To ensure the velocity of your projects, the security of your platforms, and the high-performance delivery of our services, Anchored Web Solutions operates under the following Service Level Agreements (SLA) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
1. Communication Channels & Operating Hours SOP
To maintain an audit trail for your project, prevent critical tasks from falling through the cracks, and ensure all updates are executed with precision, we operate using a structured communication protocol.
- Official Communication Gateways: All project requests, strategic updates, and technical support inquiries must be submitted through our Secure Client Management Portal or via Direct Email ([email protected]).
- Visual QA & Production: For website redesigns, development tasks, and specific design revisions, we utilize our Collaborative Visual Feedback Environment. This tool allows you to pin requests directly to the page element in question, ensuring 100% clarity for our production team.
- Casual Communication (SMS): While SMS text messaging is acceptable for casual check-ins, please note that we cannot warranty the receipt, review, or response time for requests sent via SMS. For website-related revisions or task requests, the visual feedback platform is the only channel that guarantees inclusion in our tracking architecture.
- Informal Communication (Calls & Social): While you may occasionally reach our founder via phone or social media DMs (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, etc.), these channels are not connected to our tracking systems. Messages or calls received through these channels will not be automatically logged, scheduled, or executed. For all business-critical requests, please use our official communication gateways.
- Production Windows: Our team operates in high-focus production blocks:
- Core Support Hours: Monday through Friday | 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST.
- Note: We observe major United States federal holidays to ensure our team remains sharp and ready to deliver.
- Transparency & Availability: We are committed to transparency regarding agency availability. If our primary engineering team will be off-grid (e.g., traveling without signal), we will notify you in advance so you can plan your requests accordingly.
2. Professional Standards of Conduct
We believe that high-velocity results are only possible in an environment of mutual respect.
- Zero Tolerance for Abuse: We do not tolerate verbal abuse, aggressive language, harassment, or threats.
- The “Stop-Work” Protocol: If communication from a client becomes abusive or derogatory, we reserve the right to immediately pause all active work. We will issue one formal notification defining the behavior.
- Resolution & Termination: If a respectful working environment cannot be restored following the notification, we reserve the right to terminate the service agreement immediately.
3. Ticket Triage & Response Time SLA
We prioritize incoming requests based on system impact to ensure that critical operational bottlenecks are addressed immediately while maintaining predictable timelines for standard iterations.
- Standard Triage Window: For standard requests submitted through official channels, Anchored Web Solutions guarantees an initial response and diagnostic assessment within 24 to 48 business hours.
- Critical Emergency Definition: A “Critical Emergency” is strictly defined as:
- A total platform outage (e.g., website completely offline).
- A catastrophic failure of core operational workflows (e.g., customer registration or checkout systems are non-functional, preventing revenue generation).
- Emergency Escalation SLA: Verified critical emergencies bypass the standard queue and are prioritized for diagnostic action within 4 business hours. This includes limited weekend monitoring exclusively reserved for verified “site-down” events.
4. The Collaborative Visual Production SOP
For website development, redesigns, and content revisions, we utilize our visual feedback platform to eliminate visual miscommunication, speed up quality assurance (QA), and provide real-time updates.
- Visual Feedback Pins: Clients must use the integrated browser extension or live staging widget to pin visual feedback, copy changes, or design requests directly onto the specific page element in question.
- The Task Lifecycle: Every pinned task enters our production pipeline and progresses transparently through the following phases: Backlog → In Production → Internal QA → Client Review → Archive.
- The Task Archive Rule: Once a ticket is resolved and the client reviews it, moving a ticket to the “Archive” column (or approving it within the widget) serves as the formal sign-off and logging mechanism for that task’s successful deployment.
5. Timesheet Tracking & Care Credits SOP
We believe in radical transparency. Every minute spent optimizing your platform is accounted for using precise logging.
- Billing Increments: All manual maintenance, content styling, minor tweaks, or custom troubleshooting tasks are logged dynamically in our operations system using precise 15-minute billing increments.
- The Monthly Value Credit ($100 Value): Clients enrolled in qualifying monthly Care Plans receive an included maintenance credit of up to $100.00 in value per billing cycle. This credit automatically offsets the first $100.00 of logged technical labor each month.
- Application of Credit: This credit is applied directly against logged labor in chronological order.
- Tier 1 Offset: Offsets up to 1 hour of Tier 1 (Routine Maintenance) labor.
- Tier 2 Offset: If applied to Tier 2 (Advanced Engineering) labor, the credit will offset up to $100.00 of the hourly rate, leaving an automatic overage balance of $75.00 for that hour.
- Note: Unused monthly credits do not roll over to subsequent months and carry no cash value.
- Overage Automation & Tiered Rate Schedule: Once the monthly care plan credit value is fully exhausted, or when out-of-scope work is requested, tasks are automatically designated as overages. These hours bill dynamically according to our Tiered Rate Schedule:
- Tier 1 (Routine Maintenance & Content Triage) — $100.00/hour: Light housekeeping, content/image swaps, text formatting edits, simple link updates, or lightweight layout styling.
- Tier 2 (Advanced Engineering & Systems Architecture) — $175.00/hour: Custom code development (PHP, MySQL, jQuery), custom database architecture, third-party API webhooks/integrations, automation scripting, CRM pipelines, complex e-commerce checkout modifications, and emergency malware/breach remediation.
- Billing: All overages will be automatically appended to your next monthly invoice.
6. Background Integrity Stewardship SOP
A significant portion of our work occurs behind the scenes. We deploy autonomous system monitoring tools to ensure your platform’s “roots” remain healthy and secure.
- Continuous System Monitoring: Through our autonomous monitoring integrations, we perform background stewardship including daily/weekly off-site backups, database optimization, malware scans, security posture checks, and 24/7 uptime monitoring.
- Automated Transparency Reports: To show you exactly what is happening under the hood, a Website Care Report is compiled monthly and appended directly to your invoice as verified physical proof of this background work.
- Plugin & Core Updates:
- Minor / Non-Breaking Updates: Security patches and non-breaking plugin updates are applied automatically behind the scenes.
- Major Core Overhauls: Major system upgrades (e.g., major CMS engine updates) are first cloned and tested in a secure staging environment to guarantee platform stability before going live.
7. Third-Party Plugin & Environment Boundaries SOP
We engineer robust, high-performance environments. However, a stable platform requires shared responsibility.
- Client-Introduced Software: If a client, client employee, or unauthorized third party installs plugins, modifies core environment files, or changes server settings without our explicit written approval, our system stability warranty is immediately voided.
- Malware & Breach Remediation: Resolving security breaches, cleaning up malware, or repairing broken code caused by client-introduced software, leaked credentials, or third-party tampering falls entirely outside standard Care Plan coverage. Emergency remediation is billed at our advanced rate with a 3-hour diagnostic minimum.
- License Renewals: While our Care Plans cover the deployment and updates of our agency’s core software stack (licensed directly to Anchored Web), any specialized, proprietary third-party subscriptions, premium themes, or external API keys requested specifically by the client must be licensed and maintained directly on the client’s credit card.
8. Arrears, Installment Paths, & Account Escalation
To support our partners through transitional periods while maintaining agency cash-flow predictability, Anchored Web Solutions provides structured installment paths for out-of-compliance balances.
- 8.1. Eligibility & Setup Framework: * Structured payment arrangements for outstanding balances are handled as custom administrative variances and are subject to minimum monthly installment floors and baseline upfront retainers.
- Terms are structured based on the total outstanding principal to protect agency cash flow and ensure full balance resolution within a standard fiscal cycle.
- 8.2. The “Two-Strike” Missed Payment Rule: Two missed or delayed payments within a rolling 6-month period results in immediate termination of in-house payment plans. The client must then clear the remaining balance in full within 5 business days or face system access suspension.
- 8.3. Third-Party Servicing Option: For accounts requiring micro-payments below our active agency floors, or for high-risk accounts exceeding standard debt-to-income limits, balances will be offloaded to our third-party financing partner. This keeps your monthly obligation small, but does involve independent third-party processing terms and setup fees.
- 8.4. Collections Escalation SOP: If a client fails to respond, refuses to clear their arrears, or misses the final cure window following default, we exercise our rights under the Master Services Agreement to transmit the minimum necessary client and invoice data to our collections partner or credit reporting systems to recover the past-due balance.
