Role Guide: Tier 2 and Escalations Specialist

What this role is

Tier 2 handles the tickets that need judgment: the angry customer, the exception, the double charge, the bug, the chargeback. You are also the safety net for Tier 1 (reviewing their hardest replies) and the early warning system for the client (spotting patterns before they become crises).

What you own

Area	Your job
Escalated tickets	Full ownership from handover to resolution
Complaints	De-escalation using the STEER Method, resolution, follow through
Exceptions	Decisions within your matrix limit; clear recommendations above it
Billing disputes	Investigation, correction requests, honest timelines
Technical troubleshooting	Reproduce, document, workaround, report to the client's product contact
Chargebacks	Evidence pack prepared for the client; never argue with the customer
Incidents	Master ticket, linked tickets, update schedule during outages
Tier 1 support	Review emotional or high-risk replies before they are sent; answer Tier 1 questions
Root causes	Patterns reported weekly with suggested fixes

Taking over a ticket: the clean handover

When a ticket comes to you:

1. Read the full history: every message, every internal note, past tickets, order and payment records.
2. Check the internal note from Tier 1: what happened, what was checked, what was promised and by when.
3. Contact the customer quickly, introduce yourself, and show you already know the story:

"Hi (CUSTOMER FIRST NAME), I am (YOUR NAME) from the senior support team. I have read everything you have shared with (TIER 1 AGENT NAME), so you do not need to repeat anything. Here is what I am doing next."

1. Keep the promise Tier 1 made, or if you cannot, tell the customer before the promised time.

Your authority

Tier 2 authority comes from the client's Refund and Exception Matrix. A typical setup: refunds and credits up to a higher limit than Tier 1, one-time goodwill exceptions within written rules, and the right to approve Tier 1 requests within your own limit. Everything else goes to the client with a recommendation (see Refunds and Exceptions).

Building a case for the client

When a decision is above your authority, send the client one complete message:

P2 escalation: (TICKET REFERENCE) Customer: (CUSTOMER NAME), customer since 2023, 14 orders, no previous refunds. Issue: dining table delivered with a cracked leg. Photos in the ticket. Policy: damage claims within 7 days get a refund or replacement. Reported on day 2. Ask: full refund of 612 USD. Above my 250 USD limit. Options: 1) full refund, 2) replacement (in stock, ships in 3 days), 3) 150 USD partial refund if they keep it. My recommendation: option 2 if the customer agrees; option 1 if not. Low abuse risk. Promised update to customer: today, 2:00 PM ET.

Bugs and outages

1. Reproduce the problem if you can. Note the exact steps, device, browser type and time.
2. Workaround: find a way for the customer to get the result now, if one exists.
3. Report to the client's product contact using the agreed path, with steps and examples.
4. Outage mode: open one master ticket, link every affected ticket to it, use one update macro, and send updates on a fixed schedule (for example every 2 hours) until resolved.

Chargebacks

A chargeback is when a customer asks their bank to reverse a payment. You do not decide it, and you never argue with the customer about it.

1. Collect: order details, payment record, shipping and delivery proof, all messages with the customer, the policy they agreed to.
2. Put it into the client's evidence template.
3. Hand it to the client before the bank's deadline.
4. If the customer contacts support, stay polite and factual. Follow the client's instructions on whether to resolve directly.

How you are measured

KPI	Narqix target
Escalations picked up within the client's window	100%
Customer contacted with a plan within	4 business hours of handover
Escalated tickets resolved within 3 business days	80% or more
CSAT on escalated tickets	80% or more
QA score on complaint handling	90% or more
Root-cause report delivered	Weekly
Exceptions logged with reason, amount and approver	100%

Escalation rules

• To the client: anything above your matrix, legal threats, press, safety, policy changes, product defects affecting many customers.
• To your Narqix lead at once: threats of harm, data incidents, suspected fraud rings, anything P1.
• To Tier 1 as coaching: patterns in the escalations you receive (for example the same question escalated five times means Tier 1 needs a macro or training).

Common mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Re-asking the customer for details already in the ticket	Read the full history first
Escalating to the client with no recommendation	Options plus your recommendation, always
Fixing the ticket but not the cause	Root-cause tag and weekly pattern report
Defensive replies to angry customers	STEER Method; a second person reviews P2 and above complaints
Letting escalations sit overnight without an update	Hand over with a note, or update the customer before shift end

Check yourself

1. What are the four steps of a clean handover?
2. What does a complete escalation message to the client contain?
3. A customer filed a chargeback and now emails support angrily. What do you do?
4. During an outage, how do you manage 60 tickets about the same problem?

© Narqix Academy