How fast should you reply to a new inquiry?
A reply time that your team meets every day beats a fast one that it meets on a good day.
Why a kept rule beats a fast one
A customer who wrote to you wants one thing: to know that a person saw the message. If your rule says 15 minutes and two sellers meet it only when they are free, the real rule is "whenever someone notices". That is what the customer feels.
How to set the number
- Take the last two weeks of inquiries and find the median response time and how many got no reply at all.
- Choose one time per channel that your slowest working day can still meet.
- Name who replies and who covers when that person is away.
- Decide what happens in the evening and at weekends, and write it down.
What counts as a reply
A reply from a person. An automatic "we got your message" does not stop the clock: the customer is still waiting for someone.
Write it down
Every new inquiry gets a first reply from [name] within [time] on working days. Outside working hours, [name] replies by [time] the next working day.
Measure it for two weeks
- Report the median response time, not the average.
- Count inquiries with no reply separately.
- Look at the numbers once a week, with the people who reply.
Then tighten it
When the team meets the rule without stretching, shorten the time a little and measure again. One change at a time.
Free lead response audit
A score and the point where your inquiries get lost.
Start the lead response auditFirst reply standard
Who replies to a new inquiry, how fast and with which words. 52 reply templates.
See what's included