Customizing your SLAs with advanced settings

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<div class="note fastpath">
<span class="fastpathtitle">Location: </span> <span class="ph">Admin Center &gt; Objects and rules &gt; Business
rules &gt; Service level agreements</span>
</div>
<p class="p">A service level agreement, or SLA, is a policy you define that specifies and
measures the response and resolution times that your support team delivers to your customers.
There are <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829459866#topic_gpr_ppv_tr" target="_blank">seven metrics</a> you can use to define SLA policies. </p>
<p class="p">Advanced settings are available for the First reply time, Next reply time, and Periodic update metrics. They change the logic for when an SLA
metric is activated or fulfilled on an individual policy basis. You can define advanced
settings for both new and existing SLA policies.</p>
<p class="p">Defining advanced settings for these metrics allows you to customize your SLAs so
that they apply in more situations and measure what’s most relevant to your business. This
leads to a more efficient support process and an improved experience for agents and end
users.</p>
<p class="p">For example, you can define advanced settings for an SLA policy so that it measures periodic updates through internal notes instead of just public replies. This ensures that a ticket is continually being worked on or monitored, even if there’s no update to give to the customer yet.</p>
<p class="p">This article contains the following sections:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_cxf_rxv_rr__ul_x24_tgn_sbc">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_vng_wgn_sbc">Defining advanced SLA
settings</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_a1f_mhn_sbc">Understanding advanced settings
for SLA metrics</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="p">Related articles</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_cxf_rxv_rr__ul_y24_tgn_sbc">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5600997516058" target="_blank">About SLA policies and how they work</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829459866" target="_blank">Defining SLA policies</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_vng_wgn_sbc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Defining advanced SLA settings</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Advanced settings for SLAs are available for the First reply time, Next reply time, and Periodic update metrics. You can define advanced settings for
both new and existing SLA policies. </p>
<p class="p">When you define advanced settings for an existing policy, your reporting may change as SLA
achievements or breaches would be measured differently than before. To compare reporting
changes before and after you make changes, note the date when you update your policies. </p>
<p class="p">Alternatively, create a new SLA policy with a different name, using the same criteria as
before, but with the new advanced settings applied. If you choose to create a new policy,
make sure you <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5610005534618" target="_blank">reorder your policies</a> so that the old SLA policy
doesn’t apply.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">To define advanced SLA settings</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="topic_vng_wgn_sbc__ol_nx3_bhn_sbc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_vng_wgn_sbc__d9e1702" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_objects_rules_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Objects and rules</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Business rules &gt; Service level
agreements</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Define a <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829459866-Defining-SLA-policies#topic_tsz_1yv_rr" target="_blank">new SLA policy</a> or <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5610005959962#topic_qpn_fzq_kxb" target="_blank">edit an existing policy</a>.<p class="p">Ensure that the policy
you’re editing or creating has a First reply time, Next reply time, or Periodic update metric defined.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Advanced settings</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Select the check boxes for the settings you want to apply to the policy.<p class="p">See
<a class="xref" href="#topic_a1f_mhn_sbc">Understanding advanced settings</a>
to learn more.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Add</strong>, then <strong class="ph b">Save policy</strong>.<p class="p">The advanced settings you applied
to the metrics take effect the next time a ticket that matches the policy’s criteria is
created or updated. If you edited an existing policy, note that SLA policy changes only
apply when tickets are subsequently created or updated. They are never retroactively
applied.</p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="topic_a1f_mhn_sbc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Understanding advanced settings for SLA metrics</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">This section outlines the advanced settings available for the <a class="xref" href="#topic_bhk_c3n_sbc">First reply
time</a>, Next reply time, and Periodic update metrics. In the metric’s advanced
settings, the dimmed check boxes describe the standard criteria for how the metric is
activated and fulfilled. The standard criteria can’t be edited and always apply to how the
metric is activated or fulfilled.</p>
<p class="p">Any advanced settings that you select are applied in addition to the metric’s standard
criteria.
For example, if you create a policy, define the first reply time metric, and select the advanced setting for When any ticket is created for an end user with an internal note, first reply time will still be activated on tickets when an end user submits a request with a public comment.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested2" id="topic_bhk_c3n_sbc">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title4">First reply time</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829459866#topic_crn_1yk_kxb" target="_blank">First reply time metric</a> is used to measure the
time between ticket creation (activating the target) and the first reply from an agent
(fulfilling the target).</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_bhk_c3n_sbc__image_gdm_ggv_bcc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/sla_advanced_firstreplytime.png" width="400"></p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested3" id="topic_et4_cc1_ggc">
<h4 class="title topictitle4" id="ariaid-title5">Activating the target</h4>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The First reply start settings determine which actions activate the target. </p>
<p class="p">Standard settings are <em class="ph i">always</em> selected, and activate the target with the
following actions:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_et4_cc1_ggc__ul_h4d_qb1_ggc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When an end user submits a request with a public comment</strong>. </li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When an agent forwards an email from an end user to create a
ticket</strong>. </li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When an agent creates a side conversation child ticket</strong>. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">Advanced settings allow you to activate the target with the following actions:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_et4_cc1_ggc__ul_lqq_33n_sbc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When any ticket is created for an end user with a public comment</strong>. The ticket
requester must be an <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883763866-Understanding-Zendesk-Support-user-roles#topic_hlt_cbp_cc" target="_blank">end user</a> (or customer). This also applies to
voicemail tickets.<div class="p">
<div class="note attention">
<span class="attentiontitle"></span> For voicemail tickets to activate the First reply time SLA,
you must enable the <em class="ph i">New live call recordings are public</em> option. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408831738266#topic_sfy_x2y_sjb" target="_blank">Configuring customer access to call
recordings</a>.</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="li">
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">When any ticket is created for an end user with an internal note</strong>. The
requester must be an <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883763866-Understanding-Zendesk-Support-user-roles#topic_hlt_cbp_cc" target="_blank">end user</a>.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">When a light agent forwards an email from an end user to create a
ticket</strong>.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">When an agent creates a ticket for themselves as the requester</strong>. The ticket
submitter <em class="ph i">and</em> requester must be a <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883763866-Understanding-Zendesk-Support-user-roles#topic_nqx_cbp_cc" target="_blank">team member</a>. This can be helpful when an
agent reaches out to an internal department for help. Note that the agent creating
the ticket can’t fulfill the target.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title6" class="topic nested3" id="topic_nym_dc1_ggc">
<h4 class="title topictitle4" id="ariaid-title6">Fulfilling the target</h4>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The standard settings for first reply time mark the target as fulfilled when an agent
adds the first public reply. With advanced settings, the target can also be fulfilled
when an agent or light agent adds an internal note to a ticket.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title7" class="topic nested2" id="topic_bhk_c3n_sb1"> <h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title7">Next reply time</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The Next reply time metric measures the time between the oldest unanswered customer comment and
the next reply from an agent.</p>
<div class="p">
<img class="image" id="topic_bhk_c3n_sb1__image_q2p_wxh_5fc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/sla_advanced_nextreplytime.png" width="400"><div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> You must activate the First reply time metric
to use the Next reply time metric.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title8" class="topic nested3" id="topic_csc_521_5fc">
<h4 class="title topictitle4" id="ariaid-title8">Activating the target</h4>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The standard setting is <em class="ph i">always</em> selected, and activates the next reply
time target with the following action:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_csc_521_5fc__ul_cy2_rd1_ggc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When an end user requester adds a new comment</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">Advanced settings allow you to activate the target with the following actions:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_csc_521_5fc__ul_h23_sd1_ggc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When any end user replies to a ticket and that reply is added as an internal
note</strong>. The replying end user does not need to be the ticket requester. This can
be helpful when there are other end users who reply to a ticket that they’re CCed
on.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When an agent is the requester on the ticket and leaves a new comment</strong>. The
new comment can be either a public comment or an internal note.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When a light agent requester adds an internal note</strong>. To activate this
target, you must select the “When an agent creates a ticket for themselves as the
requester” setting and the “When an agent adds an internal note to a ticket”
advanced fulfillment option for the First reply time metric.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title9" class="topic nested3" id="topic_kfr_z21_5fc">
<h4 class="title topictitle4" id="ariaid-title9">Fulfilling the target</h4>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The standard settings for next reply time mark the target as fulfilled when an agent,
who is not the requester, adds the next public reply. With advanced settings, the target
can also be fulfilled when an agent, who is not the requester, adds an internal
note.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title10" class="topic nested2" id="topic_bhk_c3n_sb2"> <h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title10">Periodic update time</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The Periodic update metric measures the time between each comment from agents. </p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_bhk_c3n_sb2__image_dfj_xxh_5fc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/sla_advanced_periodicupdate.png" width="400"></p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title11" class="topic nested3" id="topic_aq4_b21_ggc">
<h4 class="title topictitle4" id="ariaid-title11">Activating the target</h4>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The standard setting is <em class="ph i">always</em> selected, and activates the next reply time
target with the following action:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_aq4_b21_ggc__ul_v3n_g21_ggc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When an agent adds a public reply</strong>. This can be a standard or custom agent,
or a light agent.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">Advanced settings allow you to activate the target with the following actions:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_aq4_b21_ggc__ul_cbg_h21_ggc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When an agent adds an internal note</strong>. This can be a standard or
custom agent, or a light agent.
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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