Your connectivity underpins almost everything your business does.
Reliable connectivity is no longer a supporting service; it’s a foundation. It enables communication, access to systems, and continuity of service. Yet many businesses sign SLAs without fully understanding what level of support they’ve actually agreed to.
An SLA exists to set expectations on both sides.
It outlines how issues are handled, how quickly support responds, and how responsibility is shared.
So what should a business SLA include?
Why SLAs matter more than you think
Most providers will talk about speeds, uptime, and availability.
But when a service degrades or fails, those headline numbers quickly fade into the background. What matters instead is how quickly your provider responds, how clearly they communicate, and how effectively issues are resolved.
That’s the role of a business SLA: to turn assumptions into expectations, and expectations into commitments.
Response times: the first line of support
When something goes wrong, businesses want to know one thing first: has the issue been picked up?
A business SLA should clearly define response times, how quickly a provider acknowledges that a fault has been logged, and that work has begun. Without this clarity, support becomes unpredictable, particularly during busy periods.
Confidence in the response process keeps teams moving, even during disruption.
Resolution targets: setting realistic expectations
Acknowledgement alone isn’t enough.
A strong SLA also outlines resolution targets, giving businesses a realistic understanding of how long different types of issues may take to fix. These targets help teams plan, communicate internally, and manage customer expectations when services are disrupted.
Resolution targets don’t guarantee instant fixes, but they do provide a framework for progress and a reference point if issues persist.
Escalation: when standard support isn’t enough
Not every issue is resolved quickly.
For that reason, escalation should be built into the SLA, not improvised under pressure. A well-defined escalation process ensures that if an issue isn’t resolved within agreed timeframes, it automatically receives additional attention and expertise.
This prevents problems from stalling and removes the need for repeated follow-ups or informal chasing.
Escalation exists to protect outcomes, not assign blame.
Support availability: aligning service with operations
Every business operates differently.
Some rely heavily on core office hours. Others support customers across extended or non-standard schedules. A business SLA should clearly state when support is available, how it can be accessed, and what level of assistance is provided outside standard hours. Knowing when support is available prevents surprises when help is actually needed.
Proactive monitoring: fixing issues before they’re reported
One of the clearest signs of a strong SLA is how issues are identified.
In a proactive model, providers monitor services continuously and act on early warning signs before performance drops significantly. This reduces downtime and limits disruption for users.
Reactive support — where issues are only addressed once reported — increases risk and places more responsibility on the customer.
The best support experiences are most often the quietest ones.
Communication during incidents
A good SLA explains how communication will be handled during incidents: how updates are delivered, how often they’re provided, and what level of detail to expect. Clear communication helps businesses stay informed and in control, even when services are disrupted.
Transparency builds trust, especially when resolution takes time.
Service credits: a safety net, not a solution
Many SLAs include service credits, but these should never be the main focus.
Credits don’t restore access, recover productivity, or undo disruption. At best, they provide a basic level of accountability. A strong SLA treats them as a fallback, not a substitute for good service.
What matters far more is how issues are handled in real time.
Ownership and accountability
Finally, a business SLA should make ownership clear.
Businesses should know who is responsible during an incident, who to contact, and how accountability is maintained throughout the service relationship. Clear ownership reduces friction and makes difficult situations easier to manage.
No provider can promise zero issues.
But a good SLA ensures issues are handled professionally, predictably, and transparently.
A business SLA isn’t just a contractual document. It’s a reflection of how seriously a provider takes service, support, and accountability. Before signing any agreement, it’s worth asking whether the SLA reflects the importance of the service to your business, not just the provider’s standard terms.