# SLA

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the standards the provider commits to meet. In customer service, SLAs typically set response times, resolution times, and availability guarantees, so both sides have a shared understanding of what counts as good service. When someone asks what your SLA is, they want to know how fast you will reply and how reliably you will be there.

**Key commitments:** Response time, resolution time, availability, and sometimes quality targets like customer satisfaction score.

## What goes in a customer service SLA?

The core elements depend on what matters most to your customers and what you can reliably deliver:

| Element         | What it defines                                                                    |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Response time   | How quickly you send the first reply (e.g., within 1 hour for priority tickets)    |
| Resolution time | How quickly you close the ticket (e.g., 24 hours for standard issues)              |
| Availability    | Hours the service is staffed or accessible (e.g., 24/7, business hours)            |
| Scope           | What is covered (technical support, billing, onboarding) and what is not           |
| Quality targets | Optional metrics like customer satisfaction score or first-contact resolution rate |
| Consequences    | What happens if you miss the target (refund, credit, escalation)                   |

The tighter the SLA, the more your operations have to be built to support it.

## Why do SLAs matter?

An SLA sets expectations clearly, which reduces frustration on both sides. Customers know when they will hear back. Your team knows what to prioritize. For enterprise sales, an SLA is often a deal requirement, it is proof you take reliability seriously. The challenge is writing one you can actually meet. An SLA you miss regularly is worse than none at all because it becomes a broken promise. SLAs are part of good [customer service software](/customer-service-software) and support operations.

## Related terms

- [CX glossary](/glossary): browse all customer experience terms.
- [Help desk](/glossary/help-desk): software that tracks and manages support requests.
- [First response time](/glossary/first-response-time): how quickly you send the first reply.

## Frequently asked questions

### What goes in a customer service SLA?

The most common commitments are response time (how quickly you reply), resolution time (how quickly you close the ticket), and uptime (how many hours the service is available). Some SLAs also set quality targets like customer satisfaction score or first-contact resolution rate.

### What happens when an SLA is broken?

The consequence is whatever the contract says. Common remedies include service credits, discounts, or the right to terminate. Internal SLAs typically trigger escalations or post-mortems rather than financial penalties.

### Do all companies need an SLA?

Not every company. SLAs are most valuable when customers depend on fast or reliable support, when you have multiple support tiers, or when you sell to enterprise buyers who expect contractual guarantees.

## See it work

Helpfeel is built to keep you ahead of your SLA. We answer questions instantly in the knowledge base so tickets never arrive in the first place. [See how the done-for-you model works](/platform).