When developing a service level agreement for your help desk services, there are some standard things that need to be covered. The SLA should:
Identify and define the customer’s needs
Simplify complex issues
Encourage communication for the resolution of possible disputes
Provide a framework for the understanding of the company
Reduce areas of conflict
Seek to eliminate unrealistic expectations
When making the decision to include a service level agreement, there are some considerations to be made and things to do:
Determine if a service level agreement is appropriate for your needs and provisions
Make sure the management of your company is committed to the process
Choose a service level agreement manager(s)
Make everyone involved aware of the purpose and function of your SLA
Evaluate current products and services offered and research customer opinions
Make sure there is agreement in the company about the SLA and create a proposal
Ask for feedback. Listen and respond
Carry out all activities required for pre-implementation. Some of these things include establishing tracking mechanisms and conducting pilots.
Put the SLA into place and begin the process of managing it
When considering how to manage your SLA, you need to be able to show how information about service effectiveness is tracked and reported, and how disagreements will be resolved.