How to measure lead response time

Define the events

Record when an enquiry arrives, when it receives an acknowledgement and when someone provides a useful answer or next step. Treat those as separate events. Agree how duplicates, spam and enquiries outside your service scope are handled.

Look at the distribution

An average can hide a long wait for some customers. Review the median and slower cases alongside enquiry volume, channel and agreed operating hours. Keep sample sizes and the measurement period visible.

A fictional measurement example

Five enquiries receive their first useful response after 10, 20, 30, 60 and 180 minutes. The median is 30 minutes; the mean is 60 minutes. The slowest enquiry changes the mean substantially. Keep the full range visible alongside a summary.

For this example, a useful response answers the question or asks for a necessary detail. An automatic receipt is recorded separately. State whether the clock includes evenings and weekends before comparing two periods. These numbers illustrate the calculation, not Converze results.

Find the delay

Follow a few recent enquiries through the inbox, qualification and handover. Is information missing? Is the owner unclear? Is someone waiting for approval? The solution may be routing, clearer service information or a better review process.

Evaluate an automated step

Compare the same measures during a scoped pilot. Include response accuracy, customer replies, human review time and exceptions. A fast answer that makes an incorrect commitment is not a successful result.

An assistant can prepare replies using agreed information. Connected actions and response targets depend on the integration, permissions and operating scope confirmed in your proposal.

Keep the evidence with the conclusion

When reporting an improvement, state the dates, channels, sample size and method. Separate observed changes from possible explanations. Use conversion figures only when the underlying records support them.