Escalation Paths

Escalation Paths allow your team to outline a set of levels, so that if a team member is stuck when resolving a Thread, they have a predefined path to escalate the Thread to the next relevant person or team.

This is useful as it allows for standardised handoffs from team-to-team, and ensures that each Thread has a clear path to resolution.

Configuration

Setting up Escalation Paths require two steps:

1. Adding a new Escalation Path within settings, with your defined levels

2. Adding a new Workflow Rule to conditionally set Threads to use the new Escalation Path

Adding an Escalation Path

Each user and team can only be included once when defining the levels in your Escalation Path.

1. Go to Settings → Workflow → Escalation Paths

2. Click "New Escalation Path"

3. Set a name, for example "Urgent Technical Support"

4. Add your defined escalation levels

Setting a Thread to use an Escalation Path

When the Workflow Rule sets a Thread to use an Escalation Path, it will not carry out an escalation, meaning no user/team assignments are made at that point.

1. Go to Settings → Workflow → Workflow Rules

2. Click "Add New Rule"

3. Set a name, for example "Set Urgent Escalation Path"

4. Add a condition, for example "When a Thread has the Security label"

5. Add the Set escalation path action

Usage

Escalating a Thread

1. When stuck resolving a Thread

2. Click the Escalate button at the bottom of the Thread page, under the composer

3. On hover this will show you which user/team will be assigned when escalating

Changing the Escalation Path of a Thread

You may want to manually update which Escalation Path a Thread is using, or to remove the Escalation Path from a Thread. To do this:

1. Press CMD + K on your keyboard

2. This will open the Command Palette window

3. Search for the "Change Escalation Path" or "Clear Escalation Path" command

How it works

Below are some specifics on the behaviour when escalating, to clear up any confusion:

• When escalating the currently assigned user will always be unassigned

• When escalating the currently assigned team label will be removed only if it is part of the current escalation path level that the escalation is moving from

• Evaluating what level a Thread is currently on is done at the point of escalation, thus the current level can be manipulated by making a manual user/team assignment

Examples

At Plain, we use the following Escalation Path to help with solving product questions, it is triggered by the following Workflow Rule:

• Threads created from support@plain.com

• Set "Product Support" Escalation Path

With the following levels:

1. Technical Support (Team label)

2. Engineering (Team label)

3. Staff Engineer (User)

4. Founders (Team label)