What is the SLA timer and why is it red?
SLA (Service Level Agreement) timers are your deadline trackers. They help you prioritize tickets and meet your team's response time commitments.
The Color Code
| Color | Meaning | What To Do |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Green | Plenty of time | You're good, work at normal pace |
| 🟡 Yellow | Getting close | Prioritize this one soon |
| 🔴 Red | Danger zone | Drop what you're doing and handle this |
Two Timers Per Ticket
First Response SLA - How long until your first reply. Customers want to know they've been heard.
Resolution SLA - Total time until the ticket is closed. The full journey from open to resolved.
Why Is My Timer Red?
- Time ran out - You've exceeded the target
- Almost out - Less than 10% of time remaining
- High priority ticket - Critical tickets have tighter SLA windows
Quick Fix
- Respond now - Even a quick "Looking into this!" counts as first response
- Set expectations - If you can't resolve immediately, tell them when you can
- Ask for backup - Teamwork makes the dreamwork—escalate if needed
Pause the Clock
When you're waiting on the customer:
- Set ticket to Pending status
- SLA timer pauses
- Clock resumes when they reply
This prevents unfair SLA breaches when the ball is in their court.
Default SLA Targets
Your admin configures these in Settings. Common defaults:
- Critical: 1h response, 4h resolution
- High: 4h response, 24h resolution
- Medium: 8h response, 48h resolution
- Low: 24h response, 72h resolution
The XP Connection
Hitting SLA targets matters for your stats. Meeting SLAs consistently helps your efficiency rating and unlocks SLA-related achievements. Breach too many and your team's CSAT (and XP rates) can suffer.
Don't let the timer go red. Your future self will thank you.