Have you ever wondered if your ticket is processed quickly or slowly compared to the average? A ticket asking for information can be completed in a few hours, but a complex technical request can take up to several days, so what is the "normal" number?
In fact, the average ticket lifecycle, the time from when a request is received to when it is resolved, varies significantly by industry and type of request. In the service industry, a simple ticket can be completed in a few hours, while a complex request can take several days; You should not follow an "industry standard" number but compare yourself over time. After starting to measure the ticket lifecycle, many businesses on the Zenify platform cut operating costs by 35%. Below are reference levels for each type of requirement, along with how to properly compare with your own team.
TL;DR
- Ticket life cycle = time to receive → complete resolution.
- Varies by type of request, there is no single "standard".
- Inquiries: several hours · product support: same day · technical: several days.
- Comparing yourself weekly/quarterly is meaningful.
- Long life cycle is often due to: waiting for customers, passing hands, lack of skills, not "lazy team".
Average ticket lifecycle by type
There is no single number that applies to every ticket. The table below is the reference level for each type of request:
Request type | Reference lifecycle | Notes
Ask for information | A few hours | Simple, immediate answer
Ask for price / quote | During the day | Need to verify price list
Product usage support | During the day | Having KB is faster
| Complaints | 1-2 days | Need to investigate and compensate
Complex engineering | 2-5 days | Escalation may be necessary
It should be noted that this is only a reference level, not an absolute standard. The financial or legal services industry may take longer because of the need for appraisal, while the online retail industry is faster because customers demand it immediately.
Factors that determine ticket lifecycle
Ticket lifecycle is not naturally short or long, it is determined by the following 5 main factors:
Type of request: Ask for quick information, long technical information (this is the most decisive factor).
Level of standardization: Is there a KB or template? Replying to the standard is always faster than writing from scratch.
Number of passes: The more passes, the longer it takes (see also Smart ticket assignment).
Waiting for a client: Waiting for a client to send information can take up most of the time, but will not count towards resolution if you write the exception correctly.
Capability of the handler: the right person will handle it quickly, the wrong person will take a long time (see also What is Escalation?).
A long life cycle is not always bad
Before worrying about a "long" ticket, you need to distinguish between "long for a reason" and "long because of bad performance":
Reasonably long: Complicated requests require time to investigate, wait for customers to provide, wait for other departments, clearly state On hold and reason.
Long due to bad operations: Tickets are passed around, no one owns them, no updates, customers have to ask again. This is an issue that needs fixing.
Therefore, don't just look at the number "lifecycle of how many days", look to see if the ticket has gone through the correct process or not (you can learn more at Ticket status lifecycle).
How to measure and compare life cycles
For ticket lifecycle to be truly meaningful, you need to measure and compare properly:
Calculated by request type: Do not combine all types, because the aggregate average only hides the problem.
Monitor weekly/quarterly trends: Compare yourself to see if it's getting faster or slower.
Divided by stages: separate reception → response (FRT) and response → completion (processing) to know which stage is slow (see FRT vs resolution).
Check the longest tickets per week: The customer service department should check the 5 longest tickets per week, because that is often a sign of a problem.