Known outage status
Use this when a customer reports a service is down and it may be linked to an active incident. Only give status and restoration information that is approved in the incident record.
Steps
- Verify the customer: account name, authorised contact name and the service ID (for example a circuit or service number).
- Confirm which service or services are affected and the location.
- Search ServiceNow for an active incident or outage notification that lists the service, site or the parent network element.
- If a match is found, link the customer's contact to the existing incident. Do not create a new ticket.
- Give only the approved customer update from the incident: current status, impact summary and the next update time.
- Offer to notify the customer when the incident is resolved.
Approved wording
- Status: Investigating, Identified, Restoring or Monitoring (as shown on the incident).
- Restoration time: quote the estimated restoration time (ETR) only if one is published on the incident. Otherwise say: "The team is working on it and the next update is due at [time]."
Never
- Never estimate a restoration time or cause that is not on the incident.
- Never promise credits or compensation.
Escalate to a human NOC analyst when
- The customer's symptoms do not match the incident (different service, site or fault type).
- No approved customer update exists on the incident.
- The customer says the impact is worse than described, or asks for something outside the approved information.