Executive escalations are becoming more frequent and damaging. In this episode, Stacy Sherman exposes the hidden patterns behind these high-impact customer moments and why they’re often signs of deeper issues across teams, systems, and culture.
She shares practical strategies to prevent escalations before they start, drawn from her own leadership experience and an eye-opening conversation with Pablo Payet, Customer Experience and Success Specialist at Granicus. You’ll hear a real story of a customer with seven unresolved tickets and the internal scramble that followed—plus how to build CX frameworks that create consistency, ownership, and trust at scale.
Key Questions Explored:
- Why do executive escalations happen, and what are they really telling you?
- How do broken systems and siloed teams contribute to CX failure?
- What leadership strategies can prevent these disruptions from reaching executives?
- How can you design CX frameworks that address both immediate and systemic issues?
- What does “Doing CX Right” look like when it comes to preventing escalations?
Valuable Insights Shared:
Doing CX Right means recognizing that executive escalations are symptoms of underlying problems. Instead of letting issues boil over, leaders must be proactive. Fixing the root causes and aligning teams on a unified CX vision is the key to preventing escalations from the start.
Key Topics Discussed:
The Root Causes of Executive Escalations: Stacy breaks down how misaligned teams, unclear processes, and customer frustration create conditions ripe for escalations.
The RIGHT Framework: Stacy introduces her proven model—Repeatable, Intentional, Generous, Honest, and Transformational (RIGHT)—as a strategic approach to preventing and managing escalations.
Organizational Culture: How a strong, proactive CX culture can transform not just customer interactions, but the entire organizational mindset.
Practical Takeaways:
Be proactive with CX: Don’t wait for the crisis to escalate. Identify potential breakdowns early.
Create clear, repeatable processes: A well-documented CX strategy minimizes confusion and empowers teams to act quickly.
Foster cross-functional collaboration: Prevent silos and encourage open communication between departments to resolve issues before they grow.
Leadership Advice:
Leaders must be proactive, ensuring that their CX systems are optimized to prevent issues before they escalate. Stacy emphasizes the importance of strong leadership in setting clear expectations, driving alignment, and creating a culture where issues are addressed at the right level.
Looking Ahead – Industry Predictions:
Expect a growing emphasis on blending automation with human-centric support, where AI will take over repetitive tasks, and human teams will focus on complex, emotional, and value-driven customer interactions.
Final Thought:
Customer escalations don’t arise out of nowhere.
They happen when customers feel ignored, dismissed, and passed around too many times.
If you want to avoid escalations to the CEO, start earlier.
Empower your teams. Align your departments. Build a culture where the customer doesn’t need to ask twice.
Because the best escalations are the ones that never happen.
About Stacy Sherman:
Stacy Sherman is a professional speaker, advisor, and founder of Doing CX Right® consultancy, helping companies build unbreakable loyalty across customers, employees, and partners for lasting retention and growth. With 25 years at top companies, a Marketing MBA, and certifications in Journey Mapping and UX, she provides a proven, research-backed framework that drives real business impact. A trusted, award-winning CX leader, Stacy is recognized as a Top Global CX Guru and ICMI Top 25 Influencer (2021-2025). She continues to shape the future of CX through LinkedIn Learning courses, workshops, best-selling books, and her award-winning podcast, equipping professionals with the strategies to deliver measurable results, competitive advantage, and enriched experiences.
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A Gift For You:
Do you want to know if your customer experience creates loyal advocates who genuinely love your brand? Are your employees inspired to champion your mission as others in your industry view you as the gold standard they strive to reach? Take FREE CX Assessment to uncover:
- Barriers limiting your brand’s growth and impact.
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Doing customer experience the right way can transform your business and enrich the lives of the people you service. Don’t leave it to chance.
