Created by
ElasticFlow Team
Verified Creator
Last update
Setup time
15 minutes
What You Get
Measure TTFR consistently across channels
Segment by lead tier and business hours
Alert + escalate on SLA risk
Integrations Used
Define, calculate, benchmark, and improve time-to-first-response with tiered SLAs, diagnostics, and automated routing.
What you're dealing with
After-hours coverage gaps skewing data
Routing latency delaying assignment
Rep capacity bottlenecks
Tool notifications failing
Lead tiering logic broken
How we fix it
Calendar-aware response monitoring
Availability-based routing
Automated escalation workflows
Response-conversion correlation
Define, calculate, benchmark, and improve time-to-first-response with tiered SLAs, diagnostics, and automated routing.
Formulas and consistency rules
Elapsed time between a tracked inbound event and the first qualifying human (or policy-allowed automated) response.
TTFR = first_response_timestamp - inbound_timestampCount of items responded within SLA window
Count of eligible inbound items
Ensure you handle these scenarios consistently:
Segmented targets based on industry data
| Segmentation | Metric | Target | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inbound Demo Request | P50 (Median) | < 5 mins | InsideSales StudyUpdated: 2021 |
| General Inquiry (Email) | Average | ~12 hours | Workato StudyUpdated: 2025 |
| Inbound Call | Average | ~14.5 hours | Workato StudyUpdated: 2025 |
| Form Submit (B2B) | % < 5 mins | 0.1% | InsideSales StudyUpdated: 2021 |
Benchmarks are ranges, not laws. Context matters: inbound demo requests (high intent) behave differently than cold outbound replies (low intent).
Track these alongside First Response Time for a complete view
Why your metrics might be off
Median is stable but P90 worsened
Outliers are dragging you down
Implement calendar-aware routing and a 'catch-all' escalation for unassigned leads.
Hot leads worsened but cold leads stable
Priority logic is broken
Review scoring thresholds and ensure hot leads bypass standard queues.
One channel (e.g. Web) worsened
Technical or process bottleneck specific to channel
Test the end-to-end flow for that channel (submit to alert).
Response time worsened on specific days
Staffing/Capacity mismatch
Adjust coverage schedules or implement round-robin limits.
Cross-departmental applications of this metric
Demo request response time and inbound lead follow up.
First reply time SLA and ticket first response time.
Incident first response and triage speed.
Candidate response time and application follow-up.
Intake response time and request triage SLA.
Request queue response time and approvals response SLA.
Step-by-step guides to improve performance
Increasing the count of responses within SLA is the fastest way to move the needle.
Outcome: Higher % of leads engaged while hot
Common Pitfalls:
• Alert fatigue (too many notifications)
• Treating all leads as hot
Reduce the volume of 'eligible inbound items' to focus capacity on real leads.
Outcome: Higher focused capacity for quality leads
Common Pitfalls:
• Filtering out good leads by mistake
• ignoring 'warm' leads
Most TTFR blow-ups come from items that never get a clear owner fast enough.
Outcome: Lower P90 TTFR and higher % within SLA without increasing headcount.
Common Pitfalls:
• Counting auto-replies as 'responses' (inflates performance)
• Assigning ownership without capacity checks (creates hidden backlog)
Treat response as a queue system to smooth out spikes.
Outcome: Predictable wait times
Common Pitfalls:
• Over-assignment causing burnout
• Ignoring complexity differences
Copy or download templates to operationalize this metric
Official internal definition and calculation rules for First Response Time (TTFR).
# TTFR Measurement Specification **Definition:** The elapsed time between a tracked inbound event and the first qualifying human response. ## Calculation Formula ``` TTFR = first_response_timestamp - inbound_timestamp ``` ## Inclusion Rules - **Inbound Demo Requests**: Track from the moment of form submission. - **Inbound Emails**: Track from receipt in the CRM/Mail server. - **Chat Messages**: Track from the first message sent by the lead. ## Exclusion Rules - **Auto-replies**: Standard generic auto-responders do not count as a response. - **Spam/Test Leads**: Exclude from all performance reporting. - **Internal Requests**: Exclude requests from internal employees.
Operational response targets and escalation rules for different lead priorities.
# Tiered SLA Policy | Lead Tier | Priority | Target TTFR | Warning Alert | Escalation Alert | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Tier 1** | Urgent (Demo Request) | < 5 mins | 2 mins | 5 mins (VP Sales) | | **Tier 2** | High (Pricing Inquiry) | < 1 hour | 30 mins | 1 hour (Manager) | | **Tier 3** | Medium (Whitepaper) | < 24 hours | 12 hours | 24 hours (Team Lead) | | **Tier 4** | Low (Newsletter) | < 48 hours | N/A | 48 hours (N/A) |
Recommended Slack/Email alert logic for monitoring response latency.
{
"alerts": [
{
"trigger": "SLA_WARNING",
"threshold": 0.5,
"channels": ["slack-rep-dm"],
"message": "⚠️ ACTION REQUIRED: Lead {name} is at 50% of SLA time."
},
{
"trigger": "SLA_BREACH",
"threshold": 1.0,
"channels": ["slack-team-room", "email-manager"],
"message": "🔥 SLA BREACH: Lead {name} has exceeded response target."
}
]
}Related automations to further improve performance
“Reduces routing and visibility delays caused by stale fields across systems.”
“Prioritizes hot items so they’re answered first, improving your SLA compliance rate.”
“Connects faster response to downstream outcomes, reinforcing why TTFR matters.”
Measure TTFR consistently across channels
Segment by lead tier and business hours
Alert + escalate on SLA risk
Correlate response time with conversion
P90 spikes after-hours
Hot leads wait longer than cold leads
Large variance by channel/region
Customize this workflow to match your specific context:
Define 'first response' per channel - Decide if an auto-reply counts (usually no) and if a call attempt without voicemail counts.
Set Business Hours - Configure calendars to avoid penalizing reps for after-hours leads in your SLA reporting.
Tiering Rules - Set different SLAs for matching ICP vs non-ICP leads.
Escalation Paths - Who gets the notification when a hot lead isn't touched in 5 minutes? 15 minutes?
Get started in 15 minutes with these simple steps
Track lead creation and first touch events
Route alerts and escalations to reps
Set response time targets by lead score and source
Set up round-robin with availability checks
Trigger manager alerts for untouched leads
Start using this workflow today and save hours every week. Quick setup, no technical expertise required.
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