Average Response Time

What is average response time (ART)

Average response time is the average duration taken by agents to reply to customer messages across an ongoing ticket after the initial response. It measures consistency in communication, not just speed of acknowledgment.

Impact of average response time in customer support

Customers don’t just want quick first replies—they expect continued, timely updates. A high average response time can signal disorganized workflows, agent multitasking overload, or lack of tools. When response gaps are too long, customers may feel ignored, leading to frustration or ticket abandonment. For support teams, average response time is a critical operational benchmark.

Formula + Example/Use Case

Formula:
Total response time across all replies ÷ Total number of replies
= Σ(Response times between messages) ÷ N

Example:
If an agent replies to a customer at 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM, and 11:00 AM (with a customer message in between each), the response times are 30 and 30 minutes, respectively. ART = (30 + 30) ÷ 2 = 30 minutes.

What affects average response time

• Agent workload and multitasking: Agents managing multiple tickets simultaneously may take longer to respond within each.
• Channel expectations: Email typically allows longer gaps than live chat or messaging apps.
• Ticket prioritization policies: If response priorities are set only by urgency tags, routine queries may suffer delays.
• Availability of prewritten responses: Lack of canned replies or templates can slow down drafting time.

How to improve average response time

• Implement macros or reply templates: These help agents answer recurring queries faster and more consistently.
• Optimize ticket triage logic: Ensure tickets are categorized and prioritized correctly to balance response efforts.
• Reduce agent context switching: Assign tickets in a way that lets agents stay focused on similar issues to maintain speed.

Benefits

• Delivers consistent customer communication: Keeps users updated and engaged throughout the issue lifecycle.
• Reduces follow-up volume: Customers are less likely to check back if they receive timely responses.
• Improves internal efficiency: Helps identify delays in workflows and areas for training or automation.