Canned responses & SLA

Canned responses speed up repetitive replies, while SLA timers keep response times honest and measurable.

When to use

Use canned responses for questions you answer many times a week, such as pricing, opening hours, or refund policy. Use SLA tracking when you have promised customers a reply time and want to see which threads are at risk before they breach.

Before you start

  • Open /communications/settings to manage canned responses and SLA targets. You need settings:read or communications:manage to reach Settings; configuring roles and toggles needs communications:admin.
  • Agents need communications:write to insert a canned response in a reply.
  • Canned responses can be tied to a channel, so a snippet written for email can be kept separate from one for Zalo.

Steps

Create canned responses

In Communications → Settings, add reusable reply snippets for common questions (pricing, hours, refund policy). Give each a clear title and body.

Insert while replying

In any Inbox thread, pick a canned response to drop the pre-written text into your reply, then edit as needed.

Watch the SLA

Each conversation carries a first-response and resolution timer. Threads approaching or breaching SLA are highlighted so agents prioritize them.

Review compliance

Open the Reports page to see average response time and SLA compliance across channels.

Communications — Canned response list in Settings
Communications — Canned response list in Settings

Tips & common mistakes

  • Always read and personalise a canned response before sending; it is a starting point, not a final answer.
  • Use short, descriptive titles so agents can find the right snippet quickly.
  • Keep one version of each snippet; duplicates drift out of date.
  • Set SLA targets before you rely on the compliance numbers in Reports.
  • The Communications Concierge assistant flags SLA-risk threads and suggests; it never sends a message on an agent’s behalf.