Zendesk gave me some valuable building blocks to add to both my API support and API service level agreement research, with their support SLA. This is why I keep an eye on not just how API providers are handling their support, but also how leading support software as a service API providers are setting the bar for how we do support.
The Zendesk support SLA provides us with some valuable information about setting a service level objective, developing support SLA workflow, dealing with a breach, and even some key performance indicators (KPIs) to help you measure success. I will be taking the bullet points from each area and adding to the overlap of my API support and service level research, and I’ll even begin flushing out my API breach research with its first handful of building blocks regarding how to handle a really bad situation.
I’m seeing an uptick in the number of SLAs with leading API providers, so it makes sense to start considering how other aspects of API operations should be reflected in our API service level agreements. How you support and communicate with your customers can be just as important as the technical bullets of your SLA. Most of the SLAs I’ve read in the API space focus on the technical, business, and legal considerations of integration, but Zendesk reminds us of the actual human elements of setting and meeting a specific level of service when it comes to API integration.
