Shape matters, not just the number
A backlog of 120 tickets can be healthy or a crisis, depending on how it breaks down by age. A practical way to read it:
- Under 48 hours: normal, it is work in progress.
- 2 to 7 days: acceptable if they are waiting on third parties.
- Over 15 days: review them one by one. There are almost always dead cases.
- Over 30 days: close or escalate. They will not resolve themselves.
The warning sign
It is not the volume: it is the trend in the long tail. If the over-15-days bracket grows every week, the team is handling what comes in and abandoning the old tickets, and that ends in serious complaints.
The usual mistake
Cleaning up the backlog by closing tickets in bulk without telling anyone. The customer whose ticket had been open for three weeks and gets closed with no explanation does not stay quiet: they escalate.