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How do you calculate first response time?
For each conversation, subtract the time the customer’s first message arrived from the time of the first reply. Then take the average or, more robustly, the median across a period. Track it separately for each channel, chat, email and social, because expectations differ, and separately for business hours and after hours.
Why does it matter?
Speed is one of the clearest signals of care. For pre-purchase questions, a fast answer can be the difference between a sale and a closed tab. For order questions, it stops worry escalating into complaints. Slow first responses also tend to generate follow-up messages, adding to the workload.
How can you reduce it?
- Answer high-volume questions automatically from store data.
- Cover evenings and weekends, when queues build up.
- Route complex cases to the right person immediately.
- Keep help content current so answers are quick to give.
How Yep AI uses it
Yep AI Agents respond in under 30 seconds, 24/7, with answers grounded in your catalogue, policies and order data. At RoraHub, that meant instant setup help at any hour and a 25% rise in customer satisfaction (CSAT). See ecommerce customer service.
