SLA Configuration

Overview

SLA (Service Level Agreement) timers help you track and meet response time targets by displaying color-coded indicators on conversations based on how long they've been open.

To access SLA settings:

1. Go to Settings → Inbox
2. Select your inbox
3. Click the "SLA" tab

How SLA Works

Timer starts:

• When a new conversation is created (customer sends first message)

Timer stops:

• When the conversation is closed or resolved

Timer does NOT pause:

• When waiting for customer response
• During non-business hours (timer runs 24/7)
• When conversation is assigned to an agent or bot

Note: The SLA timer tracks total time from conversation start to resolution, not response time to individual messages.

SLA Levels

OCC uses a 5-level SLA system with color-coded tags that appear on conversations in the Dashboard and Inbox.

Default levels (customizable):

SLA Color Indicators

The system uses color-coded indicators to show how much time remains before reaching the SLA threshold:

Example: If your SLA is set to 60 minutes:

• 🟢 Green: 0-15 minutes elapsed
• 🟡 Yellow: 15-30 minutes elapsed
• 🔴 Red half circle: 30-45 minutes elapsed
• 🔴 Almost red: 45-60 minutes elapsed
• ❗ Red Exclamation: Over 60 minutes (overdue)

💡

Pro Tip: Customize these time ranges based on your team's actual response time targets and customer expectations.

Configuring SLA Timers

To set SLA levels:

1. In the SLA tab, you'll see 5 configurable levels
2. For each level, set the time threshold:
   • Enter a number
   • Select unit: minutes or hours
3. The color is predefined for each level (cannot be changed)
4. Click Save

Example configuration for fast-response support:

• Level 1: 0-5 minutes (🟢 Green)
• Level 2: 5-10 minutes (🟡 Yellow)
• Level 3: 10-20 minutes (🟠 Orange)
• Level 4: 20-30 minutes (🔴 Red)
• Level 5: 30+ minutes (🟣 Purple)

Example configuration for standard support:

• Level 1: 0-1 hour (🟢 Green)
• Level 2: 1-4 hours (🟡 Yellow)
• Level 3: 4-8 hours (🟠 Orange)
• Level 4: 8-24 hours (🔴 Red)
• Level 5: 24+ hours (🟣 Purple)

Viewing SLA Status

In Dashboard/Inbox:

• Each conversation displays a colored tag indicating its current SLA level
• The tag shows the current level color (Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Purple)

Filtering by SLA:

1. Click the filter icon in Dashboard or Inbox
2. Select "SLA Level"
3. Choose one or more levels to filter
4. View only conversations at that SLA level

💡

Pro Tip: Create a saved filter for "Red and Purple" SLA levels to quickly view overdue conversations that need immediate attention.

Using SLA for Prioritization

Recommended workflow:

1. Agents: Sort inbox by SLA level (descending) to see critical conversations first
2. Supervisors: Monitor Dashboard for conversations approaching red/purple levels
3. Team: Set alerts or reminders for conversations that reach red level
4. Review: Analyze SLA performance in Analytics to identify trends

Prioritization strategy:

• 🟣 Purple (Critical): Assign to senior agents or escalate immediately
• 🔴 Red (Overdue): Handle before all other conversations
• 🟠 Orange (At Risk): Monitor closely, handle after red
• 🟡 Yellow (Approaching): Normal priority, keep an eye on it
• 🟢 Green (Within Target): Standard handling

Best Practices

Setting SLA Targets:

• ✅ Base thresholds on customer expectations in your industry
• ✅ Review historical data before setting targets
• ✅ Set realistic targets that 80-90% of conversations can meet
• ✅ Consider channel differences (live chat vs. email expectations)
• ✅ Adjust during holidays or known high-volume periods

Using SLA Daily:

• ✅ Sort conversations by SLA level to prioritize workload
• ✅ Check Dashboard at the start of each shift for overdue conversations
• ✅ Set personal reminders when conversations approach red level
• ✅ Close conversations promptly after resolution to stop the timer

Troubleshooting

SLA tags aren't showing on conversations

Check:

• ✅ SLA is configured in Settings → Inbox → SLA
• ✅ Refresh the Dashboard/Inbox page
• ✅ Conversation is active (closed conversations don't show SLA)

SLA timers seem incorrect

Check:

• ✅ Timer includes total time since conversation started (24/7, doesn't pause)
• ✅ Timezone settings are correct
• ✅ Conversation wasn't reopened (timer resets on reopening)