Home › Business › Sales & Customer Service › escalate

escalate

ESS-kuh-leyt /ˈɛskəleɪt/

verbB2IELTSTOEFLGMAT

BusinessCustomer Service

To increase rapidly; in business, to refer a matter to a higher authority or more senior manager.

Escalation is a formal process in customer service used when a problem is too complex or the customer is too dissatisfied for a front-line agent to handle.

The story behind the word. Interestingly, 'escalate' didn't exist until the 1920s. It was created from the word 'escalator' (a moving staircase). Just as an escalator takes you to the next floor, 'escalating' a problem takes it to the next level of management.

Word relationships

intensify: Intensify means to become stronger; escalate specifically means to move up a level or scale.
heighten: Heighten is often used for emotions or senses; escalate is used for situations and procedures.

de-escalate: De-escalate means to reduce the intensity or severity of a conflict.

Commonly confused with

elevate: Elevate means to lift up physically or metaphorically; escalate means to increase in intensity or move up a chain of command.

Word family

escalation (noun): An increase in intensity or the act of referring to a higher authority.

Collocations

escalate a complaint
escalate to management
escalation process
quickly escalate

Example sentences

"If you cannot resolve the billing issue within ten minutes, please escalate the call to a supervisor." Handling a difficult customer complaint.
"What started as a minor disagreement quickly escalated into a full-blown PR crisis." Describing a worsening situation.

Memory hook

Think of an 'escalator'. You are taking the problem 'up' to the next floor where the boss sits. Take it to the next floor.

When not to use

Do not use 'escalate' for minor issues that you can solve yourself; it implies a step up in the hierarchy.

Fun facts

The word 'escalator' was originally a trademarked name by the Otis Elevator Company before it became a generic term.