SLA & Timelines

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) help you meet customer expectations and track processing performance. This guide covers setting up and monitoring SLAs in ReturnMate.

What Are Return SLAs?

SLAs define target timeframes for each stage of the return process:

Configuring SLAs

Setting Up SLAs

1. Navigate to Settings → Returns → SLAs
2. Configure timeframes for each stage
3. Set business hours (SLAs pause outside hours)
4. Choose time zone
5. Enable SLA tracking

Stage-Specific SLAs

Review SLA

• Time from request submission to approval/rejection
• Recommended: 24-48 hours

Processing SLA

• Time from receipt to inspection complete
• Recommended: 24-48 hours

Resolution SLA

• Time from inspection to refund/exchange processed
• Recommended: 24-72 hours

Business Hours

SLAs can be calculated based on:

• Calendar Time: All hours count (24/7)
• Business Hours: Only count working hours
• Business Days: Only count working days

Configure your business hours:

• Operating days: Monday-Friday
• Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Time zone: Australia/Sydney
• Holidays: Add exclusion dates

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SLA Configuration

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SLA Indicators

Visual Status

ReturnMate shows SLA status with colour indicators:

Dashboard View

The dashboard shows:

• RMAs approaching SLA breach
• Current SLA compliance rate
• Average processing times

SLA Alerts

Configuring Alerts

Set up notifications for SLA events:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → SLA Alerts
2. Configure alert thresholds
3. Choose notification methods
4. Select recipients

Alert Triggers:

• SLA at 75% (approaching breach)
• SLA at 100% (breached)
• Daily summary of at-risk RMAs

Notification Methods

• Email to assigned team members
• Slack/Teams integration (if configured)
• Dashboard notification
• Daily summary email

SLA Reports

Compliance Report

Track SLA performance over time:

Trend Analysis

View SLA trends to identify:

• Days/times with more breaches
• Team members meeting/missing targets
• Seasonal patterns
• Impact of volume changes

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SLA Performance Dashboard

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Managing SLA Breaches

When SLAs Are Breached

1. Acknowledge: Review the breached RMA
2. Prioritise: Move to front of queue
3. Communicate: Proactively update customer
4. Resolve: Process as quickly as possible
5. Review: Analyse why breach occurred

Root Cause Analysis

Common breach causes:

Customer Communication

When SLAs are breached, consider proactive outreach:

Hi [Customer],

We wanted to update you on your return [RMA number].

Your return is taking a bit longer than usual to process.
We're working to complete it today and will update you once done.

We apologise for the delay and appreciate your patience.

Optimising Processing Times

Best Practices

• Process returns same day they're received
• Use bulk actions for high volume
• Automate approvals where possible
• Staff appropriately for volume
• Monitor SLAs daily
• Address breaches immediately

Automation Opportunities

Reduce manual processing time:

• Auto-approve qualifying returns
• Auto-generate labels on approval
• Auto-refund after successful inspection
• Automated customer notifications

Capacity Planning

Use SLA data for staffing decisions:

• Average returns per day/week
• Processing time per return
• Required staff hours
• Peak periods to plan for

SLA Exceptions

Some returns may need SLA exceptions:

Valid Exceptions

• Complex warranty investigations
• Pending customer response
• Carrier-related delays
• Special handling requirements

Applying Exceptions

1. Open the RMA
2. Click SLA Actions → Pause SLA
3. Add reason for pause
4. SLA timer stops until resumed
5. Document in timeline

Industry Benchmarks

Compare your performance:

Related Articles

• Returns Workflow
• Bulk Actions
• Roles & Permissions