How to calculate Lead Response Time

Formula

Lead response time = first contact timestamp − lead created timestamp

SQL query

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

SELECT DATE_TRUNC('week', created_at) AS week,
       AVG(EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM (first_contacted_at - created_at)) / 60) AS avg_minutes,
       PERCENTILE_CONT(0.5) WITHIN GROUP (
         ORDER BY EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM (first_contacted_at - created_at)) / 60) AS median_minutes,
       COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE first_contacted_at IS NULL) AS never_contacted
FROM leads
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 1;

Common mistakes that make Lead Response Time wrong

• Averaging over leads that were never contacted silently drops them; count them separately.
• Overnight and weekend leads dominate the average; consider business-hours time.
• Automated acknowledgement emails are not a first contact.

Ask for Lead 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 lead response time by week?
• How many leads this month have had no contact yet?