Article
Penguin Team4 min read
What a White Label SLA Should Include
TL;DR An SLA defines what to expect and what happens when a commitment is missed. For active partners, our manager responds within 1 hour during business hours. After a new enquiry form is submitted, we make first contact within 30 minutes. Each task has an agreed scope and delivery date. Reporting deliverables and timing follow the selected package or agreed work plan.
Why an SLA matters in white label
Your client only sees your agency. When something slips, the delay lands on you first, and you have to explain a problem you did not create. Without an SLA, a late delivery is an apology and a hope that next time goes better. With one, you know in advance what to expect and what happens when it does not arrive.
Six parts of a useful SLA
1. Response time
A measurable number, with business hours defined. “As soon as possible” is not a response time. Active partners receive a response from their manager within 1 hour during business hours. After a new enquiry form is submitted, we make first contact within 30 minutes.
2. Scope and delivery dates
Every task should have an agreed scope and a delivery date before it starts, and nothing should start before you approve both.
3. Reporting
The SLA should state what reports are included and when they are delivered. Reporting deliverables, format and timing follow the selected package or agreed work plan.
4. A quality check
Work should be reviewed before it reaches you, and the SLA should say so. It is much cheaper to catch a problem at the provider than at your client.
5. What happens when a deadline is at risk
A good SLA names who tells whom, and when. The provider should tell you before the deadline passes, not after, so you can decide what to say to your client.
6. What you get when the SLA is missed
The agreement should state a remedy, such as a credit or priority on the next task, and it should be written down before anything goes wrong. Ask for it in writing; a promise made after the fact is a negotiation.
What an SLA should not do
- Promise response times nobody can keep.
- List only the provider's obligations. Yours count too.
- Rely on vague words such as "promptly" or "as soon as possible".
What you owe the provider
Deadlines depend on inputs. Access to accounts, approval of scope and answers to questions all sit on your side, and an SLA that ignores them will fail the first time a client is slow to reply. Agree one point of contact on your side for approvals, and agree how quickly you will respond to questions.
How to check an SLA before signing
- How is the response time measured?
- What counts as business hours, and in which time zone?
- What happens around public holidays?
- What happens if your approval is late?
- Is the remedy for a missed deadline written down?
Our SLA in brief
- Response time: active partners receive a response from their manager within 1 hour during business hours; after a new enquiry, first contact is within 30 minutes.
- Clear deadlines: every task has an agreed scope and delivery date.
- Reporting deliverables and timing follow the selected package or agreed work plan.
If you need something more specific, such as coverage across time zones, raise it with your manager before you start.
