Average Resolution Time

What is average resolution time

Average resolution time is the average time it takes to fully resolve and close a support ticket, starting from the time it was created. It captures the full journey from issue submission to resolution.

Impact of average resolution time in customer support

This metric directly impacts how customers perceive the competence and responsiveness of your support team. A high average resolution time can mean poor documentation, inexperienced agents, or inefficient internal processes. Internally, it flags areas that slow down service—like dependencies on other departments or knowledge gaps.

Formula + Example/Use Case

Formula:
Total time taken to resolve all tickets ÷ Number of resolved tickets
= Σ(Resolution times) ÷ N

Example:
If a ticket was submitted at 9:00 AM and resolved at 12:00 PM, its resolution time is 3 hours. Across 50 tickets totaling 150 hours, average resolution time = 150 ÷ 50 = 3 hours.

What affects average resolution time

• Ticket complexity: Technical issues or multi-party coordination can naturally take longer to resolve.
• Agent skill and experience: Newer agents may need more time or escalations to handle certain cases.
• Internal documentation quality: If solutions aren’t documented well, agents spend time rediscovering answers.
• Dependency on other teams: If tickets require product, billing, or engineering inputs, wait times rise.

How to Improve average resolution time

• Automate repetitive support tasks: Use AI and automation to handle basic queries or ticket updates.
• Improve agent onboarding and training: Equip agents with deep product knowledge and soft skills early.
• Set internal SLAs (service-level agreements): Prioritize based on issue impact and ensure teams adhere to resolution targets.

Benefits

• Enhances customer satisfaction: Faster resolutions translate to happier, loyal customers.
• Improves operational agility: Helps identify where bottlenecks are and fix them faster.
• Reduces workload per ticket: Efficient resolution means agents can handle more tickets with less burnout.