Log Project Customer Escalations

Published on October 5, 2026 QuoteX

How to Log Project Customer Escalations in the Project Management Center

Welcome back to our series on mastering the Project Management Center. So far, we've covered how to log Project Assumptions, track Project Issues, document Project Key Decisions, and record Lessons Learned. In this article, we cover a critical tool for managing client relationships: PSC Project Customer Escalations.

While internal project management handles day-to-day tasks, a Customer Escalation occurs when a client formally raises a major concern regarding the project, timeline, resources, or delivery quality to higher management. Logging these escalations in the system ensures transparency, executive visibility, and a clear record of the resolution plan. Here is how to log them.

What you will do: Open the PSC Project Customer Escalations related list on a project, complete the New PSC Project Customer Escalation form, and save.

Step 1: Navigate to the Customer Escalations Related List

Start by opening the project record where the escalation is occurring (e.g., Sales Cloud Implementation - Acme Inc).

Click the Related tab to view the related lists. Scroll down until you locate the PSC Project Customer Escalations section.

Note: You'll see that we have already logged one Assumption, Issue, Key Decision, and Lesson Learned for this project.

PSC Project Customer Escalations related list with a red arrow pointing to the New button
The PSC Project Customer Escalations related list. The red arrow indicates the New button.

To log a new escalation, click the New button on the right side of the "PSC Project Customer Escalations" header (indicated by the red arrow).

Step 2: Fill Out the New Customer Escalation Form

A modal window titled "New PSC Project Customer Escalation" will open. This form is comprehensive, as it needs to capture both the severity of the client's concern and your internal resolution strategy. Complete the following fields:

New PSC Project Customer Escalation modal form
The New PSC Project Customer Escalation form.

Escalation Details:

  1. Title (Required): Give the escalation a clear, descriptive name. In our example: "Customer Escalation - Sprint 1 Delay & Resource Plan".
  2. Alert Management Level (Required): Select the severity level. For this scenario, we chose "Level 3 - Global Business Head", indicating a high-severity issue that requires executive attention.
  3. Business Impact (Required): Set this to "High" to reflect the risk to the project timeline and client relationship.
  4. Customer Contact Role & Customer Contact (Required): Identify who is escalating the issue. We selected "Senior Management" and chose "Jane Doe".

The Problem:

  1. Description (Required): Detail the customer's specific complaint. As written in the screenshot: "They expressed concern that the delivery team failed to proactively account for regional holidays and are questioning the overall resource allocation..."

Resolution Planning:

  1. Escalation Owner (Required): Assign the person responsible for resolving the escalation (e.g., "Rahul Jain").
  2. Planned Closure Date (Required): Set a target date to resolve the issue (e.g., 10/15/2026).
  3. Priority (Required): Set this to "High".
  4. Remedial Action Plan (Required): Document the steps you will take to fix the problem. For example: "...revised project timeline that accounts for all upcoming regional holidays. Re-validate resource assignments for the UAT phase to restore customer confidence."
  5. Status Update (Required): Provide a brief on the current state. Example: "Executive alignment call scheduled for 10/12. Revised project plan and resource matrix are being drafted for customer review."
  6. Status (Required): Set the current status to "Open".

System Information (Right Side):

  1. Owner, PSC Project, & Currency: These fields will auto-populate based on the project record.
  2. Include in Status Report: Check this box. Because this is a major customer-facing escalation, it needs to be visible on the external status report.

Important: Most fields on this form are required. Complete every field marked (Required) before you save.

Step 3: Save the Escalation

Once all fields are populated, click the Save button at the bottom of the modal.

You will be returned to the project's Related tab, where the "PSC Project Customer Escalations" related list will now show a count of (1). It will display the title, escalation number (e.g., CE-0001), and current status for quick reference.

Success! Your customer escalation is saved and listed on the project record.

Why This Matters

Customer escalations are a natural part of complex implementation projects, but how you track them makes all the difference. By logging them in the Project Management Center:

  1. You create a paper trail. There is no ambiguity about when the customer raised the concern or what was promised to resolve it.
  2. You ensure accountability. Assigning an Escalation Owner ensures someone is directly responsible for driving the resolution.
  3. You protect the relationship. Documenting the Remedial Action Plan and Status Updates demonstrates to leadership (and eventually the customer) that their concerns are being actively addressed.

Knowledge Article Number: KA-00451

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