Measure resolution time in Zendesk
Resolution time is the time from ticket creation to closure (or to “solved,” depending on your workflow). In Zendesk you can report on it with Explore; the important choices are definition (e.g. to closed vs to solved), time basis (business vs calendar hours), and how you segment (by tag, group, priority) to find what drives delays. This guide covers that.
What resolution time means in Zendesk
Resolution time in the glossary is the time until the ticket is resolved (closed or solved). In Zendesk, “solved” and “closed” can differ (e.g. solved = customer confirmed; closed = agent closed). Pick one for your reports and SLA and use it consistently. You may also care about “first resolution” (time to first solve) vs “full resolution” (time to final close) if you have reopen workflows; see resolution time and average resolution time.
How to report resolution time in Zendesk Explore
Zendesk Explore supports resolution time metrics. In outline:
- Dataset — Support - Tickets (or equivalent).
- Metric — Resolution time (or “Time to resolution”) from ticket creation to your chosen end state (solved or closed).
- Time dimension — By day, week, or month so you see trend.
- Time basis — Business hours or calendar hours. Use the same as for first reply time for consistency.
- Aggregation — Average is common for resolution time; median is also used. Pick one.
- Breakdowns — By group, tag, priority, or channel so you can see what drives long resolution times.
For first reply time reporting, see How to report on first reply time in Zendesk.
First vs full resolution time
- First resolution — Time until the ticket is first marked solved (or closed). Can be followed by a reopen.
- Full resolution — Time until the ticket is finally closed (after any reopens). For “time to close” and SLA, teams often use full resolution. Operationally, both can matter: first resolution for “how fast we thought we were done,” full resolution for “how long the customer waited in total.” See resolution time and reopen rate.
Segmentation by tags and groups
Use tags and groups in your resolution time report to see:
- Which tags (topics or issue types) have the longest resolution — may need knowledge, process, or escalation.
- Which groups are slower — may need capacity or training.
- Whether priority affects resolution — e.g. high-priority tickets resolved faster or slower than normal.
That segmentation turns resolution time from one number into an actionable view. For a full set of metrics, see support metrics dashboard and support ops metrics.
Common mistakes
- Mixing first and full resolution — Report one or both, but label clearly and use the same definition everywhere.
- Ignoring business hours — Same as for first reply: use business hours if you don’t work 24/7 so the number is interpretable.
- No trend or breakdown — A single average isn’t enough. Show resolution time over time and by segment so you can act.
What to do when resolution time spikes
- Check volume and complexity — Did volume or ticket mix change? Harder tickets can lengthen resolution.
- Check segments — Which tag, group, or channel got slower? Focus there (knowledge, process, or staffing).
- Check reopens — If reopen rate went up, tickets may be “solved” too early and then reopened; that can lengthen full resolution. See ticket reopen rate.
- Drill to tickets — Use a view that shows long-resolution tickets so you can spot patterns.
FAQ
What’s the difference between resolution time and first reply time?
First reply time = time to first meaningful agent response. Resolution time = time to close (or solve). Both matter: first reply sets expectations; resolution reflects full resolution. See first response time and resolution time.
Should we use solved or closed for resolution time?
Depends on your workflow. If “solved” is when the customer confirms and “closed” is when the ticket is done, many teams use “closed” for resolution time and SLA. Be consistent across reports and SLA.
Where does resolution time fit in our weekly review? **
Include it in your support metrics dashboard or support dashboard template after backlog and first reply time, then reopens and SLA.