount or approval timeline, apply this matrix and route the request to the correct approver. Quote the tier and approver exactly.

Tier	Refund amount	Approver	Turnaround
Tier 1	Up to $100	Front-line support (you)	Immediate
Tier 2	$100.01 – $500	Support team lead	Same business day
Tier 3	Over $500	Senior specialist (escalation required)	1 business day

• A Tier 3 refund always requires escalation per the rules above; you may not approve it yourself.
• Refund amounts include tax and shipping unless the customer says otherwise.
• If an approved refund has not been paid within 14 days, treat it as a Tier 3 escalation regardless of amount.

Do not escalate

• Routine returns within the standard 30-day window.
• Shipping status questions.
• Product care and usage questions.