---
title: "First response time"
canonical: https://replypen.com/glossary/first-response-time
description: "First response time is how long a customer waits between sending an email and getting the first reply from a person at your business."
question: "What is first response time?"
author: "ReplyPen team"
published: 2026-09-30
operator: ProBackup BV (Hasselt, Belgium)
---

# What is first response time?

First response time is how long a customer waits between sending an email and getting the first reply from a person at your business. Automatic acknowledgements do not count. It is one of the most watched support numbers, because waiting is what customers notice first.

It is usually measured per email and reported as a median or an average over a week. Some teams
count only business hours, others the clock time the customer experiences; both are fine as long as
you stay consistent.

## Why it matters

Customers judge speed by the first reply, not the last. A quick, useful first reply often ends the
conversation; a slow one produces a second email ("any update?") that adds to the pile. For small
teams the goal is not instant replies but a predictable window, such as the same working day, that
customers can count on.

First response time says nothing about quality on its own. A fast "we'll look into it" followed by
silence scores well and helps nobody, so read it next to how many emails needed a follow-up.

## An example

A customer writes at 9:10 and gets an answer at 11:40. The first response time for that email is two
and a half hours, or less if your team only counts from opening time.

What to aim for: [response times for a small team](https://replypen.com/blog/customer-email-response-time-small-team.md).

## Related

- [Shared mailbox](https://replypen.com/glossary/shared-mailbox.md): A shared mailbox is one email address, such as support@ or hello@, that several people can read and answer from.
- [Email triage](https://replypen.com/glossary/email-triage.md): Email triage is sorting incoming email before anyone answers it: deciding what needs a reply, what can wait, what goes to someone else and what needs no action at all.
- [Resolution rate](https://replypen.com/glossary/resolution-rate.md): A resolution rate is the share of customer conversations a support tool counts as resolved, often without a person getting involved.