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When to escalate support issues

TL;DR

ElfVengers should resolve tenant issues when they can diagnose them with Elrond and answer from the docs. Escalate to bsm for billing, store/backend access, or infra problems beyond a simple pod restart. Escalate to funkypenguin only for owner-level approval, custom infrastructure decisions, or when staff asks.

Who handles what

  • ElfVengers — frontline support in Discord. Use Elrond, follow runbooks, and help tenants self-serve before doing it for them.
  • bsm — staff-level escalation. Handles billing/subscriptions, store backend access, product/bundle questions, and VIP white-glove requests.
  • funkypenguin — owner/admin. Handles deep infra issues, policy/custom systems, unsupported app requests, and anything bsm cannot resolve.

When an ElfVenger should resolve

  1. Use Elrond to get the tenant's subscription status, env vars, pod status, and logs.
  2. Confirm the issue with the ticket: app down, billing question, product guidance, or setup help.
  3. Answer from the docs first. If the tenant needs a standard product, recommend it.
  4. If the tenant consents, use Elf-Assessment to help them directly through their own dashboard.
  5. Keep the tenant informed and ask if they want you to make the fix for them.

When to escalate to bsm

  • Billing issues, payment failures, invoice disputes, refunds, or subscription changes.
  • Tenant subscriptions that require backend store access or manual provisioning.
  • App/pod issues that remain broken after a restart or after Elrond diagnosis, as long as they are not a deep infra problem.
  • Requests for unsupported apps, custom hosting, or non-standard configurations.
  • Complex media/bundle selection questions, especially VIP or white-glove requests.
  • Complex media/bundle selection questions, especially VIP or white-glove requests.
  • Before escalating for a VIP/Wizard session: verify via Elrond that the tenant has purchased the SKU and it hasn't already been used/consumed. Include the order number in your escalation payload.
  • Security, privacy, or data-access concerns.
  • When you are unsure, the tenant is frustrated, or you need a second opinion.

When to escalate to funkypenguin

  • Deep infra issues beyond a pod restart or standard Elrond diagnosis.
  • Owner-level policy or product decisions beyond normal support scope.
  • New app hosting requests or unsupported service asks that need approval.
  • If bsm asks you to escalate a ticket to the owner.
  • Emergency issues affecting multiple tenants, datacenters, or the platform.

How to escalate

  1. Gather the ticket details, tenant identifier, and the exact problem statement.
  2. Include Elrond output, subscription status, pod logs/events, and what you've tried.
  3. Note whether the tenant has consented to Elf-Assessment and whether you have temporary dashboard access.
  4. Escalate in Discord to bsm first. Use the staff channel or direct message if needed.
  5. If bsm is unavailable and the issue is urgent, notify funkypenguin.

Gotchas / watch out for

  • Don't escalate too early. Try to resolve the issue first; escalation should be a thoughtful handoff, not a default.
  • Don't promise refunds or subscription changes. Those are staff-level actions.
  • Don't share tenant secrets. Keep sensitive data restricted to staff channels.
  • Clarify ambiguous tickets. Ask follow-up questions before escalating.
  • Help them, don't do it for them. Offer guidance first; take action only with tenant consent or when necessary.