How to Benchmark Your Support Team
“Is our FRT good?” is a common question. The answer depends on context. Here’s how to benchmark your support team—both against industry and against yourself.
Why benchmark?
Benchmarking helps you:
- Set targets — Know what’s achievable.
- Identify gaps — See where you’re behind.
- Justify investment — Show leadership where you stand.
- Track progress — Measure improvement over time.
Two types of benchmarks
1. Industry benchmarks
Compare your metrics to published data or competitors.
Example:
| Metric | Industry range |
|---|---|
| First response time | 2–12 hours (email) |
| Resolution time | 24–72 hours |
| CSAT | 75–90% |
| First contact resolution | 60–80% |
Pros: External context; useful for leadership conversations.
Cons: Different companies, different contexts. Your complexity, product, and customer base differ.
2. Internal benchmarks (baseline)
Compare your metrics to your own history.
Example:
| Metric | Last quarter | This quarter |
|---|---|---|
| FRT | 5.2 hours | 4.1 hours |
| CSAT | 82% | 86% |
Pros: Apples-to-apples; measures your actual progress.
Cons: Doesn’t tell you if you’re good or bad relative to peers.
How to use industry benchmarks
1. Find relevant data
Sources:
- Zendesk Benchmark reports
- Industry surveys (SaaS, e-commerce, etc.)
- Analyst reports
- Competitor public data (if available)
2. Adjust for your context
A 5-person startup and a 500-person enterprise have different capabilities. Adjust expectations:
| Factor | Impact on benchmark |
|---|---|
| Team size | Smaller teams often have higher FRT |
| Product complexity | Complex products have longer resolution |
| Customer segment | Enterprise expects more; SMB expects faster |
| Channel mix | Chat is faster than email |
3. Use as directional, not absolute
If industry FRT is 4 hours and yours is 8, that’s a gap worth investigating. But don’t panic—understand why first.
How to use internal benchmarks
1. Establish a baseline
Pull 90 days of historical data. Calculate median and p90 for key metrics:
2. Set improvement targets
Example: “Reduce median FRT by 20% over next quarter.”
Internal targets are more actionable than “beat industry average.”
3. Track weekly
Compare this week to last week. Are you improving? Flat? Getting worse?
Use a support team scorecard to track consistently.
Benchmarking by segment
Aggregate benchmarks hide variance. Segment by:
| Segment | Why |
|---|---|
| Priority | Urgent tickets should be faster |
| Channel | Chat vs email have different benchmarks |
| Customer type | Enterprise vs SMB |
| Issue type | Some issues are inherently slower |
“Our FRT is 5 hours” is less useful than “Enterprise urgent FRT is 1 hour; SMB normal is 8 hours.”
What to benchmark
| Metric | Why |
|---|---|
| First response time | Speed indicator |
| Resolution time | Efficiency |
| CSAT | Customer satisfaction |
| First contact resolution | Quality and efficiency |
| Reopen rate | Quality |
| Tickets per agent | Productivity |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it’s a problem |
|---|---|
| Chasing industry benchmarks blindly | Your context differs |
| Ignoring internal trends | Progress matters more than absolute position |
| Benchmarking without action | Data without change is pointless |
| Comparing unlike things | Email vs chat, urgent vs low priority |
FAQ
Where do I find industry benchmarks?
Zendesk publishes benchmark reports. SaaS-specific surveys exist too. Search for “[your industry] support benchmarks.”
What if we’re way below benchmark?
Investigate why. Capacity? Process? Product issues? Don’t panic; diagnose first.
How often should I benchmark?
Internal: weekly or monthly. Industry: quarterly or when planning.