What is First Response Time (FRT)?
First Response Time (FRT) measures the elapsed time between when a customer first contacts a company and when they receive their initial reply from an agent or automated system.
This applies to multiple channels, including phone, email, live chat, and social media.
While in a call centre context the “response” is typically the time taken to answer an inbound call, in other channels it refers to the first meaningful reply that addresses the customer’s query.
FRT is calculated by taking the total time spent before responding to customer enquiries and dividing it by the number of enquiries handled, usually expressed as an average.
For example, if a live chat team responds to 100 messages in a day with an average wait of 45 seconds, the FRT would be 45 seconds.
In contact centres and customer service operations, FRT is important because it directly affects the customer experience.
Long wait times for the first response can frustrate customers and increase the likelihood of repeat contacts or escalations.
Shorter FRTs generally improve customer satisfaction and can contribute to higher first contact resolution (FCR) rates.
Managers and supervisors use FRT to:
- Monitor responsiveness across different communication channels.
- Identify bottlenecks in workflow or staffing.
- Set service level agreements (SLAs) and performance targets.
- Optimise scheduling to meet peak demand times.
While speed is important, quality must also be considered.
A quick but incomplete response can lead to further delays if the customer’s query isn’t resolved in that initial interaction.
Why First Response Time Matters
First Response Time is a critical indicator of how quickly a contact centre meets customer needs.
By reducing FRT while maintaining quality, businesses can improve satisfaction, build trust, and increase overall service efficiency.
Related Terms:
- First Contact Resolution (FCR)
- Service Level Agreement (SLA)
- Average Speed of Answer (ASA)
- Queue Time
- Response Time