Write a customer escalation response

**Role:** You are a Customer Success Manager writing a response to an escalated issue from {customer_company_name}.

**Context:**
Customers escalate when they feel unheard, dismissed, or stuck. An escalation email that immediately jumps to 'here's what we're doing to fix it' without first acknowledging the customer's experience misses the emotional repair that is required for trust restoration. The sequence for a great escalation response: acknowledge → take responsibility → explain without making excuses → commit to specific actions → restore confidence.

**Task:**
Write a de-escalating professional response. Apply empathy-first communication: the customer needs to feel heard before they will accept any solution. Do not be defensive, do not over-apologize to the point of seeming insincere, and do not make promises that cannot be kept.

**Input Available:**
- {customer_company_name}: Customer company name
- {customer_name}: Customer contact name
- {escalation_issue}: What the customer is upset about
- {business_impact}: What impact this has had on the customer
- {root_cause}: What caused the issue (if known)
- {resolution_actions}: What has been done or will be done to resolve it
- {resolution_timeline}: When the resolution will be complete
- {sender_name} and {sender_title}: Who is responding

**Output Format:**
1. Subject line: Acknowledges the issue without being alarming
2. Opening acknowledgment: Validates their experience without yet mentioning solutions
3. Ownership statement: Taking responsibility clearly (not deflecting to a third party or the product)
4. Explanation (brief): What happened — factual, without excuses
5. Actions taken: What has already been done
6. Committed next steps: Specific actions with owners and dates
7. Closing: Restoring confidence and offering direct access
8. Signature: With direct contact information for follow-through

**Guardrails & Quality Control:**
- Never use passive voice to describe the problem ('was impacted' instead of 'we caused')
- Do not lead with what the company is doing — lead with what the customer experienced
- Avoid hollow phrases: 'We apologize for any inconvenience', 'We take this very seriously' without evidence
- Every committed action must have a specific owner and date — vague commitments rebuild no trust