A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contractual commitment between a service provider (like a customer support team) and their customers. It outlines the expected standards of service, including key performance metrics such as response times, resolution times, and overall availability. SLAs ensure accountability, set clear expectations, and help maintain high-quality customer interactions by holding the provider responsible for consistent performance.

*Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in Ruut help your support team meet customer expectations by defining and tracking response and resolution times. Follow these steps to configure and manage SLAs effectively.*

#### Step 1: Access SLA Settings

1. **Log in to Ruut**: Sign in to your Ruut account with admin privileges.

2. **Navigate to Settings**: From the Ruut dashboard, go to the **Settings** menu (usually found in the sidebar or top navigation).

3. **Select SLA** : Locate the **SLA Policies** section under settings. This is where you’ll create and manage SLA policies.

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Step 2: Create an SLA Policy

1. **Click “Add SLA ”**: In the SLA Management section, select the option to create a new policy.

2. **Define Policy Details**:

   * **Name**: Give the policy a descriptive name (e.g., “High-Priority Support” or “Standard Customer SLA”).

   * **Description** (optional): Add a brief note to clarify the policy’s purpose.

   * **Response Time**: Set the maximum time (in minutes, hours, or days) for the first response to a customer’s message. For example, 2 hours for high-priority tickets.

   * **Resolution Time**: Set the maximum time to fully resolve the issue (e.g., 24 hours).

   * **Business Hours** (optional): If applicable, enable business hours to pause SLA timers outside of working hours (e.g., 9 AM–5 PM, Monday–Friday).

3. **Save the Policy**: Click **Create** to finalize. Note: Once saved, SLA policies cannot be edited—you’ll need to create a new policy or delete the existing one if changes are needed.

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Step 3: Apply SLAs to Conversations Using Automation

1. **Go to Automation** : In the Settings menu, find the **Automation** section.

2. **Create a New Rule**:

   * Click **New Automation** to set up an automation  for applying SLAs.

   * Name the rule (e.g., “Apply Urgent SLA”).

3. **Set Conditions**: Define when the rule triggers. Examples:

   * **Condition**: If a conversation has a “High Priority” label.

   * **Condition**: If the conversation comes from a specific inbox or customer segment.

   * **Condition**: If the message contains keywords like “urgent” or “emergency.”

4. **Set Action**: Choose the action “Add SLA ” and select the SLA policy you created (e.g., “High-Priority Support”).

5. **Save the Rule**: Click **Save** to activate. Now, any conversation matching the rule’s conditions will have the SLA applied automatically.

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Step 4: Monitor SLA Performance

1. **Track Real-Time Compliance**:

   * Ruut automatically tracks SLA metrics for conversations with applied policies.

   * A “hit” is recorded when the response or resolution time is met (e.g., first response within 2 hours).

   * A “miss” is recorded if the target is not met.

2. **View SLA Status**:

   * In the conversation view, check the SLA status for each ticket (e.g., “On Track,” “Missed,” or “Resolved”).

   * Ruut may display timers or alerts to help agents prioritize tasks nearing SLA deadlines. 

#### Step 5: Analyze SLA Performance with Reports

1. **Access SLA Reports**: In the Ruut dashboard, go to the **Reports**  section and select **SLA Reports**.

2. **Filter Data**:

   * Filter by time range, inbox, team, agent, or specific SLA policy.

   * View metrics like:

     * **Hit Rate**: Percentage of SLAs met ((Total Applied SLAs - Misses) / Total Applied SLAs × 100).

     * **Number of Misses**: Total SLAs not met.

     * **Conversations with SLAs**: Total conversations with an active SLA.

3. **Drill Down for Details**:

   * Click into specific conversations to see timestamps of misses or events.

   * Use grouped logs to analyze patterns (e.g., frequent misses during peak hours).

4. **Export or Share**: Export reports for team reviews or save them for performance tracking.

#### Step 6: Optimize and Maintain SLAs

1. **Review Performance**: Use SLA reports to identify trends, such as:

   * Frequent misses during certain times (may indicate staffing needs).

   * Policies with unrealistic targets (e.g., response times too short).

2. **Adjust Policies**:

   * If a policy isn’t working, create a new one with updated targets and delete the old one.

   * Test new policies on a smaller group of conversations before scaling.

3. **Train Agents**: Share SLA insights with your team to improve response times and resolution efficiency.

4. **Update Automation Rules**: Refine rules to ensure SLAs are applied correctly (e.g., add new conditions for emerging customer segments).

#### Tips for Success

* **Start Simple**: Begin with one or two SLA policies (e.g., one for urgent tickets, one for standard) to test the system.

* **Communicate Expectations**: Ensure agents understand SLA targets and use Ruut’s notifications to stay on track.

* **Leverage Business Hours**: For teams with set schedules, enable business hours to avoid unfair SLA misses during off-hours.

* **Regularly Review Reports**: Schedule weekly or monthly reviews to catch issues early and optimize performance.

#### Troubleshooting

* **SLA Not Applying?** Check your automation rule conditions to ensure they match incoming conversations.

* **Too Many Misses?** Reassess response/resolution times or increase staffing during peak periods.

* **Need Help?**  Consult your account manager, if you can't see SLA on your dashboard, send a message to your account manager to enable SLA on your account... you need to be on the paid plan tho.