Response Time Analytics
Measure and optimize how quickly your team responds to customers.
Response Time Metrics
First Response Time
Time from ticket creation to first agent reply.
Why it matters: Customer's first impression of your support speed.
Benchmark targets:
- Email: < 4 hours
- Widget/Chat: < 1 hour
- Social: < 1 hour
- VIP: < 30 minutes
Average Response Time
Mean time for all replies (not just first).
Why it matters: Shows ongoing conversation responsiveness.
Median Response Time
Middle value of all response times.
Why it matters: Less affected by outliers than average.
90th Percentile Response Time
Time within which 90% of tickets get first response.
Why it matters: Shows worst-case experience for most customers.
Viewing Response Times
Analytics Dashboard
Quick overview showing:
- Average first response
- Trend direction
- Comparison to last period
Response Time Report
Detailed view with:
- Multiple metrics
- Charts and distributions
- Breakdowns by segment
Response Time Distribution
Histogram View
Shows how responses are distributed:
0-1 hour: ████████████ 45%
1-4 hours: ████████ 30%
4-8 hours: ████ 15%
8-24 hours: ██ 8%
24+ hours: █ 2%
Reading the Distribution
Healthy: Most responses in fastest buckets
Concerning: Spread across buckets or heavy in slow buckets
Outliers: Few very slow responses to investigate
Breakdowns
By Channel
| Channel | Avg. Response |
|---|---|
| Widget | 15 minutes |
| 2 hours | |
| Slack | 30 minutes |
Insight: Live channels should be faster than async.
By Priority
| Priority | Avg. Response |
|---|---|
| Urgent | 30 minutes |
| High | 1 hour |
| Medium | 4 hours |
| Low | 8 hours |
Insight: Higher priority should get faster response.
By Agent
| Agent | Avg. Response |
|---|---|
| Sarah | 45 minutes |
| John | 1.5 hours |
| Alex | 2 hours |
Insight: Identify coaching or workload opportunities.
By Time of Day
| Time | Avg. Response |
|---|---|
| 9 AM - 12 PM | 30 minutes |
| 12 PM - 3 PM | 1 hour |
| 3 PM - 6 PM | 45 minutes |
| After hours | 4 hours |
Insight: Shows staffing coverage gaps.
By Day of Week
| Day | Avg. Response |
|---|---|
| Monday | 2 hours |
| Tuesday | 1 hour |
| Wednesday | 1 hour |
| Thursday | 1.5 hours |
| Friday | 2 hours |
| Weekend | 6 hours |
Insight: Mondays slow due to backlog; weekends need coverage.
Trends
Improving Response Times
Downward trend indicates:
- Better staffing
- More efficient processes
- Effective automation
- Reduced complexity
Degrading Response Times
Upward trend indicates:
- Volume increasing
- Staffing issues
- Process problems
- Complexity increasing
Seasonal Patterns
Look for regular patterns:
- Holiday slowdowns
- Busy season spikes
- Day-of-week cycles
SLA Correlation
Response Time vs. SLA
Compare response times to SLA targets:
- Far below target = exceeding expectations
- Near target = at risk
- Above target = breaching
SLA Achievement by Response Time
< 1 hour response: 98% SLA achievement
1-4 hour response: 85% SLA achievement
4+ hour response: 40% SLA achievement
Improving Response Times
Staffing Optimization
- Add coverage during slow periods
- Balance workload across agents
- Cross-train for flexibility
Process Improvements
- Better routing (right agent faster)
- Effective prioritization
- Reduce back-and-forth with good first responses
Automation
- Auto-replies for acknowledgment
- AI suggestions for faster composition
- Macros for common responses
- Self-service for simple questions
Queue Management
- Clear oldest tickets first
- Set response time goals
- Real-time visibility into queue
Response Time Reports
Creating a Report
- Go to Analytics → Response Times
- Select time period
- Choose breakdown dimensions
- Apply filters
- View or export
Key Reports
Daily Response Summary
- Yesterday's performance
- Comparison to target
- Outliers to address
Weekly Trend Report
- Week's performance
- Day-by-day breakdown
- Week-over-week comparison
Monthly Performance
- Full month metrics
- Trend analysis
- Goal achievement
Scheduled Reports
Set up automatic delivery:
- Daily summary to team
- Weekly report to manager
- Monthly report to leadership
Benchmarking
Industry Benchmarks
General B2B support:
- First response: < 4 hours
- 90th percentile: < 8 hours
Live chat/widget:
- First response: < 2 minutes
- Average: < 5 minutes
Social media:
- First response: < 1 hour
Your Benchmarks
Establish your own based on:
- Historical performance
- Customer expectations
- Resource constraints
Best Practices
Set Realistic Goals
- Base on current performance
- Improve incrementally
- Consider capacity
Monitor Regularly
- Daily: Quick health check
- Weekly: Detailed review
- Monthly: Strategic analysis
Act on Insights
- Investigate outliers
- Address patterns
- Celebrate improvements
Balance Speed and Quality
Fast isn't always better:
- Rushed responses miss details
- Quality reduces follow-ups
- Right answer matters more than fast answer