Narrative 5: The essential role of SLAs
Behind the scenes of a successful ticketing system - BTS Series
Narrative 5: The essential role of SLAs
Every organization that interacts with customers establishes a timeframe within which agents should respond to queries as part of a service level agreement (SLA). For instance, a team might set an SLA requiring that the first response to any customer ticket be sent within an hour of its inception.
Let's look at an example: You schedule a 10 AM medical appointment using the healthcare provider's app. As part of their service commitment, they guarantee—through an SLA—that all patients will be seen within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. When you arrive and check in, you can feel confident that you'll be called in to see the doctor shortly.
This level of timeliness is critical in healthcare, where delays can affect outcomes, patient satisfaction, and trust in the provider. The SLA ensures that the clinic is accountable for prompt service and provides a positive patient experience.
The same idea applies in any service industry: SLAs help maintain customer trust and satisfaction and keep operations running smoothly by setting specific standards. It is essential for businesses to carefully measure, document, and manage SLA metrics to ensure they consistently meet or exceed expectations for service quality.
What are service level agreements (SLAs)?
An SLA is a formal contract that sets the expected standards for quality, agent availability, and responsiveness between a customer and their service provider. It is essential to measure service delivery by establishing clear and achievable performance goals.
SLAs are key to improving customer service because they outline specific targets, such as response and resolution times, which help ensure consistent and effective service delivery. Modern customer service tools now include SLAs to track performance, ensure compliance, and help escalate issues when they reach certain limits. By utilising automation, teams can prioritise tasks more efficiently. This results in better service delivery and higher customer satisfaction.
Types of SLAs
Zoho Desk offers two types of SLAs:
Service Level Agreements define the level of service a customer can expect from your support team based on measurable performance targets—such as response and resolution times—for specific customer issues.
SLAs are customer-facing and are typically tied to factors such as ticket priority, customer tier, or support plan. Zoho Desk also allows you to configure SLAs based on business hours, time zones, and ticket severity to ensure compliance and timely follow-up.
Examples of SLAs:
- Responding to high-priority support tickets within 1 hour
- Resolving technical issues within 24 hours for standard support
- Providing onboarding or implementation support within a set timeframe
Operational-Level Agreements (OLAs) are internal policies that outline the actions various teams will take to meet the commitments outlined in SLAs. They are beneficial in larger organisations where teams rely on one another to deliver those services and meet agreed-upon performance levels.
Examples of OLAs:
- The IT infrastructure team must resolve backend server issues within 4 hours to support SLA uptime targets
- The compliance team must review and update data privacy settings within two business days
- The network team must report and resolve outages within an agreed window to avoid SLA breaches
What are escalations?
Escalations provide a backup system to prevent delays, which can still happen even with clear SLAs. SLA escalations are automated backup plans that activate when a deadline for a response or resolution is missed. To prevent the issue from being overlooked, these rules quickly reassign it to a higher authority or a peer. This approach enables businesses to maintain the necessary service standards, even in challenging circumstances.
Components of an SLA
Agreement overview: This section outlines the start and end dates of the SLA, identifies the parties involved, and summarizes the services covered.
Description of services: This section outlines all included services, response and resolution times, escalation processes, and maintenance schedules.
Communication protocols: This outlines the process for updating and communicating during the support process.
Penalties and remedies: This section outlines penalties, such as service credits or compensation, that may be applied if service standards aren’t met. It also explains how breaches are handled.
Exclusions: This describes events and conditions that void SLA obligations, such as force majeure or customer misconfiguration.
Termination and review: This outlines the processes for reviewing, updating, or terminating the agreement.
Why do businesses need SLAs?
- Enhanced alignment between service delivery and customer expectations
SLAs establish a mutual understanding between the service provider and the customer regarding the service to be delivered. They play a crucial role in achieving the right balance between the parameters of service delivery and support.
- Prioritization
SLAs specify which issues require immediate attention and prompt resolution.
- Standardized support delivery
By clearly outlining their approach to service delivery, businesses can ensure consistency throughout the organisation. This minimises the risk of errors and operational slip-ups.
- Better customer satisfaction
SLAs detail the expected response times for critical issues and the support processes for non-critical matters, ensuring prompt resolutions. Compliance with these established timelines leads to higher customer satisfaction levels.
- Continuous service improvement
Examining service performance data allows for the identification of areas for improvement, adjustments to the services outlined in the SLA, and updates to SLA targets to meet business demands and expectations better.
Final thoughts on SLAs
SLAs are essential for providing reliable, clear, and high-quality service through ticketing systems. They set appropriate expectations and provide a way to measure and improve support performance.
Please stay tuned for more Desk behind-the-scenes series.
Regards,
Kavya Rao
The Zoho Desk Team
Also, read:
Behind the scenes of a successful ticketing system (BTS Series)
- Narrative 4: Exploring the support channels
- Narrative 3 - Comprehending user management
- Narrative 2 - Understanding organizational departments
- Narrative 1 - The significance of a business account
Further reading:
The Wheels of Ticketing Series
- Eighth Insight - Oversee module relationships with Lookups
- Seventh Insight - Organize your data using Modules
- Sixth Insight - The Hidden C in Data
- Fifth Insight - Maximize the role of Departments
- Fourth Insight - The power of Multi-Layouts
- Third Insight - The Importance of Data Segregation
- Second Insight - Let's talk Layouts
- First Insight - Find your Fields
Access your files securely from anywhere
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Kavya Rao Addepalli
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho CRM Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
Problema Verificacion con proveedor NIC.AR
No puedo realizar la verificación del correo, he seguido los pasos indicados y configurado los MX. Y no puedo verificar el correo. He leido en el foro que otros han tenido el mismo problema. Alguno pudo solucionarlo?How to remove some users in zoho accounts
How to remove some users in Zoho accounts.Unified Inbox for all, including fetched mails
I fetch mails from different third-parties mailboxes. But I need to switch mailbox too see fetched mails. It's strange. All mailboxes have one shared disk space for own mail and fetched mail, but why do we need to switch mailbox (on the left bottom) toWhatsapp Limitation Questions
Good day, I would like to find out about the functionality or possibility of all the below points within the Zoho/WhatsApp integration. Will WhatsApp buttons ever be possible in the future? Will WhatsApp Re-directs to different users be possible basedUsers Not Automatically Being Added To WorkDrive Team
I have already created a ticket for this issue, but the support team doesn't seem to understand what's happening. Our organization started with a trial of Zoho Workplace around November 10, 2025. I created 10 users, including myself. I sent out the invites,Synchronization between Gmail and Zoho Mail
Hello! I am using Zoho Mail within the Zoho One platform. I have completed the basic setup and added all the required DNS records with our domain provider. Our goal is to set up two-way synchronization between our current Gmail inbox and Zoho Mail, butIMAP login problem
I have my domain hosted with zoho @wilson.ie I have added a new user and have enabled IMAP access to this user account The user can login to zoho mail on the web. When we enter the server settings into Outlook as per below, Outlook cannot login to theContact data removes Account data when creating a quote
Hi, Our customer has address fields in their quote layout which should be the address of the Account. They prefill the information, adding the account name - the address data is populated as per what is in the account - great. However when they then addChanges to subform in Zoho CRM Portal Timeline History Unavailable
Hi Support Team, We have noticed a feature limitation in the Zoho CRM portal. We created a portal for our vendors to edit records directly, but when vendors make updates, the Modified Time and Date fields are not being updated. Additionally, these updatesThis mobile number has been marked spam. Please contact support.
Hi Support, Can you tell me why number was marked as spam. I have having difficult to add my number as you keep requesting i must use it. My number is +63....163 Or is Zoho company excluding Philippines from their services?Function #11: Apply unused credits automatically to invoices
Today, we bring you a custom function that automatically applies unused credits from excess payments, credit notes, and retainer payments to an invoice when it is created. Prerequisites: Create a Connection named "zbooks" to successfully execute the function.Duplicating report but custom layout does not
Dear Zoho Creator, I need to duplicate a report into 10 copies, but unfortunately the custom layout (detail view) doesn’t copy along with it. I tried exporting and importing the custom layout, but the field mappings are incorrect. I believe everyone areCredit Card Readers?
We would like to use our commerce website at conferences (and eventually in store) to swipe credit cards to pay for orders. How would we accomplish this? Does Zoho have anything available for a developer write code to integrate something like Stripe TerminalStock count by bin location
Is there a configuration to make a stock count by bin or area and not by product. these is useful to manage count by area RegardsAdd Prebuilt "Partner Finder" Template with Native Zoho CRM Integration in Zoho Sites To: Zoho Sites Product Team
Hi Zoho Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request a prebuilt "Partner Finder" template for Zoho Sites, modeled after your excellent implementation here: 🔗 https://www.zoho.com/partners/find-partner-results.html ✅ Use Case: Our organizationHow Do I Refund a Customer Directly to Their Credit Card?
Hi, I use books to auto-charge my customers credit card. But when I create a credit note there doesn't seem to be a way to directly refund the amount back to their credit card. Is the only way to refund a credit note by doing it "offline" - or manually-Zoho Learn Course Completion Notifications/Triggers/API
Zoho Learn works great and will suit our course creation needs, but it appears to be lacking a bit when it comes to integration with other Zoho services (creator etc.) when it comes to course completion. 1) Is there an API or Zoho Flow trigger for whenEnhanced Recording Permission Controls for Zoho Cliq Meetings (Similar to Zoom)
Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the recording permission functionality in Zoho Cliq Meetings. Current Limitation: in Zoho Cliq Only hosts and co-hosts can record a meeting. Participants cannotPhone Connection
When on a call the person on the other end complains that there is static, I am cutting in and out or they can't hear me all. This happens on the cell connection as well.Can't add a sender adress from zoho campaigns
hi, I need to change the sender address for a campaign. When i try to add it i get a message to say 'duplicated email address found while adding your sender address'. This is the first campaign i'm sending so I don't understand why this message is displayed? Thanks JaneAllow customers to choose meeting venue and meeting duration on booking page
My business primarily involves one-to-one meetings with my clients. Given the hybrid-work world we now find ourselves in, these meetings can take several forms (which I think of as the meeting "venue"): In-person Zoom Phone call I currently handle theseThis domain is not allowed to add. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details
I am trying to setup the free version of Zoho Mail. When I tried to add my domain, theselfreunion.com I got the error message that is the subject of this Topic. I've read your other community forum topics, and this is NOT a free domain. So what is theThis user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details
Hello, Just signed up to ZOHO on a friend's recommendation. Got the TXT part (verified my domain), but whenever I try to add ANY user, I get the error: This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details I have emailed as well and writing here as well because when I searched, I saw many people faced the same issue and instead of email, they got a faster response here. My domain is: raisingreaderspk . com Hope this can be resolved. Thank youExport History timeline
Hi, I have an idea, bout zoho desk history of the ticket it would be great if the agent or admin of the zoho desk can export the timeline of the ticket history for agent report or on other matter.Desk fails to create a new ticket on Reply email
When I send a direct email to support@mysite.com, Desk will create a new ticket as expected. When I REPLY to an email sent from support@mysite.com, Desk will NOT generate a new ticket. This is very bad. How can I fix this? Use case: In a separate systemAsk the Experts 25: Experience the full spectrum of Zoho Desk’s autumn and spring releases for 2025
Hello Everyone, We’re on the 25th episode of our ATE series! It's a true milestone in our live community interactions! It’s been an amazing journey since we started in October 2018. Zoho Desk has come a long way, evolving with the support of a wonderfulAddin Support in Zoho Sheet
Is there any addin support available in zoho sheet as like google marketplace to enhance productivity by connecting with other apps, providing AI data analysis, streamlining business processes, and more?Zoho Books | Product updates | November 2025
Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From translating email notification templates to the new transaction locking restrictions, explore the updates designed to enhance your bookkeeping experience. Making Tax DigitalFunction #61: Automatically add free item to the invoice based on item quantity
Hello everyone, and welcome back to another Custom Function Friday! During holiday seasons or special promotions, businesses offer deals like BOGO (Buy One, Get One), Buy 3 Get 1 Free, Buy 2 at 50% off, and much more to attract customers. These promotionsNotes for Items for Future Purchase Order
Next time when I order an item, tau have to make some changes in it, that order has to be placed after 4-5 months, I want to save those changes or points somewhere in the item, how will that be possible..Schemes of different tyoe
How can easily apply hourly, day wise or month wise schemes on Bill, Quantity, and other schemes. Like I want to apply a scheme Form today to next 7 days .where i can mention in zoho books so scheme will implement automatically to all customers andClients not receiving emails
I've been informed that my emails are not being received. Is there anything that I should look into to rectify this? Many thanks!Free Plan mail accounts details
In the zoho mail pricing there's a free plan that includes: FREE PLAN Up to 25 Users 5GB* /User, 25MB Attachment Limit Webmail access only. Single domain hosting. I need to make sure that I'm able to create multiple email accounts in the form of: name@domain.comZOHO Mail App Not working
There seems to be an issue with Zoho Mail App today. It is not connecting to server, internet is working fine, tried uninstalling app and reinstalling, loading circle keeps spinning round. Is there an update on the way?No more IMAP/POP/SMTP on free plans even on referrals with NO NOTICE
Outraged. Just referred a colleague to use her domain (not posting it publicly here) to Zoho, just as I have other colleagues, clients, friends. Expected the exact same free plan features as I have and as everyone else I ever referred got. I was helpingUnable to receive email - "5.3.0 - Other mail system problem 554-'5.2.3 MailPolicy violation Error delivering to mailboxes'"
My users are unable to receive emails from one particular domain, apparently. The domain known to be kicked back is whitelisted in the spam control. I sent an email to support earlier this morning but I have not received a reply. The error in the titleCaixa de saída bloqueada. Como desbloquear?
Olá, meu e-mail isabela.celli@sivirino.com está com a caixa de saída bloqueada. Não consigo enviar e-mails. Acredito que tenha sido porque mandei o mesmo e-mail para várias pessoas, pedindo uma cotação de serviço. Vocês podem desbloquear para mim? QuantosZoho Forms - Improve the CRM integration field to query data from more than one module
Hi Forms team, Something I get stuck on regularly is pre-populating a form with data when that data is spread across 2 or 3 modules. For example Contacts, Accounts and Deals. I don't want to duplicate the information in CRM so I end up writing a functiondesbloquear cuenta
Buenos dias Cordial saludo Tengo una cuenta libre en zoho mail asociado a un dominio, pero uno de los usuarios se bloquea el correo porque dice que ha excedido el límite de correo, por favor podrian desbloquearla y como hago para que esta persona debe enviar sus correos sin ningun probleama. Gracias de antemanoNot Receiving Incoming Mail
I can send emails from my account but I do not receive any. I originally set up forwarding and it worked for a while and then stopped. I turned off forwarding and now do not receive any emails. Could you please check what is causing this issue? Thank youNext Page