5 Effective strategies to improve SLA response times

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The SLA response time metric in service level agreements is crucial for ensuring customer satisfaction with a business’s service. Waiting for help can be frustrating, especially when the customer needs to solve their issue fast.

It is a known fact that self-service tools and applications have gained popularity. But sometimes, the only choice is to “open a service call.” This requires prompt attention from the customer service department.

That is why we’ve crafted this article on service level agreements and response time. In the sections below, let us explore some practical tips to optimize this timeframe.

What’s an SLA?

An SLA, or service level agreement, is a contract that outlines the agreed-upon level of service from a service provider. It serves as a way to establish expectations and define the responsibilities of both parties. The SLA acts as a performance guarantee. It sets expectations for the services’ quality, availability, and responsiveness.

There are different types of SLAs. They allow service providers to customize their commitment and address specific service offerings:

• Customer-based SLA – addresses the unique expectations and service levels each customer desires.
• Service-based SLA – outlines the agreed-upon standards and expectations for a specific service.
• Multi-level SLA – addresses different tiers or levels of service within a business.

Why are SLAs important?

Customer service has changed. It is no longer only a support function. It can affect profits while also setting your business apart from competitors.

From a business perspective, SLAs are crucial for several reasons. Firstly, they provide a clear framework for service delivery, enabling businesses to set and meet specific targets.

SLAs also serve as a performance measurement tool. They allow businesses to track and evaluate their service levels against agreed-upon metrics.

Customers rely on services to meet their needs, and SLAs ensure their requirements are fulfilled. SLAs set clear expectations regarding service levels, response times, and issue resolution. This gives customers confidence in the provider’s ability to deliver.

SLA performance metrics

To ensure your business delivers excellent customer support, measuring SLA performance metrics is vital. Here are some key metrics to consider:

• Guaranteed service uptime: This means that your service or system is guaranteed to be operational after the least amount of time.
• Response time: This measures how quickly your support team responds to a customer’s initial inquiry or support ticket.
• Resolution time: This measures the duration between the initial contact and the point at which the customer’s problem is resolved or addressed to their satisfaction.
• Ticket escalation levels: This refers to the different stages of support escalation in an organization, such as when and how customer tickets are moved to higher levels of expertise.
• Number of tickets resolved: This tracks how many support tickets have been dealt with within a specific period of time.
• Tickets resolved within SLA timescales vs. outside SLA timescales: This compares the percentage of support tickets resolved on time with those that were resolved late.
• Average handling time (AHT): This measures how long it takes on average to solve a customer’s support ticket or inquiry, from when they first contact support until the issue is resolved.
• First-time resolution rate (FTR): The percentage of customer support tickets resolved on the first attempt without further involvement or follow-up from the support team.
• Number of successful self-serve resolutions vs. number of overall support tickets: This compares the number of support tickets resolved through self-service channels to the overall number of support tickets.

SLAs and response time

Each SLA includes service level goals, which determine the supplier’s commitments to the customer. By being aware of these goals, the customer can anticipate the expected response time for their requests. This enables measuring service performance to determine if the agreed-upon terms are being met.

In cases where compliance is lacking, it becomes easier to identify and address the underlying issues.

An efficient SLA response time ensures customer satisfaction and meets service expectations. It shows that the company is dedicated to quickly handling customer needs and concerns. A fast response time helps to establish trust and builds a positive customer experience.

Response time is critical in meeting SLA performance targets. Also, it plays a crucial role in maintaining compliance with contractual obligations.

Channel-dependent SLA response time

When it comes to response times, customers’ expectations of response times vary widely across channels. Here is a breakdown of the average expected response time based on the channel.

• Voice: Immediate
• Email: a few hours
• Live chat: Less than a minute

Response time vs. resolution time

Response time and resolution time are two distinct metrics within a service level agreement. The former is how long it takes for a service provider to reply to a customer’s question or problem. The latter refers to the time it takes to completely solve the customer’s issue.

It’s important to know the difference between response time and resolution time. For example, response time focuses on the initial acknowledgment and engagement with the customer. Resolution time however reflects the overall efficiency in problem-solving.

Improving SLA response time in five easy steps

If you want to improve your response times, here are five practical steps you can take.

1. Properly train your customer support team

Ensure that your support team has in-depth knowledge about your products or services. They should understand the features, functionalities, and common issues customers may encounter.

In addition, train your team on effective communication techniques. They should be able to listen actively, empathize with customers, and convey information and solutions. The main training points should be:

• Patience
• Empathy
• Professionalism

Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement within your support team. Keep them updated on new product features, industry trends, and evolving customer expectations.

2. Plan resources according to support request volumes

Setting realistic targets for SLA response time is crucial to avoid overpromising and under-delivering to customers. Unrealistic targets can lead to increased customer frustration and dissatisfaction.

You should analyze historical response time data and identify trends when setting targets. The analyses help establish benchmarks and determine achievable targets based on past performance.

Regularly monitoring and analyzing response time metrics are essential to ensure ongoing improvement.

It is crucial to proactively anticipate higher request volumes during specific time periods and ensure an adequate number of support agents are available to handle the increased workload.

This graph shows the fluctuations in request volumes over time. It helps to emphasize the need for effective resource allocation:

3. Simplify service processes

To simplify service processes, conduct a thorough analysis of existing workflows. Identify any bottlenecks, redundancies, or areas where you can consolidate or eliminate tasks.

Implementing a centralized knowledge base can be immensely helpful in simplifying service processes. Service agents can access FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and best practices. This helps them find the information they need quickly when responding to queries.

Make sure the ticketing system is and easy to use. It should have clear sections where users can enter important details. To simplify the process, cut the number of required fields and set up workflows that sort and direct tickets. This will allow customers to submit their requests in a fast and effortless manner.

4. Encourage clients to upgrade agreements

To encourage clients to upgrade their agreements and opt for higher-tier service levels, showcase the added value and benefits they would receive.

Provide personalized consultations or demonstrations to clients. Showcase how the upgraded agreement can address their specific needs and pain points. This allows clients to see the tangible benefits of investing in a higher-tier service level, such as reduced SLA response time.

Additionally, highlighting success stories or case studies of clients who have upgraded and significantly improved their operations can serve as persuasive examples.

Provide incentives for clients to upgrade, such as exclusive access to new features or priority support.

By upgrading agreements with customers, you can generate additional revenue. Use this extra income to improve the quality of customer service by investing in a larger team of support agents.

5. Implement customer service software

Conduct thorough research to find customer service software that aligns with your business goals. Look for features like:

• Analytics
• Integration options
• Omnichannel support
• Automation capabilities

Arrange training sessions to help your support team become familiar with the features and functions of the software.

A practical approach when introducing new software or tools is to adopt a phased implementation strategy. Basically, the software is gradually rolled out in stages or to pilot groups. Please see the steps below.

Implement email support

Start by setting up email support as the first communication channel. This will enable the team to manage and respond to customer inquiries fast.

Introduce additional channels

Once the team has built a strong base, they can add more ways for people to get support, like phone calls, live chat, and SMS. This will make their support services more accessible.

Integrate social media

Finally, integrating social media as a support channel can enhance customer reach and engagement.

Leverage the reporting and analytics capabilities of customer engagement platforms. Identify areas for improvement and implement necessary adjustments.

Conclusion

Improving SLA response time may seem simple, but it’s important to make sure that customers get complete and correct answers. Giving superficial or wrong responses can harm your business’s reputation.

It’s a good idea to track how long it takes to resolve issues on average and how satisfied customers are with the support they receive. This helps ensure that you properly take care of your customers’ needs.