Pausing SLAs

[Joshua Stokes]

Hello,

2 Things RE: SLA's - 

1. I am wondering if there is a way to setup pausing an SLA (Time to first response) when the user 'Adds Internal Note'

2. If the Assignee & Reporter is (for example) Bob, and then Bob selects 'Reply to Customer' should this stop the SLA count down timer? 

Currently if you are assigned the ticket (As per Bob above), and then 'reply to customer' this does not pause the SLA, only when another user 'Replies to Customer' does it then pause.

Example 1 below is when Bob does 'Reply to customer'

Example 2 below is when another user updates 'Reply to Customer' 

[Walter Buggenhout]

Hi @Joshua Stokes,

Review your SLA configuration settings. I am quite sure that the SLA timer is not paused because a comment to a customer is added, but because this also (through an automation) updates the status of your ticket to a waiting for customer status. It is the status change that then stops the SLA timer, rather than the comment action itself.

This behaviour is quite normal as the ticket is no longer in your (team's) hands. Adding an internal comment does not remove your (team's) ownership of working towards a solution, doesn't it? On top, your customer does not receive a notification of an internal comment and is totally unaware of any progress being made as a result thereof.

So, if you have good reasons to consider adding an internal comment as an event that impacts your SLA to be paused, have a look at the list of available events that do allow you to pause the SLA timer. Then use automation to trigger such an event, e.g. from within your workflow.

That would be a technical way to get around this. But ask yourself if this does make sense. As an example (that I would strongly advise not to apply, but for illustration purposes): if a colleague would add an internal note along the lines of:

• hey guys, does anyone actually understand what (customer) is asking about?
• I think we'll need Gary for this, but he's on holiday and won't be back until mid June.
• ...

Would that be a good reason to pause the SLA timer? And if so, how would you inform the customer? Or track that something needs to be done with the ticket later on?

Hope this helps!