SLA policies and response targets

What Are SLA Policies?

SLA policies in Deskwoot are response and resolution time targets you set for your team, measured against 3 metrics: first response time, every-reply response time, and resolution time, so you hold the team accountable to clear customer commitments. By setting clear expectations, SLA policies help you measure support performance, hold your team accountable, and ensure customers receive timely assistance across every channel in your Deskwoot inbox.

SLA policies typically track three key metrics: first response time (how quickly a customer hears back after reaching out), next response time (the gap between subsequent replies), and resolution time (how long it takes to fully resolve a conversation).

Creating an SLA Policy

1. Navigate to Settings > SLA Policies.
2. Click New Policy.
3. Give your policy a descriptive name (e.g., Premium Support – 1 Hour First Response).
4. Set thresholds for first response, next response, and resolution time. The values are in minutes (at most 30 days); leave a field empty to skip that target. Choose values that align with the commitments you've made to your customers.
5. Optionally turn on Only during business hours, then click Create Policy. The first policy you create is the default for the whole workspace. Assigning a different policy to one inbox or one conversation is only possible through the API.

Best-Practice Tips

• Start realistic. Set targets your team can consistently meet before tightening them. Overly aggressive SLAs lead to constant breaches and alert fatigue.
• Use separate policies where needed. Different inboxes can use different policies (assigned through the API), for example faster targets for live chat than for email.
• Monitor regularly. Review the First Response Time and Resolution Time reports on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to spot trends, identify bottlenecks, and adjust staffing or workflows accordingly.
• Communicate targets internally. Make sure every agent knows the active SLA thresholds so they can prioritize their queue effectively.
• Account for business hours. If your team doesn't operate 24/7, turn on Only during business hours and set business hours on your inboxes, so breach alerts don't go out at night.

Common Pitfalls & Troubleshooting

• SLA breaches seem too frequent: Double-check that your thresholds are realistic for your team size and ticket volume. Also check the business hours of your inboxes if the policy uses Only during business hours.
• Targets not applying to certain conversations: Confirm that the policy is switched on. A conversation uses the policy assigned to it, else its inbox's policy (both only through the API), else the workspace default, which is the first policy you created.
• Several policies: A conversation never uses two policies at once. It uses its own policy, else its inbox's policy, else the workspace default.

Frequently asked questions