SLA (Service Level Agreement)
A defined commitment for how quickly and thoroughly customer requests will be handled.
In practice
SLAs typically cover response time, resolution time, and uptime where relevant, and missing them can carry financial penalties in a formal vendor contract - internally, they're often used just to set clear expectations for how fast a team should respond.
A support team commits to a 24-hour first response SLA on all customer emails, and tracks how often it actually meets that target.
Why it matters
A clearly defined SLA sets shared expectations between a business and its customers or vendor - without one, 'fast enough' is left entirely to interpretation.
Worth knowing
- Typically covers first response time, resolution time, and sometimes uptime for technical support.
- Missing an SLA in a formal vendor contract can carry financial penalties.
- Internal SLAs, even without a contract, are still useful for setting team expectations.
Start the conversation
Let's talk it through
Tell us where things stand with putting sla into practice and we'll respond with next steps, no forms, no waiting in a queue.
- A specialist replies directly, not a support queue
- Whichever channel is fastest for you, call, WhatsApp or email
- No long-term contract to start the conversation
