Customer Status Page Overview

1. Purpose: To provide customers with a clear, transparent, and simplified view of the service’s current health and any ongoing incidents. This page aims to keep customers informed and reassured, reducing the need for additional support inquiries.

---

Key Elements of the Customer Status Page

1. Service Health Overview:
   • Status Indicators: Simple, color-coded indicators (e.g., green for “Operational,” yellow for “Degraded Performance,” red for “Service Outage”) for each key service.
   • Summary: A brief summary that states the overall status of all services, e.g., “All systems are operational” or “Some services are experiencing issues.”
2. Incident Information:
   • Current Incidents: A list of any ongoing incidents, with details such as:
     • Incident Title: A concise description, e.g., “Service Interruption in Region X.”
     • Impact Description: A clear statement of how the incident affects the service, e.g., “Users may experience delays in data processing.”
     • Incident Start Time: The exact time the incident began.
     • Expected Resolution Time: If available, provide an estimated time for resolution.
     • Updates: Regular updates on the status of the incident, with timestamps to show when each update was posted.
3. Incident History:
   • Past Incidents: A section displaying recent resolved incidents, including the resolution date and a brief summary of what occurred. This history builds transparency and helps customers understand that issues are managed proactively.
4. Planned Maintenance:
   • Upcoming Maintenance Schedule: A schedule of any planned maintenance activities, with details such as:
     • Date and Time: Start and end times for maintenance.
     • Services Affected: Which services may be unavailable or have reduced performance.
     • Impact Description: A summary of the expected impact on users.
5. Contact Information:
   • Support Options: Clear instructions on how to contact support for more information, including links to a support portal or email addresses.
   • FAQs: A link to a Frequently Asked Questions page for quick answers to common questions about service status and incidents.

---

Design and Accessibility Considerations

1. User-Friendly Design:
   • Use a clean, uncluttered layout with intuitive navigation.
   • Present information in a logical order, starting with the most important details (e.g., current status) and moving to less critical information (e.g., incident history).
2. Mobile Accessibility: Ensure the status page is mobile-friendly so customers can easily check the service status from any device.
3. Real-Time Updates: Automate updates to the page to ensure customers have the latest information without manual intervention. Use timestamps to indicate when updates are made.

---

Example Layout

1. Header:
   • Company Logo: For brand recognition.
   • Service Status Summary: A quick visual cue about the overall health of services.
2. Main Content:
   • Service Health Indicators: A list of services with their current status.
   • Current Incidents: Detailed information on ongoing issues, updated in real-time.
   • Incident History: A collapsible section with details about resolved incidents.
3. Footer:
   • Contact Information: Support contact details and a link to FAQs.
   • Planned Maintenance: A short summary or a link to more detailed maintenance schedules.

---

Example Scenario

Status: “Some services are experiencing degraded performance.” Current Incident: “Data Sync Service Delay in Region Y”

• Impact: Users in Region Y may experience delays in data synchronization.
• Start Time: November 11, 2024, 10:00 AM UTC
• Expected Resolution: November 11, 2024, 2:00 PM UTC
• Updates:
  • “10:30 AM UTC: Our engineering team is investigating the issue.”
  • “11:30 AM UTC: A fix has been identified and is being deployed.”
  • “1:00 PM UTC: Performance is gradually improving. We are monitoring.”

Planned Maintenance: “November 15, 2024, 1:00 AM – 3:00 AM UTC. The authentication service will be intermittently unavailable.”

---

AWS Tools for Implementation

1. Amazon CloudWatch: For monitoring and updating service status in real-time.
2. AWS Lambda: To automate status updates and incident notifications.
3. Amazon SNS: To send notifications to customers about critical incidents.
4. Amazon Route 53: To ensure high availability of the status page itself.
5. AWS Amplify: To quickly deploy and manage the customer status page.

This approach keeps customers well-informed, builds trust, and ensures clarity during incidents or maintenance periods.