#Korvatunturi360 – Päivä 11: SLA (Palvelulupaus)

Summary

This engaging and humorous video script combines the concept of Service Level Agreements (SLA) with the lighthearted theme of Christmas parties (pikkujoulut). Through a relatable story of being locked out during a holiday party, the script explores the importance of response and resolution times in customer service. Using Freshdesk as an example, it explains how SLAs work, with a focus on business hours and how response times are calculated. The script blends technical explanations with humor, offering a memorable and enjoyable way to understand customer service dynamics during the holiday season.

Takeaways

• 😀 The script begins with a casual greeting and references the festive season of 'pikkujoulu' (small Christmas parties), connecting it to the concept of Service Level Agreements (SLA).
• 😀 SLA refers to the agreed-upon response and resolution times for customer service requests, and the script uses a practical example to explain it.
• 😀 The speaker uses a humorous analogy where a person, in a mild state of intoxication, realizes they are locked out of their apartment during a holiday party and calls customer service for help.
• 😀 The main focus is on understanding the difference between response time (how quickly the service acknowledges the issue) and resolution time (how long it takes to solve the issue).
• 😀 The script emphasizes that in some cases, a simple response (even if the issue isn’t yet resolved) can be enough to satisfy the customer.
• 😀 The speaker explains that in the case of the locked-out person, a response (e.g., telling them the repair will happen tomorrow) can provide relief, even if the issue isn’t fixed immediately.
• 😀 SLA in systems like Freshdesk calculates the response and resolution time based on business hours, not calendar hours, meaning that weekends and off-hours are excluded from the time count.
• 😀 A key example is given: If a request comes in on Friday at 3 PM, the SLA clock stops at 4 PM (end of business for the day), resumes on Monday morning, and continues from there, providing a more realistic timeframe.
• 😀 The script critiques other systems that might count all calendar hours, leading to absurd situations where a request received on Friday afternoon could already be considered late by Friday night.
• 😀 The speaker concludes with a light-hearted reflection on how this complex SLA explanation is related to 'pikkujoulu' and customer service, calling it an 'amazing segue' into the topic.
• 😀 The humor throughout the script adds a fun element to a typically dry business topic, making it more engaging for the audience.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the script?

The script explains the concept of SLA (Service Level Agreement), specifically response time and resolution time, using a humorous analogy related to company Christmas parties ("pikkujoulut").

What is meant by response time in an SLA context?

Response time refers to how quickly a company acknowledges a customer's contact after it enters the system, such as replying to an email or ticket.

What is meant by resolution time in an SLA context?

Resolution time is the total time it takes to fully solve the customer’s issue, from the moment the contact is received until the case is closed.

How does Freshdesk calculate SLA response and resolution times?

Freshdesk calculates SLA times from when the customer contact enters the system, tracking both response and resolution according to defined rules.

What real-life analogy is used to explain SLA concepts?

The speaker compares an SLA situation to being locked out of an apartment building late at night in freezing weather after a Christmas party.

In the analogy, why might response time sometimes be enough?

If the customer is informed quickly that help will not arrive until the next morning, they can make alternative plans instead of waiting outside.

Why is resolution time often more critical for businesses?

Resolution time matters because it determines when the customer’s actual problem is solved, which strongly affects satisfaction and service quality.

What example SLA targets are mentioned in the script?

The example includes a four-hour response time and an eight-hour resolution time.

What is the problem with using calendar hours for SLA calculations?

Calendar hours can cause SLAs to expire outside working hours, such as overnight or during weekends, which may be unrealistic or unfair.

How does using business hours improve SLA tracking?

Business hours pause SLA timers outside working times, ensuring that response and resolution expectations align with actual staff availability.

How is a Friday afternoon ticket handled under business-hour-based SLAs?

Only the remaining working hours on Friday are counted, the timer pauses over the weekend, and resumes on Monday morning.

What is the key takeaway from linking SLAs to business hours?

Aligning SLAs with business hours provides more realistic expectations and fairer service measurements for both customers and support teams.