First response time

What is the first response time?

First Response Time (FRT) is the duration between a customer's initial contact and a company's first reply. Contact centers often set specific FRT targets, like answering 80% of calls within 20 seconds, to align staffing and ensure responsiveness. By tracking FRT, businesses assess the effectiveness of their staffing plans and prevent customer frustration. Different communication channels have varying FRT targets, with live channels typically aiming for faster responses compared to email or social media. 

To calculate the first response time, use the following formula: 

How to improve first response time

• Make sure your agents are trained in your products and policies. This way, they can help customers faster without needing to hunt for answers. 
• Set clear response time, SLAs to keep customer service prompt and help managers track how well each agent is doing. 
• Use a well-organized and updated knowledge base to help new agents get up to speed quickly and confidently. 
• Let agents concentrate on one customer service channel at a time. This approach minimizes mistakes and speeds up problem-solving. 
• Keep an open line of communication with your agents to understand their workload and prevent call center burnout.