Tickets Don’t Measure Uptime — People Do
Most IT support SLAs brag about “first response time.” A ticket gets an answer within 15 minutes — great. But if your ERP or email system is still down four hours later, that metric is meaningless. The point of an SLA is simple: prevent downtime and restore service fast. For Montréal SMBs, real performance is about resolution, escalation, and continuity — not just speed of replies.
SLA Anatomy: Response vs. Resolution and P1–P4
Response means the ticket is acknowledged. Resolution means the issue is fixed, tested, and confirmed with the user. Measure both — but optimize for resolution.
| Priority | Description | Typical Target (SMB) | What It Really Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 – Critical | Full outage, production down | Response < 15 min, Resolution < 4 h | Immediate escalation, on-call activation, hourly updates |
| P2 – High | Partial outage or major degradation | Response < 30 min, Resolution < 8 h | Escalate if not fixed in timeframe |
| P3 – Medium | Non-urgent but business-visible issue | Response < 1 h, Resolution < 24 h | Track rollover tickets carefully |
| P4 – Low | Cosmetic, request or info | Response < 4 h, Resolution < 72 h | Still measure — patterns matter |
Staffing Model: Coverage, On-Call, and Escalation
- Coverage hours: 8×5 is common, but critical services often require 24×7 monitoring.
- Escalation path: Who gets paged after hours? When does a P1 become an all-hands alert?
- On-call rotation: The difference between “email received” and “system restored at 2 AM.”
What to Report Weekly and Monthly
- Ticket volume by priority
- Average and max resolution times
- Recurring issues by user or department
- SLA compliance rate by P-level
- Root cause summaries and preventive actions
Realistic SLA Targets for SMBs (2025)
| Metric | Recommended Target | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Average first response | < 20 minutes | Maintains user confidence |
| Average resolution (all tickets) | < 6 hours | Balances speed and quality |
| Critical incident MTTR | < 4 hours | Minimizes productivity loss |
| SLA compliance | ≥ 95% | Ensures consistency |
| Repeat issue rate | < 5% | Shows real problem solving |
3 SLA Traps Every SMB Should Avoid
- Counting responses, not resolutions: Measure verified fixes and MTTR, not acknowledgment.
- “24/7” with no real on-call: Overnight queues aren’t support. Ask for proof of live escalation.
- Unlimited tickets without priority rules: Without P-levels, critical work gets stuck behind low-impact requests.
FAQ
What’s the difference between response time and resolution time?
Response means the issue is acknowledged; resolution means it’s fixed and verified. Optimize for resolution.
Do 24/7 SLAs always mean faster fixes?
No. Without real on-call technicians, “24/7” just means your ticket waits overnight.
What’s a good SLA for a Montréal SMB?
Look for 15–30 min response for P1s, resolution within 4 hours, and hourly updates until closed.
Next Step: Helpdesk Audit
See how your SLA performs against real benchmarks. AET Solutions offers a Helpdesk Audit and SLA scorecard for Montréal SMBs.