SLA-driven marketplace support that scales

Marketplace support is where growing brands quietly break. Message volume climbs faster than revenue, response-time metrics slip, and account health starts to suffer. Here's the staffing and workflow model we use to keep sub-4-hour first-response times at any scale.

Tier your queue

• Tier 1: shipping & tracking (80% of volume, templated responses)
• Tier 2: returns & refunds (defined decision tree, 10-minute average)
• Tier 3: A-to-Z, INR, and escalations (senior operator only)

Measure the right SLAs

First-response time gets all the attention, but resolution time is what buyers actually feel. Track both, and set separate targets. Ours: 4 hours first response, 24 hours full resolution for Tier 1 and 2.

Automate the intake, not the empathy

Canned responses and macros save hours, but a human touch on refund and complaint threads protects your review velocity. The rule of thumb: automate acknowledgement, keep resolution personal.