When and how to escalate a Klir Connect issue to Klir

As a utility administrator, you are the first point of contact for everyone who uses Klir Connect: testers, industrial users, drivers and other portal users. Most questions can be solved on your side with a few quick checks. Some issues, though, need Klir. This article walks you through how to tell the difference, how to spot a payment problem versus a portal problem, what to gather before you escalate, and how to send it our way.

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Know when an issue should go to Klir
• Tell a payment problem from a portal problem
• Gather the right information before you escalate
• Submit an escalation to Klir
• Escalation guide

Know when an issue should go to Klir

Klir Connect support works in two levels. Level 1 sits with your team and covers access, everyday workflows and admin checks. Level 2 sits with Klir and covers anything that points to Klir Connect itself or a change outside your control.

Your team handles (Level 1)

• Login, password reset and MFA or verification guidance
• Confirming a user account exists and has the correct permissions
• Sending or resending portal invitations
• Walking users through normal workflows, such as submitting tests, SMRs, manifests, licenses or certifications
• Helping users access payment receipts and past submissions
• Reviewing notification history and confirming notification delivery
• Validating required configuration before escalating

Klir handles (Level 2)

• Application errors, portal bugs and performance issues
• Workflows that fail because of a software defect
• API or integration issues
• Notification failures caused by Klir Connect
• Portal, security, environment and permission model configuration
• Payment issues, including card declines, processing failures, bank authorization issues, refunds and disputes

A quick three-step check

• Ask whether the user just needs help completing a task. If yes, this one is yours.

• Work through the account, workflow and admin checks above. Confirm the account exists, permissions are right, the invitation was sent and notifications were delivered.

• If the issue is still not resolved, or it looks like Klir Connect is producing an error rather than an account problem, escalate to Klir.

Tell a payment problem from a portal problem

Both payment problems and portal problems come to Klir, so you do not need to sort out the cause yourself. Naming the type correctly when you escalate simply gets it to the right people faster, especially when the payment provider (Stripe) may be involved.

One exception to keep in mind: if a user simply cannot find a payment receipt, that is a Level 1 workflow question you can help with directly.

Not sure which it is? If something goes wrong on the payment step, flag it as a payment issue and describe exactly what the user saw. Klir will triage it from there.

Gather the right information before you escalate

A complete escalation means fewer follow-up questions and a faster fix for your user. Before you submit, pull together the following.

For every escalation

• Who is affected: the user’s name, email and associated account or customer record, plus whether other users are seeing the same thing
• Program and workflow: for example Water Protection backflow test, IPP SMR submission or LWH manifest
• What happened: the steps the user took, what they expected and what actually happened
• The exact error message: copied word for word where possible
• When it happened: date, approximate time and time zone
• Screenshots: of the error or the step where things went wrong
• Browser and device: if the user can share it
• What you have already checked: account exists, permissions confirmed, invitation resent, notification history reviewed
• Impact: whether this is blocking a submission or a compliance deadline

Extra details for payment issues

• The date and amount of the attempted payment
• Which workflow the payment was tied to
• Any receipt or reference shown to the user
• Whether the user tried more than once

Submit an escalation to Klir

Escalations are sent to Klir by email. Once your Level 1 checks are done and your details are ready, here’s how to send the issue our way.

1. Confirm you’ve worked through the Level 1 checks and the issue is still not resolved.
2. Start a new email to support@klir.com.
3. Write a short, clear subject line that names the issue type and the problem, for example “Payment issue: card declined on backflow test submission” or “Klir Connect error: SMR upload fails for one IU.”
4. In the body of the email, include the details from “Gather the right information before you escalate”: who is affected, the program and workflow, what happened, the exact error message, when it happened, browser and device, what you’ve already checked, and the impact. For payment issues, also include the payment date and amount, the related workflow, any receipt or reference shown to the user, and whether they tried more than once.
5. Attach your screenshots, with any sensitive details blurred.
6. Send the email and keep a copy for your records.
7. Let your user know the issue has been escalated to Klir and that you’ll keep them updated.

What happens next: Klir investigates the issue, works to determine the root cause, shares a workaround where one is available and coordinates any fix with Engineering. 

Escalation guide

The quick-reference version, for when you just need to know where a ticket goes.