CONTEXT / SCOPE

• This SOP is to be used when there is a client escalation; i.e. when there is a customer who is not satisfied with the services or products provided by MedTrainer.  Escalations can be triggered when customers complain explicitly.

• This document outlines the process to be followed by the CSM and TL in case of a customer escalation to avoid any possible cancellations.

IMPACTED TEAMS

• CSM Team

• CS Operations

GLOSSARY

• CRED SOFT - Self-Managed Credentialing Software(Credentialing Software)

• CRED SERV / FMC - Fully Managed Credentialing Service (Credentialing Service)

• CSM – Customer Success Manager 

• LMS- Learning Management System 

• Opp - Opportunity (where RSM registers the process of sales and information about the purchased product.)

• SF - Salesforce

• TL - Team Lead

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Escalation Process

Escalations can be worked on to achieve a potential save. We can consider an account to be escalated if one or more  of the following is true:

• The customer is upset/expresses unconformity/brings up an issue.

• There is less engagement in communication and/or system use.

• The account becomes past due.

• There is reluctance from the customer to pay the account

• An issue/problem is followed by unresponsiveness.

• The customer asks to speak to someone higher up within the organization.

• The customer wants to downgrade (remove a product/module or additional users, ultimately to invest less).

Churn Codes

To further understand the reasons behind escalations, please read below. This is accurate churn coding for escalation cases that allows us to interdict churn risk early, and understand where customers are having trouble.

Escalation Conditions

To handle and ideally solve these kinds of escalations, please follow the steps below:

1. If an account is past due, please follow this workflow, as stated in the MT-CS-004: Retention and Upsell SOP.

   • Once the account changes to past due status in Recurly, Finance will have 14 days to reach out to the customer.

   • If after 14 days, the account is still past due, please create an escalation case in SF and let your TL know about the situation.

2. If the escalated account has the FMC service, request your respective TL to create an escalation slack channel, in order to keep the FMC team informed about the escalation details, even if they aren't related to the FMC product itself.

   • In the Slack Channel, provide the following account details:

     • Account Name

     • Account MRR

     • SF link to the account 

     • Reason for escalation

     • Escalation case number

Creating an Escalation Case

There are two possible ways an admin can escalate. Regardless of which one, the receiving party must create a SF Escalation Case:

• Customer Support may receive either an escalation ticket or a call.

• CSMs may receive either an escalation call, an escalation email, or a meeting invite from the admin.

Please follow these steps to create the SF Case:

1. Log into SF and go into the account in question.

2. In the Cases section, click “New” and select “Escalations”:

Open

3. Fill in the following fields:

   • Account name will automatically populate 

   • Add the Subject pertaining to the case (for example: Cancelation Request - Account name)

   • Add the Close Date

   • Add a Description in the following format: MM/DD/YY_Initials:Action (example: 04/20/23MM: Customer called support and asked to cancel his account)

   • Opportunity Name: Add the Escalated Opportunity or Opportunities 

   • Contact Name 

   • Add Escalation/Cancellation Reason

   • Add Escalation Directives: add only the exact action we are requesting from our finance department, in following format: MM/DD/YY_Initials:Action (example: 04/20/23MM: One more week, Customer unresponsive)

   • Add Products: Move the item(s) from the Available List to the Chosen Box

   • Click on SAVE

Open

Working the Case

Once the escalation case is created the CSM and TL must follow the process below:

1. When reviewing or updating the case, make sure you are in the details tab of that case:

   • You will see the details you have entered prior

   • In each step of the case you will see the role that is required to fill out the blank fields.

2. Schedule a call between client and TL (CSM)

   • Contact the customer and schedule a meeting between the client and/or the TL

     • If the escalation in question is a cancellation request, the TL will be the one contacting the customer directly.

   • Once the call has been scheduled, the CSM / TL will need to enter the date for the Call Scheduled For field:

3. Complete call with client and TL (TL)

   • After the client call, the TL will need to enter the Call Completed Date,

   • Also, the TL will enter the Resolution Offered discussed among client and TL + CSM

   • The Escalation Status will be updated to Waiting Approval 

   • If Client can’t be reached (TL)

     •  If you reach out to the client 10 times, and no response has been made by the client, the TL will select the can't reach client (send final) box.

   • Click on Save

4. Resolution Approval (Accounting): The Accounting Department will be the one to deny or approve the resolution offer.

   • If approved, the status will update to approve

   • If denied, the status will update to denied

Special Mention: Explicit Escalation

When the customer escalates (i.e. they have explicitly complained), schedule a meeting with the Customer and TL within 24 hours. If the accounts are unresponsive, before deciding the resolution, we must try to contact them for at least 10 consecutive days in the following structure: 

• Use the templates found in the CCSM/SCSM Cancellation Request Template Collection:

Following Up

If the customer does not accept the resolution presented, the TL will renegotiate and review it again in the weekly finance meeting. 

• If a cancellation is inevitable, update the notes requesting to send the final depending on the customer's reply and TL will review it in the weekly finance meeting.

• Lastly, wait for finance confirmation to disable the account in LMS .

SF Escalation Case Management

While escalation cases in Salesforce include several fields for comprehensive documentation, this section highlights the critical fields that require the most attention to ensure smooth handling and resolution. These fields are essential for accurate tracking, collaboration with Finance and other teams, and maintaining reliable forecasting. By focusing on these key areas, you can effectively manage escalation cases and minimize the risk of oversight.

Case Status

• New: Default status for newly created cases.

• CS - In Progress: Use this after “New” when working on the case, but no action is needed from Finance.

• FMC in Progress: Exclusively for FMC team escalations.

• Pending Finance: When Finance’s action is required (e.g., billing adjustments).

• Pending Legal: For legal team involvement.

• Finance Statuses:

  • Retained (Final Status): When the customer is retained at the full contract value with no concessions.

  • Retained (Contraction): Coming soon—use for cases where the customer is retained with a contract reduction or adjustment.

  • BTPO (Final): Customer agrees to “Bill to Pay Out” on contract expiry. Adjust pending cancellation date if balance is paid immediately.

    • Important: If the case involves both an adjustment (e.g., partial MRR reduction) and a BTPO (Bill to Pay Out) scenario, you must create two separate cases:

      • One case for the adjustment loss, specifying the exact MRR reduction.

      • A second case for the BTPO, to document the billing and pending cancellation process.

  • Collections (Final): Case is sent to collections due to non-payment.

  • Send Final: Request Finance to issue a final warning with the amount owed before escalation to collections.

  • Cancelled (Final): Customer has officially churned.

Escalation Type

• Adjustment: For MRR reductions, such as user count or price decreases. Always specify the MRR loss, not the full contract value.

• Pending Cancellation: For full contract cancellation, set the date to the contract’s end unless an early termination is agreed upon (rare).

• Past Due: For accounts overdue by 10+ days. BTPO cases convert to “Past Due” if payment issues arise.

• Billing Only: For one-time financial adjustments (e.g., credits, debt forgiveness). Also, we will use this Escalation Type for Clawback cases.

Key Fields

• Subject: Provide a concise summary of the escalation.

• Description:

  • Date-stamped and initialed notes (e.g., MM/DD/YY_Initials: Summary of customer concerns).

  • Use Gong AI prompts to summarize customer discussions, ensuring consistent context and clarity.

• Pending Cancellation Date: Critical for forecasting - please see this section. Confirm with Finance to align on contract end or MRR churn impact dates.

• MRR Adjustment Fields: Specify the precise MRR loss for affected product lines, excluding unaffected portions.

Escalation Details

Use churn code guidelines complete:

• Reason for Escalation: Select accurate churn reasons from the provided codes (e.g., pricing, feature gaps, service issues).

• Specific To: Multi-select categories as applicable (e.g., lack of training, integration issues).

• Root Cause: Summarize using Gong prompt for determining root cause and date-stamp findings (e.g., 04/20/24 DBE: Lack of Fit identified as root cause.).

• Directives: Clearly outline next steps for Finance or other teams in actionable terms (e.g., 04/21/24 DBE:  Request approval for revised payment plan.).

Working the Case

• Log into Salesforce (SF) and ensure all fields are up to date.

• Follow-up:

  • Schedule calls promptly.

  • Respond to all queries in the case feed using @mentions.

  • Record updates and outcomes, tagging relevant teams.

Using the Case Feed

• Respond to questions and requests directly in the feed.

• Engage Finance, Legal, and other stakeholders by tagging them for clarity and speed.

• Document every interaction for transparency and audit purposes.

Churn Reporting and Analysis

• Follow guidance from Churn Codes:

  • Product issues (e.g., unmet expectations, lack of features).

  • Service challenges (e.g., unresolved support tickets, delayed onboarding).

  • Pricing concerns (e.g., perceived overpricing, past-due accounts).

  • Customer-specific changes (e.g., ownership shifts, low engagement).

  • Competitor switching (e.g., better alternatives identified).

• Use Gong and structured prompts to assess and document root causes accurately.

Critical Timing for Finance Escalations

When setting the Pending Cancellation Date, it is crucial to move the case to Pending Finance as soon as possible. This allows the Finance team to process the case promptly and ensures the churn is accounted for on the prescribed date.

Best Practices:

• Immediate Update: Set the case to Pending Finance immediately after determining the Pending Cancellation Date.

• Processing Time: Provide Finance with at least 24 hours to process the case before the specified date. This is the minimum required timeframe to avoid delays in forecasting and execution.

• Clear Communication: Use the Case Feed to alert Finance about the urgency and include all relevant directives to prevent bottlenecks.

Why This Matters:

Aligning the Pending Cancellation Date with timely Finance action ensures accurate forecasting, avoids unexpected delays, and streamlines the escalation process for both internal teams and the customer.

Collaboration and Communication

• Proactively communicate with the Finance team via case feed for pending cancellation and MRR updates.

• Escalate unresponsive cases or unresolved issues to your Team Lead (TL).

Resources

• Gong AI Prompts: Guide link.

• Churn Codes: Reference the HERE for precise reason mapping .

• Recurly: For contract details and accurate MRR adjustments.

Quick Reference: Resolution Workflow

1. Review Details: Confirm escalation type, cancellation date, and root causes.

2. Schedule and Execute Calls: Ensure all discussions are summarized in SF.

3. Approve/Negotiate Resolutions: Involve TLs for negotiation; Finance for final billing actions.

4. Finalize Status: Update to the appropriate final status post-resolution or cancellation.

Overall Guidance for Managing Escalation Cases

At its core, the escalation process is about applying common sense and maintaining clear, proactive communication to achieve the best possible outcomes for both the customer and our internal teams. While there are several fields and steps involved in managing an escalation case, success lies in focusing on the critical fields, collaborating effectively, and documenting everything thoroughly.

Key Principles for Success

1. Use Case Status Strategically

   1. Ensure that the case status accurately reflects the current situation and signals which team should take action. For example, Finance cannot assist unless the case is in a Finance-involved status such as “Pending Finance” or “Finance - BTPO.”

   2. Regularly update the status to align with the case’s progress.

2. Focus on Precision with Escalation Types

   1. Select the appropriate escalation type to clarify the nature of the issue (e.g., Adjustment, Pending Cancellation, Past Due).

   2. If a situation involves both a MRR adjustment and a BTPO, create two separate cases to track these aspects independently and prevent confusion.

3. Communicate Clearly

   1. Use the Subject field to provide a concise summary of the case.

   2. Keep the Description field up-to-date with detailed, date-stamped notes to ensure anyone reviewing the case can quickly understand its history and context.

   3. Utilize tools like Gong prompts to create high-quality, contextual summaries for why customers are churning.

4. Engage Collaboratively

   1. Use the Case Feed extensively.

      1. Respond promptly to questions and tag relevant team members using the @mention functionality.

      2. Engage Finance, Legal, or Team Leads as needed, and keep discussions focused and action-oriented.

5. Leverage Critical Fields for Accuracy and Forecasting

   1. Pending Cancellation Date: Critical for forecasting and must align with contract end dates or churn timing. Collaborate with Finance to ensure accuracy.

   2. MRR Adjustment Fields: Document only the specific MRR loss to maintain accurate forecasting without overestimating the impact.

6. Root Cause and Escalation Details

   1. Use Churn Codes to document the reason for escalation and the affected areas.

   2. Identify and document the root cause with clarity, leveraging Gong prompts as necessary, and date-stamp these insights for future reference.

Final Note

This process relies on your judgment and collaborative efforts. By following these guidelines and keeping the broader goals in mind—accurate forecasting, clear communication, and excellent customer outcomes—you ensure that each case is handled effectively and with accountability. Remember, the key to success is combining structured processes with empathetic and logical decision-making.