Set up SLAs and escalation

A service-level agreement (SLA) is the promise you make on how fast support will respond and resolve. In KudosCRM you set those targets per priority, so an urgent ticket is held to a tighter clock than a low one, and the system tracks each timer against the ticket without anyone watching the clock.

This guide configures SLA targets, shows how the timer pauses and resumes, and sets up automatic escalation when a timer elapses. The live behavior is escalation on an elapsed timer — surfacing the at-risk ticket and acting on it — not a separately stored breach flag.

Who this is for

Support leads and admins who set service-level promises, and agents who need to know when a ticket's clock is running.

Before you start

• A KudosCRM account with admin permission to configure support SLAs.
• Your ticket priorities decided — urgent, high, normal, and low each get their own targets.
• A sense of your response and resolution goals, so you can enter realistic per-priority times.

Escalation fires when a timer elapses
KudosCRM tracks a first-response timer and a resolution timer per ticket, and escalates automatically when one elapses. The live mechanism is escalation on an elapsed timer — not a separately computed 'breach' flag. Timers can pause and resume so time spent waiting on the customer doesn't count against you. CSAT surveys and automatic sentiment scoring are on the roadmap, not part of SLAs today.

Set up SLAs and escalation, step by step

1. Open your support SLA settings
   Go to the support settings where SLA targets live. This is where you define the response and resolution promises that apply to every incoming ticket.
2. Set first-response targets per priority
   Enter how fast an agent must first reply for each priority — for example, 1 hour for urgent, 4 hours for high, 1 business day for normal, 2 business days for low. KudosCRM starts a first-response timer when the ticket comes in.
3. Set resolution targets per priority
   Add the time allowed to fully resolve each priority — say 8 hours for urgent and 5 business days for low. The resolution timer runs alongside the first-response one so both promises are tracked independently.
4. Understand pause and resume
   When a ticket moves to a state where you're waiting on the customer — pending or on-hold — the SLA timer pauses, then resumes when the customer replies. That keeps customer wait time from eating into your numbers.
5. Turn on automatic escalation
   Configure escalation so that when a first-response or resolution timer elapses, KudosCRM acts automatically — surfacing the at-risk ticket so a lead can step in. For instance, an urgent ticket for Initech that passes its 1-hour response target gets escalated on its own.
6. Watch SLA performance in insights
   Review first-response and resolution times in support insights to see how the team is tracking against the targets you set, and tune the per-priority numbers if they're too tight or too loose.

What you get

• First-response and resolution targets set per priority, so urgent work is held to a tighter clock.
• Timers that pause and resume, so customer wait time doesn't count against your SLA.
• Automatic escalation the moment a timer elapses, surfacing at-risk tickets before they go cold.
• First-response and resolution times in support insights, to tune the targets over time.

Frequently asked questions

Can different priorities have different SLA targets?

Yes — that's the point. You set first-response and resolution targets per priority, so an urgent ticket is held to a tighter clock than a low one. KudosCRM applies the right targets automatically based on each ticket's priority.

Does the SLA clock keep running while I wait on the customer?

No. SLA timers pause and resume, so when a ticket is pending or on-hold waiting on the customer, the clock stops and picks back up when they reply. That keeps time you couldn't control from counting against your response and resolution numbers.

What exactly happens when an SLA is at risk?

When a first-response or resolution timer elapses, KudosCRM escalates the ticket automatically — surfacing it so a lead can step in. The live mechanism is escalation on an elapsed timer; KudosCRM doesn't store a separate auto-computed 'breach' flag, so think of it as action-on-elapse rather than a breach label.

Can I measure how well we're hitting our SLAs?

Yes. Support insights report first-response time and resolution time, along with an agent leaderboard, so you can see how the team is tracking against the targets you set and adjust the per-priority numbers. CSAT survey collection is on the roadmap and not part of this today.

Learn more

• Customer support (feature) — Everything tickets, SLAs, and escalation do, on the feature page.
• Support overview — Where SLAs and escalation fit in the KudosCRM journey.