Average Resolution Time
The mean amount of time it takes to fully resolve a customer support ticket or issue from the moment it is opened.
Average Resolution Time (ART) measures the elapsed time between when a customer submits a support request and when the issue is fully resolved. It is a critical operational metric for customer service teams because long resolution times correlate strongly with lower satisfaction scores.
ART is typically measured in hours or business days. It should be tracked separately from First Response Time (how quickly the team acknowledges a ticket) because a fast first response with a slow resolution still frustrates customers.
Breaking ART down by issue category, support tier, and agent reveals specific bottlenecks. High ART in billing issues might point to a clunky refund process, while high ART in technical issues might indicate missing documentation or training gaps.
Reducing ART does not mean rushing resolutions. Quality matters more than speed. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary wait times, handoffs, and back-and-forth. Self-service resources, knowledge bases, and AI-powered triage can all reduce ART without sacrificing quality.
Related Terms
First Contact Resolution (FCR)
MetricsThe percentage of customer issues that are fully resolved during the first interaction, without requiring follow-up.
Customer Effort Score (CES)
MetricsA metric that measures how much effort a customer had to exert to get an issue resolved, a request fulfilled, or a task completed.
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
MetricsA metric that measures how satisfied customers are with a product, service, or interaction, typically on a 1–5 scale.
Service Recovery
StrategyThe process of identifying and resolving a customer’s negative experience to restore satisfaction and prevent churn.
Related Resources
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