Customer Service SOP

Framework

IRON LAW: Tier the Support, Not the Customer

Every customer deserves quality service. But not every issue needs a
senior specialist. Route by ISSUE COMPLEXITY, not by customer "importance."

L1 handles 70-80% of volume (simple, repeatable)
L2 handles 15-20% (requires expertise)
L3 handles 5% (requires engineering or management)

Three-Tier Support Model

Tier	Handles	Skills Required	Resolution Target
L1 (Basic)	FAQ, order status, password reset, simple returns	Script-following, product basics, empathy	< 5 minutes, first-contact resolution
L2 (Specialist)	Technical issues, billing disputes, complex returns, product defects	Deep product knowledge, judgment, negotiation	< 24 hours
L3 (Expert)	System bugs, legal/compliance, executive escalations, crisis	Engineering, legal, or management involvement	< 72 hours, case-by-case

Case Categorization

Category	Examples	Priority	SLA (First Response)
Critical	Service outage, security breach, safety issue	P1	< 15 minutes
High	Payment failure, account locked, order error	P2	< 1 hour
Medium	Product question, feature request, general complaint	P3	< 4 hours
Low	Feedback, suggestion, general inquiry	P4	< 24 hours

Complaint Handling: LAST Framework

1. Listen: Let the customer express fully without interrupting
2. Apologize: Acknowledge their frustration sincerely ("I'm sorry this happened")
3. Solve: Offer a concrete solution or next step
4. Thank: Thank them for bringing it to your attention

Escalation Rules

Trigger	Escalate To	Timeline
L1 can't resolve in 15 min	L2	Immediate warm handoff
Customer requests supervisor	L2 or Team Lead	Within 5 minutes
Issue involves refund > NT$X	L2 (approval authority)	Same interaction
Legal threat or media mention	L3 + Legal + PR	Immediate
Repeat contact (3+ on same issue)	L2 + investigation	After 3rd contact

Response Template Structure

[Greeting] Hi {name}, thank you for contacting us.

[Acknowledge] I understand you're experiencing {issue}.

[Action] Here's what I've done / Here's what we'll do:
1. {specific action}
2. {timeline}

[Next steps] {what the customer should expect / do next}

[Close] Is there anything else I can help you with?

Output Format

# Customer Service SOP: {Business}

## Support Tiers
| Tier | Scope | Team Size | Tools |
|------|-------|----------|-------|
| L1 | {scope} | {N people} | {tools} |
| L2 | {scope} | {N} | {tools} |
| L3 | {scope} | {N} | {tools} |

## SLA Targets
| Priority | First Response | Resolution | Escalation |
|----------|--------------|-----------|-----------|
| P1 | {time} | {time} | {to whom} |
| P2 | ... | ... | ... |

## Top 10 Contact Reasons
| # | Reason | Volume % | Resolution | Template? |
|---|--------|---------|-----------|----------|
| 1 | {reason} | {%} | L1/L2 | Y/N |

## Escalation Flowchart
{Decision tree for when to escalate}

## Quality Metrics
| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| First Contact Resolution | > 70% |
| CSAT | > 4.2/5 |
| Avg Response Time | < {X} hours |
| Escalation Rate | < 20% |

Gotchas

• SLAs must be MEASURABLE: "Respond quickly" is not an SLA. "First response within 1 hour for P2 tickets" is. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.
• Warm handoff > cold transfer: When escalating, the L1 agent should brief L2 before transferring. Forcing the customer to repeat their story destroys satisfaction.
• Empower L1 with resolution authority: If L1 must escalate every refund, 70% of volume goes to L2 unnecessarily. Give L1 authority for refunds under a threshold (e.g., NT$500).
• Templates are starting points, not scripts: Robotic copy-paste responses feel worse than no response. Agents should personalize templates to the specific situation.
• Taiwan CS expectations: Taiwan customers expect fast LINE response (within minutes during business hours), polite and apologetic tone, and willingness to go the extra mile. The bar for "good service" is high.

References

• For CSAT/NPS survey design, see the cs-analytics skill
• For chatbot-human handoff design, see the cs-chatbot-design skill