submit query
Loader

Please fill with your details

  • # #
Glossary

What is First Reply Time?

First response time is abbreviated by FRT. FRT or first reply time refers to the period of time between when a client reports an issue and when customer support reacts, which might be minutes, hours, or even days. 


It is occasionally measured during regular business hours and sporadically outside of those times. Calculate the average first response time by adding up all first responses and dividing by the number of tickets that were successfully resolved to see trends over time.


It is significant to highlight that average reply time, which assesses how quickly customer service organizations respond to all interactions, not just first-touch messages, is distinct from first response time.

Why Does First Response Time Essential for Customer Service?

First response time is essential for customer service because attending to customers’ queries instantly is not just expected but absolutely mandatory these days. The first response is important in building trust and a good relationship with the customer.


While many organizations provide various average first response time numbers. Therefore, the following are a few that are often cited:


According to a survey of SuperOffice, an average company takes around 12 hours and 10 minutes to respond to an email.


According to SuperOffice, 62% of the organizations do not respond to customer service emails at all.


As per the survey of MyCustomer, to provide world-class service, businesses should strive for an average email response time of one hour.


According to the survey of Groove, for the social media conversations, the response time should be within an hour and it is recommended.


As per the Groove survey, companies should take 3 minutes or less for phone support.


Of course, all of these measures lose their significance when you take into account chat and messaging channels. For all forms of communication, the first response time must be instantaneous. 


Meanwhile, this does not imply that a person must constantly be on duty to respond to client questions made through any channel. That would be a time-consuming and expensive task, therefore artificial intelligence (AI) and bots can help.

How to Calculate Average First Response Time (FRT)?

Sum of the First Response Time / Number of Tickets = Average First Response Time (FRT)


By summing up all first response times and dividing the total number of tickets that have been handled, you can get your average first response time. Minutes, hours, and days are frequently used to indicate FRTs.


Calculate your FRT using the median rather than the average to reduce the likelihood of outliers skewing the data.


Additionally, you should take into consideration tickets that were sent beyond your defined business hours and automatic responses (such as those offered by chatbots or virtual assistants).


To identify areas for improvement, you may filter your First Response Time by agent, team, or time zone.

How Can Customer Service Be Improved Using First Response Rate Data?


Only if you use metrics like the first response rate to raise the performance of your team will they be useful. After all, simply being aware of how long it takes your agents to respond to tickets won't help them grow better—but using that knowledge to set precise, quantifiable goals would.


Once you have established a target response rate that you can live with, use that number to encourage each agent to go above and above for your customers every day.


Contact Us

Enter the details & we will contact you shortly!

Resource Library

An insight into Call Center Outsourcing

Global enterprises strive to attain service excellence so that they can stay ahead in a competitive environment.

Download Now >

BSNL Augmented Business Performances with Go4customer

TBharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) started its operation and installed Quality Telecom in the nation.

Click here to Read >

Getit infomedia optimized business performance with Go4customer.com

GetIt Infomedia is a leading digital supermarket in India

Click here to Read >

Blogs

Call Center Outsourcing in India: Why It’s a Global Leader in Customer Support?

<p>Are you prepared to improve your company's key competencies? Are you trying to find reliable reasons for call center outsourcing in India? We've given you good....

Read more>>

What is Recruitment Process Outsourcing? A Comprehensive Guide to RPO Services

<p>Finding great talent may sometimes feel like finding a needle in a haystack. Businesses are searching for creative ways to improve their hiring procedures, given the constantly changi....

Read more>>

Our Esteemed Clientele

  • MSME logo
  • Manrega logo
  • GIL Company logo
  • BSNL Company logo
  • NMEICT Company logo
  • hudco Company hudco
  • Relaxo Comapany logo
  • NSEZ Company logo
  • Gail logo
  • MTNL logo
  • timex logo
  • BPCL Company logo
  • HPCL Company logo
  • IOCL Company logo
  • one97 logo
  • AIIMS Company logo
  • Power-Grid logo

Next-Gen BPO Services: Transforming Call Center Operations in India

Discover top-tier BPO services at Go4customer, where we reshape call center outsourcing to fuel your business expansion. Our call center in India mixes high-tech AI with the insights from data to make sure all of our training is top-notch and to offer broad 360° customer support and call center services. Join us and build customer relationships grounded in trust and top-class service experiences.