Formula
First Response Time = Total Time to First Responses ÷ Number of Tickets
Calculation Example
If a company receives 500 support tickets and takes a total of 25,000 minutes to respond, First Response Time = 25,000 ÷ 500 = 50 minutes
Data Source
CRM software, customer support platforms
Tracking Frequency
Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly
Optimal Value
Lower is better; faster responses improve customer satisfaction.
Minimum Acceptable Value
A high response time suggests inefficiencies in customer support.
Benchmark
Industry benchmarks: Live chat ~1-5 minutes, Email ~6-24 hours, Social Media ~1-4 hours
Recommended Chart Type
Bar chart (to compare teams), Line chart (to track trends)
How It Appears in Reports
Displayed in customer support reports to assess response efficiency.
Why Is This KPI Important?
Indicates how quickly a business acknowledges customer inquiries.
Typical Problems and Limitations
Speed alone is not enough; quality of response matters.
Actions for Poor Results
Automate responses, expand support team, optimize ticket routing.
Related KPIs
CSAT, Net Promoter Score (NPS), Average Resolution Time
Real-Life Examples
An e-commerce company reduced first response time from 3 hours to 45 minutes by implementing AI chatbots.
Most Common Mistakes
Focusing only on response time without improving resolution quality.
