How to measure first response time
For each conversation, subtract the time the customer’s first message arrived from the time of the first reply that addresses it. Then take the median, which is less distorted by a few very slow replies than the average. Decide whether you measure around the clock or only during business hours, and report it the same way every time.
First response time matters most where customers compare businesses quickly: quote requests, bookings, and urgent problems. It is different from average response time, which covers every reply in the conversation, and from resolution time, which ends when the issue is solved.
Example: a pest control company’s web inquiries
A pest control company finds that website inquiries sent after 5 p.m. wait until the next morning for a reply, so their median first response time is over 12 hours, while daytime inquiries get answers within the hour. An AI assistant answering on the website and phone brings the evening first reply down to the moment the customer writes. This scenario is illustrative.
First response with InsertChat
InsertChat answers calls, website chat, texts, and WhatsApp the moment they arrive, from your own knowledge, so the first reply is a real answer rather than an acknowledgment. Email can reply automatically too, after a delay you set of up to 10 minutes, or draft replies for your team to approve.
The Today view on every plan shows daily activity and what the assistant handled; conversation analytics are included on Scale and Enterprise. See website chat and the pest control setup.
