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Response Time Calculator

Calculate your average support response time

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Response Times

Enter response times in minutes for each ticket.

Results

Average Response Time
54 min
Median
45 min
Total Tickets
5
Fastest
15 min
Slowest
120 min
Benchmark
Good — under 1 hour average

Response time is the clock that starts the moment a customer reaches out and stops when they get their first reply. It is consistently ranked as the number one factor in customer satisfaction with support, ahead of resolution quality and agent knowledge.

According to SuperOffice's analysis of 1,000 companies, the average response time for customer service requests is 12 hours and 10 minutes. Yet 88% of customers expect a response within 60 minutes. This gap between expectation and reality represents one of the biggest opportunities in customer support.

The business impact is measurable. Harvard Business Review found that companies responding to inquiries within one hour are 7 times more likely to have meaningful conversations with decision-makers. Conversely, Zendesk's 2024 CX Trends report shows that 60% of customers say long wait times are the most frustrating part of the service experience.

This calculator helps you measure your team's actual response time performance, compare against industry benchmarks, and identify where improvements would have the biggest impact. Enter individual ticket times or summary statistics to get your metrics.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter response times: Input each ticket's response time in minutes, or use hours and minutes for longer times.
  2. Add multiple entries: Click "Add Entry" for each ticket you want to include. More data points give more accurate averages.
  3. Review your metrics: See average, median, fastest, and slowest response times calculated automatically.
  4. Check benchmarks: Compare your average against industry standards to see where you stand.

Pro Tips

  • Track median, not just average: One 24-hour outlier can double your average. Median gives a more realistic picture of typical performance.
  • Segment by channel: Email, chat, and social media have different expectations. A 2-hour email response is good; a 2-hour chat response is terrible.
  • Measure during business hours: A ticket received at 11 PM shouldn't penalize your 9 AM response. Business-hours calculation gives a fairer metric.
  • Set tiered targets: Not all tickets are equal. VIP customers, billing issues, and outage reports should have faster response targets than general inquiries.
  • Automate the first touch: Auto-acknowledgments don't count as first response, but they buy time and reduce customer anxiety while your team prepares a real reply.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is first response time (FRT)?
First response time is the duration between when a customer submits a support request and when they receive the first human reply. It excludes automated acknowledgments. FRT is one of the most important support metrics because it directly impacts customer satisfaction — SuperOffice data shows 88% of customers expect a response within 60 minutes.
What is a good average response time?
For email support, the industry benchmark is under 4 hours, but top performers respond within 1 hour. For live chat, under 1 minute is expected. For social media, under 60 minutes. According to Zendesk's 2024 CX Trends report, the median first response time across all channels is 2 hours and 18 minutes.
How do you calculate average response time?
Sum all response times and divide by the number of tickets. For accuracy, calculate separately for each channel (email, chat, phone, social) and exclude outliers like tickets received outside business hours. Use median instead of mean if you have extreme outliers, as a single 48-hour response can skew the average.
What is the difference between response time and resolution time?
Response time measures how quickly you first reply. Resolution time measures how long until the issue is fully resolved. Both matter, but for different reasons: fast response time manages expectations and reduces anxiety, while fast resolution time solves the actual problem. The best teams optimize both independently.
How does response time affect customer satisfaction?
Harvard Business Review research found that companies responding within an hour are 7x more likely to qualify a lead and 60x more likely than those waiting 24 hours. For support specifically, Forrester data shows 73% of customers say valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do.
Should response time be measured in business hours or calendar hours?
Both are useful. Business hours give your team a fair metric (a Friday night ticket shouldn't count weekend hours). Calendar hours reflect the customer's actual experience. Track business-hours response time for team performance, and calendar-hours for customer experience reporting.

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