First Response Time (FRT) measures how quickly a support team acknowledges an incoming ticket, chat, or call. It is one of the most visible metrics to customers because a fast acknowledgment signals that their issue is being taken seriously, even if it is not yet resolved.
Why it matters: Long FRTs correlate with lower satisfaction scores and higher abandonment rates. Many teams set FRT targets inside their service level agreements.
How it is measured:
FRT = timestamp of first agent reply − timestamp of ticket creation
Results are typically averaged across a period (e.g., daily or weekly). Common benchmarks vary by channel:
- Email: under 24 hours
- Live chat: under 1 minute
- Social media: under 1–4 hours
FRT should be tracked alongside quality indicators—a fast but unhelpful first reply can still damage the customer experience.