The Easy Path To SLA Management | #customersupport #supporticket

Any customer support team receives a range of customer requests throughout the day. These can include requests for adding new users, “how-to” questions, password retrieval, and more. The requests are often recurring, and a technology-based customer support tool is needed to implement an agent workflow that allows easy and efficient management of each customer request. 

A service level agreement (SLA) can benefit the work of customer support teams and customers alike because it sets guidelines for the level of service that is to be provided. Moreover, when these expectations are set in stone, it empowers customer service agents to optimize their workflows so that they manage requests in a timely manner.

Service Level Agreements 101

A service level agreement (SLA) is an agreement that helps to build trust between the customer service team and the customer. The SLA establishes a mutual understanding of what is to be expected from the services provided by the vendor. 

An SLA provides a framework that defines what services an organization expects from a third party vendor and the conditions by which the services will be provided. This can include situations where there may be acceptable downtimes during service upgrades or to respond to a ticket within a certain time frame. The SLA is a written contract that explains what the vendor can provide in plain language and the consequences should the company fall short of their commitment.

Why Use Customer Support Software for SLA Management?

Customer service software makes it easy to manage the demands of a busy support team. As modern organizations continue to expand in size, production, and sales, there is a pressing need to utilize software tools that make it easier for support agents to do their job. 

Customer service agents are master multi-taskers having to juggle phone lines, live chats, ticket management, etc. A backlog in communication can potentially affect the entire business operation. Customer support software for SLA management helps agents prioritize those who need an immediate response over others. 

Customer support software with SLA management capabilities will help to manage growth in service use and support. The right SLA monitoring software makes it clear to the customer support agent what the terms of the agreement are by displaying them on the reporting dashboard.  

Can an organization function without SLA management tools? Possibly. However NOT having it will make daily operations much more difficult. When SLA tracking and monitoring are left to a customer service agent, it leaves room for gaps in service that can affect the entire organization.

Benefits of SLA Management Tools

Keeping strong documentation of the organization’s SLAs assures both the vendor and their customers that they are in good hands. The SLA is much more than a suggested list of best practices. It’s a binding contract that must be actively managed in order to ensure the customer is getting the best service. A quality customer support software will automatically prioritize, track, and report on the information needed to efficiently execute on organizational priorities. 

SLA management in customer service software can do a number of tasks including, but not limited to the following:

• Prioritize tickets from all customer support interactions based on service delivery agreements
• Set up an appropriate plan for response
• Track progress to resolution
• Avoid a breach of contract using automated service warnings and alerts
• Dispatch renewal reminders when contracts are close to expiration

Your software should also provide:

1. Tailor-made and flexible agreements

   An organization can start with an existing template and customize it to suit their client specific needs. It’s possible to modify support coverage along with billing rates, and add additional charges for new products and services

2. Automatic integration into organizational workflow

   SLA management tools that can integrate with other tools can allow room for the initial response team to establish a plan to resolve all open tickets quickly.

3. Manage response time

   Organizations can measure SLA key performance indicators like open ticket response time and ticket resolution time. This demonstrates to the client that the level of service can be expanded.

4. Optimized system tracking

   Prioritize response goals, type of client issue, and other information that can be utilized for an audit trail.

5. Comprehensive outlook on workflows

   View all time entries applied to any agreement at any time to determine efficiency and establish accountability.

Give TeamSupport a try!

If your organization is in need of SLA management assistance that makes it easy to establish, monitor, and reach service goals, then see what we’re all about! Download our SLA template to get started and learn more about SLAs!