First response time
First response time is the time between a request being submitted and the first meaningful response from a person, such as a staff member accepting the task or replying to the requester.
Also known as: FRT · time to first response · response time · acknowledgement time
First response time (FRT) measures how long a requester waits before someone takes ownership of their request. The clock starts when the request is submitted and stops at the first human response: a staff member accepts the task, calls back or sends an update. Automatic “we received your request” messages usually do not count, because nobody has acted yet.
Example
| Request | Submitted | Accepted | First response time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extra towels, room 604 | 08:02 | 08:06 | 4 min |
| Dripping tap, apartment 12B | 08:15 | 08:40 | 25 min |
| Iron and board, room 211 | 08:31 | 08:34 | 3 min |
The average for these three is (4 + 25 + 3) / 3, about 10.7 minutes; the median is 4 minutes. The median shows the typical experience. The average reveals that one request waited far longer than the rest, which is usually the one worth investigating.
How it differs from neighbouring terms
- Resolution or completion time: from submission until the job is done. A fast first response followed by a slow fix still leaves someone waiting.
- MTTR: the average time to restore a failed asset, used mainly in maintenance.
- SLA: the agreed target that first response time is measured against.
- Escalation: often triggered when a request gets no first response within its target.
For guests and residents, the first response matters because it is the moment they know someone is on it.
Where TaskLoop fits
When a guest submits a request from the room QR code, they can follow its progress. Staff accept tasks on the mobile app, and TaskLoop’s reports show response and completion times, so managers can see which departments or shifts are slow to pick up work. See analytics and reports.