Incident communication tips

How you respond during an incident is critical. Keep these 5 tips in mind as you communicate about incidents.

1. Communicate early

Quickly acknowledge the issue, briefly summarize the known impact, promise further updates and, if you’re able, alleviate any concerns about security or data loss.

2. Communicate often

Provide updates every 30 minutes (or whatever cadence is appropriate for the situation) to keep users out of the dark until resolution.

3. Communicate precisely

When it comes to incident updates, honesty, clarity, and transparency is key. Make sure to explain the issue and how it impacts different stakeholders in layman’s terms.

4. Stay consistent across channels

Make sure you are delivering consistent (and relevant) updates across all communication channels you are using (Twitter, email, Statuspage, etc).

5. Own the problem

While an incident may technically be caused by another provider, in your customers' eyes, it’s a problem with your service. Own the problem and show understanding for how your customers may feel. Show empathy, and apologize when necessary.

Additional reading

Connect with other Statuspage customers in the Statuspage Community for more tips, tricks, and best practices!

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