Support Tiers, SLA Definitions, and Escalation Procedures
| Feature | Standard | Professional | Enterprise | Mission Critical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | Included | $1,499/yr | $3,999/yr | $7,999/yr |
| S1 Response | 24 hours | 4 hours | 1 hour | 15 minutes |
| S2 Response | 48 hours | 8 hours | 4 hours | 1 hour |
| S3 Response | 5 business days | 24 hours | 8 hours | 4 hours |
| S4 Response | 10 business days | 5 business days | 2 business days | 1 business day |
| Hours of Operation | M–F 9–5 ET | M–F 8–8 ET | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Channels | Email, Portal | Email, Portal, Phone | All + Slack | All + Dedicated Eng |
| Training Hours | — | 8 hrs/yr | 24 hrs/yr | Unlimited |
| Advance RMA | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated Engineer | No | No | No | Yes |
| SLA Credits | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Quarterly Review | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Severity | Definition | Impact | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 — Critical | System down, show cannot operate | Complete loss of show control | Helm server unresponsive, all nodes offline |
| S2 — High | Major feature degraded, workaround exists | Significant operational impact | Multiple nodes offline, Bridge panel malfunction |
| S3 — Medium | Minor feature issue, no operational impact | Inconvenience, non-blocking | Single node offline, Cuemaster display glitch |
| S4 — Low | Enhancement request or cosmetic issue | No operational impact | Feature request, documentation correction |
| Elapsed Time | S1 Action | S2 Action |
|---|---|---|
| 0 minutes | Support Agent assigned | Support Agent assigned |
| 30 minutes | Field Engineer engaged | — |
| 1 hour | Engineering Lead notified | Field Engineer engaged |
| 2 hours | VP Engineering notified | — |
| 4 hours | CEO notified, war room opened | Engineering Lead notified |
| 8 hours | Executive bridge with Customer | VP Engineering notified |
Enterprise and Mission Critical tier customers are eligible for SLA credits when Northstar fails to meet the initial response time commitment.
| Response Time Exceeded By | Credit (% of Monthly Support Fee) |
|---|---|
| Up to 2x response time | 5% |
| 2x to 4x response time | 10% |
| Over 4x response time | 20% |
Maximum aggregate SLA credits per month: 30% of monthly support fee. Credits must be requested within 30 days of the SLA breach. Credits are applied to the next invoice and are not refundable as cash.
Submit and track tickets, access knowledge base, download software, manage devices, and view RMA status at portal.northstarshowsystems.com.
support@northstarshowsystems.com — Creates a ticket automatically. Include device serial number and severity level for fastest routing.
Direct phone line for Professional, Enterprise, and Mission Critical customers. Number provided upon tier enrollment.
A named Northstar engineer assigned to the Customer’s account with direct contact information, familiarity with the Customer’s deployment, and priority access to engineering resources.
Training is delivered through the embedded LMS in the Customer Portal with four courses: Operator, Installer, Show Designer, and Venue Tech. Professional tier and above include allocated training hours for live sessions (remote or on-site).
Customers may upgrade their support tier at any time. The upgrade fee is prorated for the remainder of the current annual period. Downgrades take effect at the next annual renewal date. Tier changes are managed through the Customer Portal or by contacting the account manager.
DOCUMENT CROSS-REFERENCES:
Reach our legal team at legal@northstarshowsystems.com.