How to calculate First Response Time

Formula

First response time = first agent reply timestamp − ticket created timestamp

SQL query

This example assumes: tickets(id, created_at, first_reply_at, priority). It is written in PostgreSQL syntax; date functions differ slightly in MySQL, BigQuery and SQLite, and your column names will differ from these.

SELECT priority,
       AVG(EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM (first_reply_at - created_at)) / 3600) AS avg_hours,
       PERCENTILE_CONT(0.5) WITHIN GROUP (
         ORDER BY EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM (first_reply_at - created_at)) / 3600) AS median_hours
FROM tickets
WHERE first_reply_at IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY priority;

Common mistakes that make First Response Time wrong

• Auto-replies are not a first response; use the first human reply.
• Tickets without a reply are missing from the average; report them as a count.
• Weekend tickets inflate the average unless you use business hours.

Ask for First Response Time in plain English

Instead of writing the query yourself, you can type the question. SchemaChat turns it into SQL against your connected database or uploaded file, runs it, and shows the SQL and the figures it used so you can check the answer before you share it. It does not replace your judgement about the definition: check that the query matches the formula your business uses.

• What is our median first response time by priority?
• How many tickets have had no reply yet?