First response time (FRT)
Quick definition
First response time (FRT) is the time between a customer's first message and the first reply from the business. It is usually reported as an average or median per channel and period.
On this page
How to calculate it
For each conversation or ticket, FRT is the timestamp of the first reply minus the timestamp of the customer's first message. Across a period, report the median as well as the average: a few conversations left unanswered over a weekend can inflate the average and hide a good typical experience, or the reverse.
Decide upfront what counts. Does an automatic acknowledgement (“we've received your message”) count as a response? Most teams exclude it, because it does not help the customer. Are business hours excluded? Reporting both calendar time and business-hours time avoids arguments later.
What customers expect
Expectations depend on the channel. On live chat and messaging apps, customers expect an answer within minutes — they are often still on the page or holding their phone. By email, a reply within the same day is common. On social media, public comments call for speed because others are watching.
FRT is a leading indicator, not a goal in itself. A fast first reply that does not help — “an agent will get back to you” — only moves the wait. Track it alongside resolution time and customer satisfaction.
How AI changes the metric
An AI assistant replies in seconds, at any hour, so FRT for the conversations it handles drops close to zero. The interesting number becomes the time to reach a person when the AI hands over: that is where customers wait. It is worth measuring separately, with its own target, and checking how it varies with opening hours.
Also watch for a misleading average: if the AI answers most simple questions instantly, the overall FRT looks excellent even if human responses have become slower.
Response times in AI SmartTalk
AI SmartTalk assistants answer immediately on every channel, including outside opening hours, and the dashboard shows how many questions were answered by the AI after hours and how its response latency is distributed. When a conversation needs a person, the shared inbox shows how long each pending request has been waiting and sorts the oldest first, and an unanswered handoff triggers a reminder to the team after 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good first response time?
It depends on the channel and your customers. As a rule of thumb, minutes on chat and messaging, hours on email. Compare yourself with your own history and with the expectations customers express in feedback.
What is the difference between first response time and resolution time?
First response time measures the wait for the first reply. Resolution time measures how long it takes to solve the request completely. A team can be fast to respond and slow to resolve.
Do auto-replies count toward first response time?
Usually not. An automatic acknowledgement tells the customer the message arrived but does not help them, so most teams exclude it. An AI answer that actually addresses the question does count.