Every managed IT proposal includes an SLA, and most business owners skim past it without really understanding what it commits the provider to, or how to tell a genuine commitment from marketing language. Here's how to read one properly.
What SLA Actually Means
A Service Level Agreement is a defined, measurable commitment - typically around response time, sometimes resolution time, and occasionally uptime for hosted systems. The key word is measurable. If a proposal says "fast response times" with no number attached, it isn't an SLA, it's a claim.
Response Time vs Resolution Time
These are frequently confused, and providers sometimes lean into that confusion:
- Response time - how long until someone acknowledges the ticket and starts working on it
- Resolution time - how long until the issue is actually fixed
A 15-minute response time on a critical issue is meaningless if resolution regularly takes two days with no update in between. A properly written SLA addresses both, or at minimum is explicit that only response time is being committed to.
What Your Written Targets Should Specify
There is no single response target that fits every business. Your agreement should define priorities, covered support hours, acknowledgement and investigation targets, and escalation contacts. Check whether the clock pauses while awaiting access, approvals, or a third-party vendor.
- Critical: Define total outages and active security incidents, with an agreed emergency contact route.
- High: Define major disruption affecting a team or essential function.
- Standard: Define routine faults with a workable alternative.
- Planned requests: Agree scheduling and approvals for new users, equipment, or changes.
Ask for the numerical targets applicable to your package in the written quote. Monitoring frequency, response targets, and resolution estimates measure different things. For practical ticket handling, see our helpdesk guide.
What a Proper SLA Should Also Cover
- How priority level is determined, and by whom - self-selected by the client, or triaged by the helpdesk
- What consequence follows a missed SLA - a service credit, a fee reduction, or nothing at all
- Whether the SLA applies 24/7 or only during business hours, with a separate after-hours tier
- How SLA performance is reported and tracked, not just promised
Why SLAs Get Missed
The most common cause isn't a bad provider, it's an understaffed one. A provider that's grown its client base faster than its technician headcount will start missing response times even with good intentions and a well-written SLA on paper. Ask directly about technician-to-client ratios and average ticket volume per technician if fast response is a priority for your business.
Reading Between the Lines of a Proposal
When comparing quotes, check whether the SLA is a specific, numbered commitment in the actual contract, or a general statement in marketing material that never makes it into the signed agreement. Ask for those commitments to be included in the written agreement. See our guide on comparing IT provider quotes properly for other clauses worth scrutinising alongside the SLA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a fast response time mean the issue gets fixed quickly too?
Not necessarily, and this is the most common misunderstanding of SLAs. Response time is how quickly someone acknowledges and starts working the ticket, not how quickly it's resolved. A complex issue might have a 15-minute response but take hours to fully resolve - the SLA should ideally cover both, but many only commit to response.
What counts as a 'critical' priority ticket versus a lower one?
Typically, critical means a total outage affecting the whole business or a security incident in progress - the network is down, or ransomware has hit. High priority is a significant issue affecting one person or system but not the whole business. Everything else, like a single application acting up, is usually medium or low.
Are 24/7 SLAs standard, or only for critical issues?
Check the covered hours for each priority and the process for requesting after-hours help. Automated monitoring can run continuously while the helpdesk operates agreed hours. Availability, charges, and response targets outside those hours must be confirmed in writing.
What should happen if my provider consistently misses their SLA?
Review the reporting, escalation, improvement process, and remedies actually set out in your agreement. Service credits and exit rights depend on the contract and should not be assumed. Document missed targets and discuss the cause and corrective action.
Support hours, priority definitions, response targets, and reporting arrangements are confirmed in your service agreement.
Managed IT Services →Not sure if your current SLA is realistic?
Call 0433 087 091 - we can review your written support targets against your business needs, no obligation.
Get a Free SLA ReviewFor related reading, see our guides to what to expect from an IT helpdesk and what to include in a managed IT services agreement.