Escalation handling

• Use all steps to resolve the customer's issue and offer the best experience possible to the customer. 
• Do not proactively escalate a call, you are empowered to solve the customer's situation. 
• Treat each situation on a case by case basis.
• Handle Special accounts and RSL calls the same as a customer account, including escalations.
• Follow the steps below that make sense for the customer's specific situation.

• Look for red-flags indicating issues in progress such as scheduled follow-ups, pending adjustments, and Special Instructions.
• Take notes to understand the situation and let customers speak without interruption.

• Let the customer know that you understand their situation.
• Based on your account research, speak confidently about the customer's situation and acknowledge previous calls they may have had on the issue.

• Check memos for steps already taken to resolve the issue. Use factual information rather than opinions to discuss findings.
• Ask probing questions to learn more about the situation.

• Let customers know that you're looking for the best solution.
• Use policies, previous memos, and account history to research options. Factor in previous actions taken to provide a new resolution path and partner with your leadership if needed.

• Present available options and explain benefits, allowing the customer to respond between each presented option.
• If the customer is de-escalated and you can solve their issue, own the call and necessary actions. For requests to speak with supervisors and above, follow the steps below.

If the customer is threatening legal action – continue to de-escalate the customer and focus on what you can do – use the specific approved legal verbiage to respond to the customer – updated in predefined content:

Legal Concerns

• I am not able to advise you on legal issues. Is there anything regarding your account that I can help you with?
• This is the best resolution we can offer you at this time and I’ve documented your account with those details. Is there anything different I can assist you with at this time?
• I am not able to advise you on legal issues. We value your time and want to address any questions or concerns you have. After reviewing your account, I can see we noted that your last contact reason was resolved, has anything changed or is there a new concern that I can help assist with?

Customer states they are being represented by an attorney, refer them to Legal Correspondence. Continue trying to de-escalate and solve their issue. If you or your leadership cannot resolve, and the customer continues to bring up their lawyer, you may still refer them to Legal Correspondence by using the following predefined content:

As you have indicated that you are being represented by an attorney, please have your attorney send in their representation letter and other correspondence to our legal department at: T-Mobile Wireless Legal Department 12920 SE 38th Street Bellevue, WA 98006-1350.

• Only escalate to leadership after following steps above, or for customers specifically requesting to speak with a supervisor, executive leader, or Corporate Office.
• For customers with pending Executive Response Team (ERT) investigations: See Executive Response Team account support > General issues & pending investigations.
• Do not provide leadership contact information, including Twitter, as an option to contact an executive member during an escalation. Coaches see Customer escalations.
• When a customer mentions accessibility needs or concerns, follow Accessibility and Support for customers with disabilities which includes when to contact the Accessibility Team.
• If the customer asks to escalate and has accessibility needs or concerns, offer to: Transfer to the Accessibility Team or transfer the call to a Coach or Manager if they are specifically requesting a supervisor.
• If your immediate supervisor is not available, seek assistance from other leadership at your site to ensure the customer is assisted.
• Do not set follow-ups for yourself, promise follow-ups from others, or leave the customer hanging. Involve your leadership to escalate the call or find a real-time solution to the issue. Care only: If a coach or manager is not available, another leader may take the escalation following the steps below.

When the expectation has been set with the customer that they will speak with a supervisor:

Care Experts/CSRs follow these steps:

1. Place the customer on hold and engage your supervisor. Provide information regarding the issue, and steps taken to resolve the problem.
2. Return to your customer and explain there will be a brief hold and ringing while you connect your supervisor.
3. Place customers on hold and dial your supervisor's VDN.
4. Conference in the customer and introduce your supervisor to complete the Warm Transfer.
5. Provide closing remarks and release the call.
6. Follow up with your leadership after the call, so that they can share the resolution and techniques used to de-escalate after the call.

Messaging Experts follow these steps:

1. If you have an escalated customer, first try to de-escalate.
2. If the customer requests to speak to a leader, engage your supervisor.
3. Provide your supervisor with information regarding the issue and steps taken to resolve the problem.
4. Return to your customer and explain that you are handing off the conversation to your supervisor.
5. To complete the hand-off, the supervisor joins the conversation and sends a message to the customer that is seen by both customer and representative. Then, the supervisor initiates a “Takeover”, which removes the representative from the conversation.

1. Grant wishes to speak with supervisors and have the rep transfer the customer to your Agent ID extension. Log in and use Auto-In mode.
   Example: ID 06-12345, 12345 is the extension.
2. Listen to the customer's concerns without interruption, apologize and empathize with their issue.
3. Take detailed notes, clarifying what you heard with the customer to gain consensus.
4. Work to resolve the issue, focus on resolution steps, and do not dispute customer concerns about previous interactions.
   • If customers ask you to review a call recording or send it to them, advise calls are recorded at random are only used for quality and training purposes.
   • Serve as a consultant to the customer by using the resources available to resolve the issue.
   • If you are comfortable resolving an out of scope issue, handle the request as you would an in-scope issue.
   • Previous customer interactions should not be reviewed for resolution purposes—never offer to have a call reviewed for a customer.
5. If the call requires assistance from another department:
   • Introduce yourself to the answering rep with your title, advising that you have an escalated customer and need their expertise for a resolution.
   • Only transfer the call if the answering department asks to take over the call and the customer agrees to the transfer.
   • If the customer does not agree to the transfer, serve as a liaison on the transfer
6. If customers demand their account cancelled, even after following Cancellation triggers, cancel their account.
7. Gain customer agreement that issues are resolved. If the issue isn't defined in policy and can't be resolved, contact a Leadership Team Member.
8. Make Samson account changes, then memo account with appropriate memo code, including the reason for escalation and offers of escalation paths that were made available.

General escalations

• When a customer wants to escalate about their account, show empathy first, attempt to understand the situation, and offer assistance to help own the issue.
• If the situation needs to be escalated further, contact your leadership for assistance.
  

Escalations regarding government or regulatory inquiries

• Help the customer resolve any concerns or issues in-store and engage your local leadership (Store Manager, Sr. Manager / Rural Market Manager, Market Director, and/or Operations Manager) if the situation is sensitive or customer wishes to escalate further.
• Before attempting to call RSL, work with your local leadership.
• Leadership can assist with issuing credits, inquiries on fees, promotions, or account or customer escalations.
• If the customer still wants to escalate and cites concerns regarding specific laws, regulations, and/or government agencies for an exception to normal account support, contact RSL for assistance.
• Do not proactively advise the customer to reach out to another agency for support or complaints.