This document outlines the escalation procedure for a customer

Our Duty Support Consultant is the appropriate individual to receive notifications of customer issues and may be contacted by raising a call to our support centre on the number provided as part of you support contract.

Interaction with the Duty Consultant is the correct way to raise a support call and the preferred way for a customer to initiate the escalation process.

The Duty Consultant is responsible for and has access to all resources available in providing a resolution to a customer problem. A resolution in these circumstances may be a temporary one that gets the customer going again as soon as possible while a more permanent solution is identified.

If for any reason, a customer feels that the problem is not being given the appropriate attention or priority, the following escalation procedures should be followed.

Guidelines for an Escalation Issue

The Duty Consultant should be the first individual to receive all customer concerns and issues. They will review the scenario and will either provide information about the customers' concern or transfer the problem to the correct internal department. If after speaking with the Duty Consultant about a problem or concern, a customer does not feel that they have been given the urgency or priority deserved, the escalation process goes into effect.

Below are the steps a customer should follow to escalate an issue.

Escalation

Whether or not, the problem to be raised is to be escalated, it is important that all information requested by your support consultant be provided for their examination and that all (reasonable) actions they have requested be undertaken.

Your problem should be of Severity Level I or II and should have been raised for longer than prescribed for that severity level (see below). You will be dissatisfied that progress is actually being made.

To formally escalate the problem, the customer should call the support number and specify the message “HAC Escalation”, the customer name and a contact number for your call to be returned.

Severity Definitions

Severity Level I - Critical Business Impact

The customer, regardless of the environment or product usage, has complete loss of service or resources for which no work around exists and customer's work cannot reasonably continue. An example of a Severity I issue is the inability of the customer to log into the application as a result of the actions performed by RSF-1.

Severity Level II - Serious Business Impact

The customer, regardless of the environment or product usage, is experiencing significant or degraded loss of service from the application as a result of actions performed by RSF-1. An example of a Severity II issue would be a major product flaw with a work around. The application may be running, but without cluster protection

Severity Level III - Minor Business Impact

The customer, regardless of the environment or product usage, has experienced a minor loss of service. A minor product flaw with a work around represents this type of issue. Cluster protection may have been restored to the system albeit with operator intervention.

Severity Level IV - No Business Impact

The customer’s service or software is in full working mode; customer's work is not being impeded at this time. This can be represented as a minor irritant or frustration using specific features of the software or as a result of misunderstanding or inadequate training.

Severity Level V - Enhancement Request

The customer is making enhancement requests/recommendations for consideration in future product releases.

Escalation Timescales 

Bronze Support

Severity I
4 hours after initial call, escalated to Chief Technical Officer
24 hours after initial call, escalated to Managing Director

Severity II
24 hours after initial call, escalated to Chief Technical Officer
48 hours after initial call, escalated to Managing Director

Silver/Gold Support

Severity I
4 hours after initial call, escalated to Chief Technical Officer
8 hours after initial call, escalated to Managing Director

Severity II
12 hours after initial call, escalated to Chief Technical Officer
24 hours after initial call, escalated to Managing Director

Platinum Support

Severity I
2 hours after initial call, escalated to Chief Technical Officer
4 hours after initial call, escalated to Managing Director

Severity II
4 hours after initial call, escalated to Chief Technical Officer
8 hours after initial call, escalated to Managing Director