Service-desk SLAs explained for fitness operators
“4-hour response, 24-hour resolve” sounds reassuring on a contract. In practice it’s either a lie, a loss-leader, or both. Let’s unpack what SLAs actually mean — and how to write ones that protect you and the customer.
Response vs resolve
Response = time from case logged to first human action (triage, customer contact, or engineer dispatched).Resolve = time from case logged to fault cleared and equipment back on floor. They move independently and need separate SLAs.
The four priority bands we recommend
| Priority | Response | Resolve | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 — Critical | 1h | 4h | Cardio bank offline, safety hazard |
| P2 — High | 4h | 24h | Single treadmill with belt wear |
| P3 — Standard | 8h | 72h | Cosmetic damage, minor squeak |
| P4 — Low | 24h | 7d | Scheduled PPM catch-up |
How to price each band
Every tier down, halve the response time and you roughly double the operational cost. A P1 commitment means someone is on-call 24/7. A P4 commitment means you can batch the work. If a customer wants P1 on their entire fleet, price it accordingly (or walk away).
What breaks most contracts
Weekend clauses. A “24-hour resolve” that ignores Saturday / Sunday isn’t a 24-hour resolve. Spell out working hours explicitly.
Parts-dependency exclusions. If the part is out of stock, the SLA pauses. Make that crystal clear — customers accept it when told upfront, resent it when discovered mid-breach.
Chargeable vs covered scope. Every contract should spell out which fault categories are in-cover vs chargeable. GymAxis tags each case with a cover type at intake so there’s never a billing surprise.
Measuring yourself
The GymAxis reporting module shows SLA compliance % per priority band per site. If your P2 compliance is below 95%, you’re either under-pricing the tier or under-resourcing it.
See how the service desk enforces SLAs— or book a contracts-review workshop.