TLDR: This framework standardizes customer support communication using severity-based response cadences, automated follow-ups, and mandatory knowledge reuse. The result is faster resolution, consistent customer experiences, scalable institutional knowledge, and higher NPS through disciplined execution and continuous improvement.
Table of Contents
- Purpose
- Reasoning
- Severity-Based Communication Scripts and Follow-Up Cadence
- Snippet and Knowledge Base Response Policy
- HubSpot Workflow Automation
- Best Practices for Customer Experience and NPS Improvement
- Governance and Reporting
- Continuous Improvement Loop
1. Purpose
The purpose of this process is to create a unified, transparent, and proactive communication framework between
[Company]’s Customer Support team and customers. The process ensures consistent messaging, clear
expectation-setting, and follow-up cadence based on the Severity Level Matrix. It also establishes a closed-loop
system in HubSpot that enforces knowledge capture and snippet use, ensuring that every customer interaction builds
reusable institutional knowledge.
2. Reasoning
Consistent and predictable communication is critical to customer trust and satisfaction. By aligning customer
support cadence to the Severity Level Matrix and ensuring every response references existing documentation or
snippets, [Company] creates scalable knowledge, reduces repetitive work, and improves response time.
This approach promotes accountability, reduces context switching, and directly supports higher NPS scores and
customer retention.
3. Severity-Based Communication Scripts and Follow-Up Cadence
All support communication must follow predefined scripts and cadence rules according to the severity of the
reported issue. Support agents must document updates and use HubSpot workflows to automate follow-up reminders
based on the defined SLAs.
Severity 1 – Critical / System Down
Initial Response:
Within 1 hour of incident awareness.
Channel:
- Direct phone call (if applicable)
- Email confirmation
- Status Page Update
Follow-Up Cadence:
Every 1 hour until resolution or confirmed workaround.
Script Example:
Hello [Customer Name],
We are aware of a critical issue currently affecting our system. Our engineering team is actively investigating,and this issue has been escalated to our highest priority level (Severity 1).
We’ll provide the next update within 1 hour or sooner as new information becomes available.
We understand the impact this has on your business and are committed to restoring service as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your patience.
– The [Company] Support Team
Severity 2 – High / Major Functionality Broken
Initial Response:
Within 1 business day.
Channel:
- Optional phone for enterprise customers.
Follow-Up Cadence:
Once per business day until resolved.
Script Example:
Hello [Customer Name],
We’ve confirmed that your issue impacts a major component of our system and classified it as Severity 2.
Our engineering team is actively addressing this issue, and we’ll provide an update with 24 hours of this message.
Please know we’re prioritizing resolution to minimize any disruption.
– The [Company] Support Team
Severity 3 – Medium / Degraded Functionality
Initial Response:
Within 10 business days.
Channel:
Email only.
Follow-Up Cadence:
Every 10 business days until resolved or workaround provided.
Script Example:
Hello [Customer Name],
We’ve logged your report and categorized it as a Severity 3 issue, meaning functionality is partially impacted but not blocked.
We’re tracking this issue with our engineering team and will provide updates every 10 business days until resolved.
In the meantime, if you discover any new details or patterns, please reply here so we can relay that to the development team.
– The [Company] Support Team
Severity 4 – Low / Cosmetic or Enhancement Request
Initial Response:
Within 15 business days.
Channel:
Email only.
Follow-Up Cadence:
Every 15 business days via automated HubSpot reminder until resolved.
Script Example:
Hello [Customer Name],
Thank you for submitting your feedback. We’ve logged this as a Severity 4 (minor issue or enhancement request).
Our Product team reviews these regularly for prioritization in future releases.
You can expect an update approximately every 15 business days or as soon as new information becomes available.
– The [Company] Support Team
4. Snippet and Knowledge Base Response Policy
All responses to customers must be created using one of the following:
- A pre-approved HubSpot Snippet.
- A HubSpot Knowledge Base (KB) article link.
If neither exists, the support agent must create a new snippet or draft KB article before responding to the customer.
This ensures that every new support situation contributes to [Company]’s growing library of reusable knowledge.
When creating new snippets or KB articles:
- Use concise, professional language aligned with the tone of existing materials.
- Tag entries with the product name (e.g., [Product 1], [Product 2], etc.), issue type, and ticket ID (if applicable).
- Include:
- Notes
- Reproduction steps (if applicable)
- Known workarounds (if applicable)
- Expected resolution timeframes (if known).
5. HubSpot Workflow Automation
To standardize follow-up and accountability, HubSpot workflows must automatically create follow-up tasks based on the
severity of each issue.
Workflow Configuration Steps:
- Create a new HubSpot Workflow using ‘Ticket-based Workflow.’
- Enrollment Trigger: Ticket property ‘Severity Level’ equals 1, 2, 3, or 4.
- Add Delay Steps and Task Creation:
- Severity 1 – Create follow-up tasks every 1 hours.
- Severity 2 – Create follow-up tasks every 1 business day.
- Severity 3 – Create follow-up tasks every 10 business days.
- Severity 4 – Create follow-up tasks every 15 business days.
- Assign tasks to the ticket owner and notify them in HubSpot.
- Auto-close tasks when the ticket status changes to ‘Resolved’ or ‘Closed.’
- Use HubSpot dashboard reports to track follow-up task completion and SLA compliance.
6. Best Practices for Customer Experience and NPS Improvement
- Always include empathy in every message: acknowledge the customer’s frustration or impact.
- Include a defined next update time in every response, even if no progress has been made.
- Never send an empty or placeholder response; always reference progress, even if pending.
- Use plain language, free of internal jargon or engineering detail.
- If multiple customers report the same issue, link tickets in HubSpot to the same parent bug entry.
- Encourage support staff to flag recurring themes to Product weekly.
- Reward creation of new, high-value KB articles each month to foster proactive knowledge sharing (see Hey Taco or Bonusly).
7. Governance and Reporting
- Customer Support Manager
Ensures adherence to cadence and snippet/KB creation policy. - Director of Technical Delivery
Oversees workflow automation, reporting, and compliance. - CTO and CPO
Review recurring issues, KB trends, and customer impact metrics. - Support Agents
Own ticket-level communication quality and documentation.
Metrics:
- 100% of customer replies must include a snippet or KB link.
- Follow-up task completion rate ≥ 95%.
- SLA compliance rate ≥ 90%.
- NPS ≥ 70% sustained through quarterly measurement.
8. Continuous Improvement Loop
Each quarter, Support and Product should jointly review:
- Top 10 recurring issues.
- New snippets and KB content created.
- Average follow-up SLA adherence.
- Customer satisfaction survey results.
This review ensures that process improvements, automation tuning, and content updates remain aligned with
[Company]’s commitment to world-class customer experience.
