In support, SLAs typically cover first response time, resolution time, and availability hours, often varying by priority so that urgent issues carry tighter targets. In software, they more often cover uptime. What makes it an SLA rather than a nice intention is that it is written down, measured, and has teeth.
SLAs are only as honest as their exclusions. Pausing the clock outside business hours, or excluding certain request types, can make a target look far better than the customer's lived experience. Anyone evaluating an SLA should read the definitions before the numbers.
Most small businesses do not sign formal SLAs, but customers still hold an unwritten one in their heads, roughly, if I message you today I expect to hear back today. Clerkzo helps meet that expectation by answering instantly at any hour and pushing new leads to you by email, webhook, or Telegram so nothing sits unnoticed.
Related guides
Related terms
Browse all 104 terms- Answering serviceAn answering service handles a business's calls or enquiries when its own staff can't, taking messages and bookings so nothing is missed.
- Virtual receptionistA virtual receptionist is a remote human, often part of a shared team, who answers a business's phone calls and messages on its behalf, typically billed per call or on a monthly retainer.
- AI answering serviceAn AI answering service is software that responds to customer enquiries automatically, around the clock, using AI trained on the business's own information rather than a team of human operators.
- Customer self-serviceCustomer self-service is letting customers find answers and complete simple tasks on their own, like checking prices, confirming service areas, or requesting a booking, without needing a staff member to respond.