What is First Response Time?
How quickly support first responds to a request.
How to calculate it
Calculate First Response Time as: Avg time from ticket open to first reply. Pull the inputs from your connected data and track the trend over time in your dashboard.
Examples
Example 1
Average first reply lands in 45 minutes; priority tickets target under 1 hour.
Example 2
Average first reply lands in 42 minutes against a 1-hour target for priority tickets, comfortably within SLA and supporting high CSAT.
Why it matters
First response time is the average time from a ticket opening to the first reply and strongly shapes perceived service quality. Fast first responses reassure customers their issue is being handled, even before it is resolved. Counting automated acknowledgements as the first response masks the true wait for human help.
Benchmark context
Under 1 hour is strong for priority channels; email tolerates longer, while chat and social expect responses in minutes.
Common pitfalls
Counting automated replies as first response.
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