First response time (FRT) is how long a customer waits before a person on your team replies. Use the calculator to find your average and compare it with your target.
First Response Time Calculator
Add up the minutes from ticket creation to the first human reply, then enter the totals.
What is first response time?
FRT is the time between a customer opening a ticket (by email, chat, form or social message) and the first reply from your team. Automated "we got your message" emails usually do not count, because they do not help the customer.
The formula
Average FRT = Total time to first response ÷ Number of tickets that received a response
Example: Over a week, 240 tickets received a first reply, and the times add up to 3,600 minutes. Average FRT = 3,600 ÷ 240 = 15 minutes.
Most helpdesks (Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout and others) report FRT for you. If yours does not, export ticket created and first reply timestamps to a spreadsheet and subtract.
Average or median?
A few tickets that sat over a weekend can drag the average up. Many teams report the median as well, which shows what a typical customer experiences.
What is a good first response time?
Expectations depend heavily on the channel:
| Channel | Common target |
|---|---|
| Live chat | Under 1–2 minutes |
| Social media | Under 1 hour |
| Email / tickets | Under 4–12 hours, many teams aim for same business day |
| Phone | Answered live; see AI receptionists for after-hours |
Set a target you can hit consistently, publish it, and then beat it.
How to reduce first response time
- Route tickets automatically by topic or language so they land with the right person.
- Use saved replies for common questions. See our canned responses.
- Add AI for the first answer. An AI agent can answer simple questions instantly; check the economics with the chatbot ROI calculator.
- Cover the gaps. Most slow responses happen at night and on weekends.
FAQ
Is FRT the same as resolution time? No. FRT stops at the first reply; resolution time stops when the issue is solved.
Should business hours only be counted? Many teams measure in business hours for internal targets and in calendar hours for customer-facing promises. Be clear which one you report.