How do you align your communication strategy with your SLA and escalation policies during an outage?

1 Know your SLA and escalation policies

Your SLA defines the expected level of service and the consequences of not meeting it. Your escalation policies specify who to notify, when, and how, depending on the severity and impact of the issue. You should review and update these documents regularly and make sure your team is familiar with them. They will guide your communication strategy and help you prioritize and escalate issues accordingly.

2 Establish clear roles and responsibilities

During an outage, you need to have a clear understanding of who is doing what and who is communicating with whom. You should assign roles and responsibilities to your team members, such as incident manager, technical lead, communication lead, and support agent. You should also identify the key stakeholders and their communication preferences, such as email, phone, chat, or dashboard. Having a clear communication plan and a single point of contact for each stakeholder group will help you avoid confusion and duplication of efforts.

3 Communicate early and often

One of the worst things you can do during an outage is to keep your stakeholders in the dark. You should communicate early and often, providing timely and accurate updates on the status of the issue, the root cause, the resolution steps, and the estimated recovery time. You should also acknowledge the impact of the issue on your stakeholders and apologize for any inconvenience caused. You should use clear and concise language, avoid technical jargon, and focus on the facts and actions. You should also be honest and transparent, and avoid making promises or guarantees that you cannot keep.

4 Use multiple channels and formats

Depending on the nature and scope of the issue, you may need to use different channels and formats to communicate with your stakeholders. For example, you may use email or phone for urgent and personalized messages, chat or social media for quick and informal updates, and dashboard or website for general and public announcements. You should also consider using different formats, such as text, audio, video, or screenshots, to convey your message more effectively. You should also make sure that your communication channels are reliable and accessible, and that you monitor and respond to any feedback or questions from your stakeholders.

5 Follow up and learn from the experience

Once the issue is resolved, you should not stop communicating with your stakeholders. You should follow up with them and confirm that the service is restored and that they are satisfied with the outcome. You should also provide a post-mortem report that summarizes the issue, the impact, the resolution, and the lessons learned. You should also solicit feedback from your stakeholders and identify any areas of improvement for your communication strategy and your SLA and escalation policies. You should also document and share your best practices and recommendations for future incidents.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?