How to Track Average First Response, Next Response, and Average Resolution Time in BoldDesk
BoldDesk provides built-in reporting and ticket-level insights to measure how quickly agents respond and resolve tickets. This article explains the meaning of each metric and where to find agent-level averages and ticket-level timing details.
This article explains where to find these metrics in BoldDesk and how to use them effectively.
What Do These Metrics Mean in BoldDesk?
BoldDesk calculates response and resolution metrics based on ticket activity timestamps and agent interactions.
| Metrics | Description | Formulae |
|---|---|---|
| Average First Response Time | The average time taken by agents to send the first public response after a ticket is created. | Average 1st response time = Total time taken to send the first public response during the selected time period divided by the number of tickets whose first responses were sent in the selected time period. |
| Average Next Response Time | The average time taken by agents to send subsequent public responses after the first reply. | Average response time = Total time taken to respond during the selected time period divided by the number of responses in the selected time period. |
| Average Resolution Time | The average time taken to move a ticket to a Solved or Closed status. | Average resolution time = Total time taken to resolve tickets during the selected time period divided by the number of tickets resolved in the selected time period. |
These metrics help teams evaluate responsiveness, workload balance, and end‑to‑end support efficiency.
Why Tracking These Averages Matters
Monitoring average response and resolution times helps organizations:
- Detect slow response patterns
- Improve SLA compliance
- Balance agent workload
- Enhance customer experience
- Reduce ticket backlog
- Measure team and individual performance objectively
BoldDesk automatically tracks these metrics—no manual calculations required.
Where to track averages across agents and teams (Agent Performance Dashboard)
Use the Agent Performance Dashboard to review response and resolution averages for an agent or a group over a selected date range.
How to Access
-
Navigate to Reports
-
Open Agent Performance Dashboard
-
Select an Agent or Group
-
Choose a Date Range
-
Review the Response & Resolution Metrics widget (third widget), including:
-
Average First Response Time
-
Average Next Response Time
-
Average Resolution Time
-
FCR (First Contact Resolution)
-
These averages are calculated based on public replies within the selected time period.
Where to track response and resolution time for a specific ticket
BoldDesk supports per-ticket analysis using either dashboard filters or the ticket’s Insights panel.
Option 1: Filter a single ticket in Agent Performance Dashboard
-
Select the appropriate date range according to your requirements.
-
Apply Brand filters if you use multiple brands
-
Open Advanced Filters
-
Filter by Ticket ID
-
Review the response and resolution metrics for the specific ticket
Option 2: Use Ticket Insights (ticket-level SLA and timing details)
BoldDesk provides the Ticket Insights panel.
How to Access Ticket Insights
-
Go to the Tickets module
-
Select the ticket you want to analyze
-
Click the Insights tab
SLA & Timing Metrics Available in Ticket Insights
| Metrics | Description |
|---|---|
| First Response Time | The actual time taken by an agent to send the first reply to a customer after the ticket is created. What it answers: “How long did it take for the customer to receive the first response?” |
| First Response Residual Time | The remaining time available to meet the First Response SLA before a breach occurs. Positive value → SLA is still on track, Zero → SLA deadline reached. Not shown once SLA is breached; What it answers: “How much time is left before the first response SLA is violated?” |
| First Response Violation Time | The extra time exceeded once the First Response SLA deadline is missed. Calculated only after SLA breach. Shows delay beyond SLA commitment. What it answers: “How late was the first response after the SLA was breached?” |
| Average Response Time | The average time taken by agents to respond to customer replies throughout the ticket lifecycle. Includes all agent responses after the first reply. Excludes customer waiting time once ticket is resolved or on hold. What it answers: “How consistently are agents responding to customer interactions?” |
| Response Residual Time | The remaining time to send the next required response before violating the response SLA. What it answers: “How much time is left for the next response to stay SLA‑compliant?” |
| Response Violation Time | The amount of time exceeded after missing the response SLA deadline. What it answers: “How late was the agent response after SLA breach?” |
| Response Achieved Count | The number of times agent responses were sent within SLA limits. What it answers: “How many SLA‑compliant responses were delivered?” |
| Response Breach Count | The number of times response SLA was violated during the ticket lifecycle. What it answers: “How many response SLA breaches occurred for this ticket?” |
| First Resolution Time | The time taken to resolve the ticket for the first time, even if it is later reopened. What it answers: “How quickly was the issue resolved initially?” |
| Full Resolution Time | The total time taken to fully resolve the ticket, including: Reopens, Additional interactions, Final closure. What it answers: “How long did it take to completely resolve the issue?” |
| Resolution Residual Time | The remaining time available before the ticket breaches the Resolution SLA. What it answers: “How much time is left to resolve this ticket within SLA?” |
| Resolution Violation Time | The time exceeded beyond the resolution SLA target once breached. What it answers: “How overdue is the ticket after missing the resolution SLA?” |
| Resolution Achieved Count | The number of times tickets were resolved within the SLA commitment. What it answers: “How many resolutions met the SLA targets?” |
These Ticket Insights metrics are useful for SLA reviews, audits, escalations, and agent coaching because they show both actual timings and SLA residual/violation details.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
-
Do internal notes count as responses?
No. BoldDesk uses public replies for response-time calculations. -
Does resolution time include reopened tickets?
Yes. Resolution time measures time from ticket creation until the ticket is set to Solved/Closed, regardless of reopen cycles. -
Can I export response-time data?
Yes. Dashboards support exporting for analysis in Excel. -
Do SLAs affect calculated response times?
SLAs do not change the calculation, but SLA violations are displayed in Ticket Insights.
