How to calculate Escalation Rate

Formula

Escalation rate = escalated tickets ÷ total tickets × 100

SQL query

This example assumes: tickets(id, created_at, category, escalated). It is written in PostgreSQL syntax; date functions differ slightly in MySQL, BigQuery and SQLite, and your column names will differ from these.

SELECT category,
       COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE escalated) * 100.0 / NULLIF(COUNT(*), 0) AS escalation_pct
FROM tickets
WHERE created_at >= DATE '2026-07-01'
GROUP BY category
ORDER BY escalation_pct DESC;

Common mistakes that make Escalation Rate wrong

• Some categories (security, billing) are meant to escalate; read the rate per category.
• A very low rate can mean agents are not escalating when they should.
• Tickets escalated twice count once if you use a boolean.

Ask for Escalation Rate in plain English

Instead of writing the query yourself, you can type the question. SchemaChat turns it into SQL against your connected database or uploaded file, runs it, and shows the SQL and the figures it used so you can check the answer before you share it. It does not replace your judgement about the definition: check that the query matches the formula your business uses.

• What is our escalation rate by category?
• Which agents escalate the most tickets?