# Service Level Agreements

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## Why is SLA useful?

1. **Improved Customer Satisfaction**: By setting clear expectations for response and resolution times, SLAs help ensure customers receive timely support, which boosts satisfaction and trust.
2. **Enhanced Accountability**: SLAs provide a structured framework for monitoring agent performance. This makes it easier to identify gaps in service delivery and take corrective actions.
3. **Better Resource Management**: By setting priorities and deadlines, SLAs help teams manage workloads effectively, ensuring critical issues are addressed promptly.
4. **Data-Driven Insights**: SLAs provide valuable metrics that can be analyzed to understand performance trends, helping organizations make informed decisions to improve processes.

Incorporating SLAs into your CRM platform helps maintain high standards of service, driving both operational efficiency and customer loyalty.\\

***

## Feature Description

**Creating metric-based SLAs**:

Understanding the metrics:

1. **First Response Time (FRT)**: Calculated from the ticket's "opened\_at" time, irrespective of agent assignment.
2. **Next Response Time (NRT)**: Calculated from the first user message until the agent replies back.
3. **Resolution Time (RT)**: Calculated from the ticket's "opened\_at" time until it is resolved, regardless of agent handoffs.

<figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2FnQXTAjPAvvHEnmHUg94m%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%2012.55.59%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b58b5329-66ff-4e86-8708-685215ee51d9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Defining Escalations and Reminders

* **Multi-Level Escalations**: Users can set up multi-level escalations if any of these policies are breached.
  * Escalations consist of in-app notification and mails

<figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2F4gxOxAsvpa7MAaaurVc0%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%2012.56.57%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=0e85105b-4dff-49da-bb59-2c86c68785b0" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* **Reminders**: Users can set up reminders when the SLA is nearing breach time to prompt timely actions.

  * Reminders also consist of in-app notification and mails

  <figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2F7ccoBLlqsHhngWtQxl9P%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%2012.56.33%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=e75ec151-5e44-46e0-aee3-81a4fcf00c89" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Example of Reminders and Escalations

* **Reminder Example**: When FRT approaches in 30 minutes, send a reminder to the assigned agent.
* **Escalation Example**: When FRT is not met, escalate immediately to the assigned agent and send a level 2 escalation to the admin if the ticket is still not resolved after 30 minutes.

#### Defining SLA Conditions

Users can define SLA policies based on:

* Inbox
* Team
* Tags

<figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2FXf6uyCv29grzqRCgz43q%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%2012.57.23%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a151ba2e-f9ab-4b75-9242-47f32aa5cb70" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### SLA Policy Ordering

Users can define the order in which SLA policies are applied to avoid multiple SLAs being applied to a single ticket. Ordering is essential to ensure that only one SLA policy is applied per ticket, preventing ambiguity.

{% hint style="info" %}
The first matching SLA will override any other SLA that may be applied later when a ticket is reopened or assigned to another agent.
{% endhint %}

#### Out-of-Office Settings

Users have the option to include or exclude out-of-office hours in SLA calculations, defined for each metric.

<figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2FJQxPZic8g0Hg2S2lI5hq%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%201.00.57%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a544102d-b115-4958-89a0-9d2ec42a0ef6" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Filters in the “Tickets” Section

1. **Breached SLA**: Filter to differentiate between tickets where any SLA was breached.
2. **Nearing SLA Breach**: Filter for tickets nearing SLA breach within a defined time frame.

<figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2FVflIcwPrG9vB64OBxDYH%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%201.03.28%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=256d801f-6c7f-4227-a491-e719768c8d28" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Metrics and Reporting

1. **Ticket Level Metrics**

   * **Overall SLA Violation %**: Percentage of tickets where any SLA was breached.

   <figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2FHkuRWzX6HLCbd3weC2uG%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%201.06.38%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=46adbce5-806a-48e7-9d3d-854bcec0a060" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
2. **Agent Level Metrics**

   * **Violation % for Agents**: Calculated for closed tickets, showing the percentage of violations for FRT, NRT, and RT.

   <figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2FX7JexfNqxLuu6OQpCw0j%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%201.10.36%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=58cf08b9-de80-4d53-8ed2-b6d0317d0934" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Notifications and Highlights

* **In app notifications** : Notifications for escalations and reminders and breaches
* **Activity Messages in Tickets**: Indications of SLA status within ticket conversations

<figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2FVExaaCV6kG0R0SEqUw0Z%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%201.12.27%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=1cd664fb-0f8e-48f5-8e21-57766179d4b8" alt="" width="295"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://303644337-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbTdWohNbJyoGc4vPpxk1%2Fuploads%2FvpgKQJTUWNxuZDjjLCxQ%2FScreenshot%202024-11-09%20at%201.12.53%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=8b21e4c7-cc15-43ee-9d4f-c9cc5a07d963" alt="" width="334"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* Email notification: An email will be sent to inform about the breached cases

To know more about SLA feature, check this video:

{% embed url="<https://drive.google.com/file/d/17H2cim6vEi_hM4yRasNLQz9mxe6rebMJ/view?usp=sharing>" %}

***

## FAQ'S

<details>

<summary>What are the key SLA metrics?</summary>

* **First Response Time (FRT):** Time taken from when a ticket is opened to when an agent first responds.
* **Next Response Time (NRT):** Time from a customer's message until an agent's next reply.
* **Resolution Time (RT):** Time from ticket creation to resolution, regardless of agent transfers.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do reminders and escalations work?</summary>

* **Reminders**: Sent before an SLA is breached to prompt agent action.
  * *Example:* A reminder is sent 30 minutes before FRT is breached.
* **Escalations**: Triggered if an SLA is breached, notifying higher-level agents or admins.
  * *Example:* If an FRT breach occurs, escalate to the assigned agent, and after 30 minutes, escalate to the admin.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I customize SLA conditions?</summary>

Yes, SLA policies can be defined based on:

* **Inbox** (specific support channels)
* **Team** (assigned agent groups)
* **Tags** (specific ticket types or priorities)

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is SLA policy ordering?</summary>

SLA policies follow a set order to prevent multiple SLAs from applying to a single ticket. The **first matching SLA** overrides others, ensuring clear and consistent application.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can SLAs exclude out-of-office hours?</summary>

Yes, out-of-office settings can be configured to **include or exclude non-working hours** when calculating SLAs.

</details>
