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SLA Policies

Configure Service Level Agreement policies to ensure timely response and resolution of support requests.

Understanding SLA Policies​

SLA policies define:

  • Response Time: How quickly an agent must respond
  • Resolution Time: How quickly the issue must be resolved
  • Working Hours: When SLA time is counted
  • Escalation: What happens when SLA is at risk

SLA Tiers​

Default Tier Structure​

DZDESK supports multiple SLA tiers:

TierTypical UseResponseResolution
Tier 1Critical issues1 hour4 hours
Tier 2High priority4 hours8 hours
Tier 3Standard issues8 hours24 hours
Tier 4Low priority24 hours72 hours

Creating SLA Tiers​

  1. Navigate to Settings > SLA Configuration
  2. Click Add Tier
  3. Configure:
FieldDescription
NameTier display name
Response TargetHours to first response
Resolution TargetHours to resolution
Include SaturdayCount Saturday hours
Include SundayCount Sunday hours
  1. Save the tier

Editing SLA Tiers​

  1. Find tier in list
  2. Click Edit
  3. Modify settings
  4. Save changes

Note: Changes apply to new requests only. Existing requests keep their original SLA.

Deleting SLA Tiers​

  1. Find tier in list
  2. Click Delete
  3. Reassign affected priorities
  4. Confirm deletion

Priority-to-Tier Mapping​

Configuring Mapping​

Link request priorities to SLA tiers:

  1. Go to Settings > Priority Mapping
  2. For each priority, select tier:
PriorityDefault Tier
CriticalTier 1
HighTier 2
MediumTier 3
LowTier 4

Category-Based SLA​

Optionally, assign tiers by category:

  • Hardware issues → Tier 2
  • Software issues → Tier 3
  • Security issues → Tier 1

Working Hours Impact​

How Working Hours Affect SLA​

SLA time only counts during working hours:

  • Non-working hours: Paused
  • Holidays: Paused
  • Weekends: Based on tier config

Weekend Configuration​

Per-tier weekend settings:

ScenarioSaturdaySunday
24/7 SupportCountedCounted
Critical OnlyCountedCounted
Business HoursExcludedExcluded

Example Calculation​

Request created: Friday 5:00 PM Working hours: 9 AM - 6 PM Weekends excluded for this tier

PeriodDurationSLA Time
Fri 5-6 PM1 hour1 hour
Fri night15 hours0
Saturday24 hours0
Sunday24 hours0
Mon 9-12 AM3 hours3 hours
Total67 hours4 hours

SLA Pausing​

When SLA Pauses​

SLA can pause for:

  • "Pending" status (configurable)
  • Waiting for customer response
  • External dependency

Configuring Pause Rules​

  1. Go to Settings > SLA Policies
  2. Find Pause Rules
  3. Configure which statuses pause SLA

Manual Pause​

Admins can manually pause:

  1. Open request
  2. Click Pause SLA
  3. Enter reason
  4. SLA pauses until resumed

SLA Notifications​

Warning Thresholds​

Configure when warnings sent:

ThresholdDefault
First warning50% elapsed
Second warning75% elapsed
Final warning90% elapsed
Breach alert100% elapsed

Notification Recipients​

Configure who receives alerts:

RecipientGets Alert
Assigned AgentYes
Group ManagerYes
AdminConfigurable
Custom EmailOptional

Notification Content​

Alerts include:

  • Request details
  • Time remaining
  • Direct link to request
  • Suggested actions

SLA Escalation​

Automatic Escalation​

Configure escalation rules:

  1. Go to Settings > SLA Escalation
  2. Define triggers:
    • At 75% of target
    • At breach
  3. Define actions:
    • Notify manager
    • Increase priority
    • Reassign request

Escalation Paths​

Define escalation chains:

  • Level 1 → Level 2 → Level 3
  • Agent → Team Lead → Manager
  • Group → Parent Group

SLA Reporting​

Compliance Metrics​

Track SLA performance:

  • Response SLA met %
  • Resolution SLA met %
  • Average response time
  • Average resolution time

Breach Analysis​

Review breaches:

  • Count by tier
  • Breach reasons
  • Time over target
  • Patterns and trends

Export Reports​

  1. Go to Reports > SLA
  2. Select date range
  3. Choose filters
  4. Export CSV or PDF

Best Practices​

Setting Targets​

  1. Be realistic: Base on historical data
  2. Consider capacity: Account for team size
  3. Build buffer: Don't set minimum possible
  4. Differentiate tiers: Clear difference between tiers

Managing SLA​

  1. Monitor daily: Check dashboard
  2. Act on warnings: Don't wait for breach
  3. Document delays: Note unavoidable delays
  4. Review regularly: Adjust targets based on data

Continuous Improvement​

  1. Analyze breaches: Find root causes
  2. Identify patterns: Common breach scenarios
  3. Adjust policies: Update based on data
  4. Train team: Ensure SLA awareness

Troubleshooting​

SLA Not Calculating​

Check:

  • Working hours configured
  • Tier assigned to priority
  • Request has priority set
  • Timezone correct

Incorrect Time Shown​

Verify:

  • Working hours settings
  • Holiday calendar
  • Weekend configuration
  • Timezone alignment

Notifications Not Sent​

Review:

  • Notification settings
  • Email configuration
  • Recipient settings
  • Alert thresholds