When a partnership escalates an issue, who owns the next move?

A customer flags a serious problem. One partner expects an immediate response; the other thinks the account lead should first confirm the impact. Both may be trying to protect the relationship, but they’re working from different expectations—and the customer may be left waiting while they sort that out.

When you agree on an escalation path, what should each side own: acknowledging the issue, deciding who investigates, updating the customer, or choosing when to escalate further? What boundaries help urgent issues move quickly without making every problem an emergency?