# What is First Response Time (FRT)?

> How long a customer waits for the first human or agent reply to a ticket.

Canonical: https://www.decimal.app/glossary/first-response-time · Last reviewed: 2026-09-23

First response time is the elapsed time between a ticket being created and the first substantive reply. Auto-acknowledgments usually don't count.

## Why it matters

It's the first thing a customer feels and a common SLA term. A fast, useful first reply sets the tone for the rest of the ticket.

## Best practices

1. Measure in business and calendar hours. Both matter, to different customers.
2. Make it substantive. A fast reply that says nothing hurts more than it helps.
3. Cover off-hours. Overnight tickets drive the long tail of FRT.

## How Decimal helps

Omnea cut first response time to 3.8 minutes with Decimal, which responds around the clock with an investigated answer.

## Related terms

- [Service Level Agreement (SLA)](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/sla): A contractual commitment on response or resolution times.
- [First Contact Resolution (FCR)](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/first-contact-resolution): The share of tickets resolved in the first reply, with no follow-up needed.
- [Follow-the-Sun Support](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/follow-the-sun): Passing open tickets between teams in different time zones for 24-hour coverage.
- [Resolution Time](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/resolution-time): Elapsed time from a ticket's creation to its final resolution.

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