{"id":12776,"date":"2025-09-14T07:10:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T07:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voice.ai\/hub\/?p=12776"},"modified":"2025-09-20T18:00:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T18:00:17","slug":"average-handle-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voice.ai\/hub\/tts\/average-handle-time\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Average Handle Time (AHT) and How Can You Reduce It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Picture a caller stuck on hold while an agent flips between scripts and screens; every extra second raises frustration and cost. Average Handle Time (AHT) sits at the center of that problem as a core contact center metric that combines talk time, hold time, and wrap-up time and shapes service level, agent productivity, and queue times. Want to cut response time, improve first call resolution, and deliver faster, more efficient customer interactions without sacrificing service quality? That\u2019s where innovations like what is text to speech used for<\/a> come into play, helping transform customer engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Voice AI\u2019s text to speech tool<\/a> can help by automating routine prompts, shortening talk time and wrap-up time while keeping a natural tone, and freeing agents to handle complex issues, so you lower Average Handle Time without losing empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Average Handle Time (AHT)<\/a>, measures the average duration of a customer interaction from start to finish. It tracks how long an agent spends on a contact, including live conversation, the time the customer spends on hold, and the work done after the contact to close the ticket. Contact centers use AHT as a core call center metric and KPI to gauge operational efficiency, forecast staffing needs, and control support costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the live interaction between agent and customer. It captures problem-solving, explanation, and negotiation. Accurate talk time reflects agent communication skills and the complexity of issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the time the customer waits while the agent consults, runs checks, or routes the call. Holding impacts customer experience and queue performance metrics such as average speed of answer and abandonment rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also called wrap-up time or follow-up time, this includes updating CRM records, logging resolutions, and any required outbound actions. After call, work completes the interaction and affects throughput and agent occupancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each component consumes agent time and budget. Combined, they form handle time per interaction, which informs WFM, workforce scheduling, and call center analytics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AHT = (total talk time + total hold time + total after-call work time) \/ total number of calls handled<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choose seconds or minutes and use the same unit across talk, hold, and after call work for the calculation to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AHT = (talk + hold + follow-up times) \/ total number of calls AHT = (total time working on emails + waiting or queue time) \/ total number of emails AHT = total handle time across chats \/ total number of chats What counts as handle time per interaction varies by channel and by how your contact center logs tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good AHT balance respects customer time while allowing agents to resolve issues fully. A typical target is about six minutes, but industry norms differ:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use these benchmarks alongside first call resolution, service level, and customer satisfaction scores to set realistic goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AHT reveals how long customers wait and how fast issues close. Shorter handle times improve the average speed of answer and reduce abandonments for routine requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By comparing agent wages, occupancy, and handle time against revenue metrics, you can identify efficiency gains that lower the cost per contact and raise profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n High hold times or long follow-up times indicate slow processes, approval delays, or missing knowledge base content that hinder faster resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consistently long AHT for one product flags documentation gaps or product issues, and justifies training or product changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use AHT with contact volume and WFM tools to forecast headcount needs, adjust shrinkage and breaks, and set realistic service level targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Add the three time components:<\/strong> 3,000 + 700 + 500 = 4,200 minutes. Units must match. If you use seconds, convert all components to seconds before dividing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Total minutes = 50 + 5 + 5 = 60 minutes. Keep your logging rules strict so talk time, hold time, and wrap-up time are recorded consistently. Utilize call center analytics and AHT calculators for quick and accurate checks. Align AHT targets with quality metrics like FCR and CSAT so agents do not rush resolution for the sake of a lower number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simple account queries run faster than deep technical troubleshooting. When issues require multi-step diagnostics, AHT rises because talk and hold time expand and follow-up tasks grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experienced agents resolve cases faster and close tickets with less after-call work. Invest in ongoing training, a current knowledge base, and role specialization to shorten handle time and improve agent productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customer readiness, decision making, and technical ability affect how fast you reach a resolution. Emotional or confused customers require more time and patience, which in turn lengthens the handling time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frequent supervisor approvals or handoffs to other departments add hold time and transfers. Use real-time collaboration tools and clear escalation paths to reduce those delays and lower AHT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well-designed IVR flows, knowledge bases, AI chatbots, and community forums shift routine volume away from agents and cut average handle time for the remaining contacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Skill-based routing, predictive distribution, and fewer unnecessary transfers get customers to the right agent faster and reduce repeat touches that inflate handle time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tracking AHT alongside FCR, CSAT, occupancy, and shrinkage gives a fuller view of performance without sacrificing quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Average Handle Time<\/a> functions as a clear operational benchmark. It shows how long agents spend on calls, on hold, and on after-call work. When AHT falls, agents can process more interactions per shift, which raises agent productivity and improves occupancy. That creates room to reassign staff to priority queues, plan learner schedules, and serve seasonal spikes without emergency hires. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that AHT is a signal of process friction as much as of agent speed. A high AHT often points to slow systems, poor call routing, or missing knowledge content. A low AHT can mean streamlined workflows, but it can also hide rushed handoffs or incomplete problem-solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customers want answers quickly. They also wish to answer that stick. AHT provides visibility into customer wait times on hold, conversation durations, and wrap-up time following calls. When AHT falls due to agents resolving issues efficiently and closing queues, CSAT and first call resolution rates increase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If AHT falls because agents push callers off the line before resolving issues, repeat contacts climb, and satisfaction drops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Which outcome are you tracking:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shorter calls or fewer repeat calls? Use AHT alongside FCR and CSAT to determine whether speed translates to actual customer value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Labor is the most significant cost in most contact operations. AHT directly affects cost per contact and the number of agents you must staff during peaks. For example, reducing average talk time by a minute across hundreds of seats changes total capacity and cuts cost per interaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That translates into fewer overtime hours, lower hiring needs, and a smaller budget for temporary agents. At the same time, aggressive AHT reduction without quality checks can increase repeat calls and erase those savings. Track cost per contact, occupancy, and queue time with AHT so staffing forecasts and budget decisions rest on a realistic view of throughput and service level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AHT identifies patterns that point to training gaps, poor scripts, or routing problems. When an agent\u2019s handle time is high, examine call recordings, topic mix, and after-call work to identify the root cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pair AHT with FCR and CSAT when you assess performance, so coaching targets both speed and quality. Implement practical fixes, including quicker access to knowledge articles, clearer escalation paths, guided call flows, and automation of repetitive after-call work. Incentives should reward effective resolution and balanced handle time, not just the fastest calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prolonged or frequent contacts wear down loyalty. Customers who wait, repeat the same issue, or receive only partial answers are more likely to move toward competitors. Optimizing AHT to reduce total customer effort strengthens retention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That means measuring the whole customer journey across channels, not just single call durations. Ask how many minutes or contacts a customer spends to resolve a single issue. Lowering that total effort preserves revenue more reliably than shaving seconds off individual calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What if you cut AHT aggressively? Expect faster apparent throughput, but watch for rising callbacks, lower FCR, and dips in CSAT. If you accept higher AHT to preserve quality, you may need more staff and higher costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use AHT trends to inform workforce management, scheduling, and self-service investment. Test changes on pilot groups, measure FCR and CSAT, and only scale tactics that reduce overall contact volume while keeping customers satisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which quick wins move both AHT and quality? Improve call routing to ensure complex issues are directed to specialists. Reduce after-call work through forms and automation. Build and surface concise knowledge base articles for standard scripts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Train agents on efficient questioning that probes root causes instead of layering steps. Measure the impact using AHT together with FCR, CSAT, cost per contact, and queue time so you don\u2019t sacrifice service for raw speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These questions narrow your focus on actions that improve both efficiency and customer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Track every interaction and achieve full call coverage to identify where handle time balloons. Use speech analytics to flag dead air, supervisor escalations, hold time breaches, and repeated transfers. Add sentiment analysis to identify recurring customer complaints and friction points that increase talk time or require after-call work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rationale:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you isolate sources of extra talk time and wrap-up time, you stop guessing and start cutting real minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make AHT a visible metric among many. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Display and review the following metrics: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rationale: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Spotting rising queue wait or drops in FCR lets supervisors intervene before average handle time and CSAT diverge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Break training into short, focused modules that teach empathy, de-escalation, efficient call opening and closing, and fast knowledge retrieval. Use scenario-based role plays for common cases, maintain a knowledge matrix to match skills to ticket types, analyze strong calls as case studies, and run peer coaching where top performers offer concrete scripts or phrasing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rationale:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Skills reduce talk time without harming first contact resolution or customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shift routine volume away from agents by using conversational bots, IVR routing, and native AI voice assistants. Let bots handle password resets, status checks, and simple billing questions, and escalate only complex issues with full context. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rationale:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Good automation trims average handle time by preventing simple issues from ever reaching an agent, while preserving empathy through seamless handoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Provide a single console that displays past tickets, purchase history, recent pages visited, and open orders, saving agents time by eliminating the need to switch systems. Push relevant knowledge articles and recommended next steps into the workspace during the call. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rationale: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Immediate context reduces repetition, lowers wrap-up time, and improves FCR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Create an internal KB that updates as agents identify fixes, and publish a public help center with searchable articles and short videos. Keep content modular so agents can paste precise steps instead of typing long explanations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rationale:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Agents and customers find answers faster, which reduces talk time, repeat contacts, and after-call work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Implement skill-based routing, automated data retrieval at call pickup, and queue callback options to reduce hold and handling times. Automate post-call dispositions and follow-up emails where appropriate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rationale:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Automation eliminates manual lookups and reduces average wait time, average hold time, and wrap-up time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Offer clear, searchable help articles, guided troubleshooting flows, and in-product assistance so customers skip the phone for low complexity issues. Promote self-service in transactional emails and the IVR, and measure containment and deflection rates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rationale:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reducing low complexity contacts lowers overall call volume and the average handle time for the remaining pool of calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reach out early with status updates, onboarding sessions, and targeted education to help customers avoid calling with avoidable problems. Use data to identify patterns and send targeted messages to affected cohorts before call spikes occur. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rationale: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Preventing issues reduces contact volume and the share of lengthy escalations that drive up handle time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choose CX software that centralizes account history, enables real-time collaboration, delivers robust analytics, and supports omnichannel handling in a single agent window. Ensure tools reduce clicks, not add them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Action steps:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that any effort to lower average handle time must be balanced with CSAT and NPS; after every change, measure FCR, CSAT, and NPS alongside AHT and adjust workflows if customer experience drifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is Average Handle Time (AHT) and How Do You Calculate It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Three Parts of AHT and Why Each Part Counts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Talk Time<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Hold Time<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
After Call Work<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Why Count All Three?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The AHT Formula: How to Calculate It Step by Step<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Core formula for voice contacts<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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What Unit Should You Use?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
AHT by Channel: Formulas for Calls, Email, and Live Chat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Phone calls<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
You can substitute after-call work with follow-up times for a broader view that includes outbound actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEmail<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Email AHT focuses on ticket resolution time because there is no live talk time.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLive chat<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Chat handle time often includes concurrent chat occupancy adjustments in workforce management.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is a Good Average Handle Time? Benchmarks by Industry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Five Business Benefits of Tracking Average Handle Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
1. Meet Customer Expectations<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. Turn Support Into a Revenue Contributor<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. Spot Internal Bottlenecks<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. Measure Product Complexity and Resource Quality<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5. Optimize Staffing and Scheduling<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
AHT Calculation Example 1: Bulk Call Scenario<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Data<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Calculation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Divide by calls: 4,200 \/ 150 = 28 minutes per call.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAHT Calculation Example 2: Small Team Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Data<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Calculation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
AHT = 60 \/ 10 = 6 minutes per call.
Use this figure to model occupancy, average speed of answer, and required headcount for forecasted contact volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\nQuick Tips for Practical AHT Measurement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Factors That Push AHT Up or Down<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Call Complexity<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Agent Performance and Expertise<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Customer Behavior<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Internal Communication<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Customer Self-Service Options<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Call Routing and Queuing Strategies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Questions to Keep You Moving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Related Reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Why is Average Handle Time Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nCustomer Experience: Fast, Not Rushed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cost Management: How to Handle Time Drives Spend<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Agent Performance and Training: Signal for Smarter Coaching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Customer Retention: Why Seconds Add Up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Practical Trade-offs and Real World Signals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Actions to Take Right Now<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Questions to Ask Your Team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Related Reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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10 Ways to Reduce Average Handle Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n1. Root Cause Detective: Diagnose why your AHT runs long<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2. Live Scoreboard: Stay on top of team performance metrics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3. Micro Training That Cuts Minutes: Train agents to optimize AHT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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4. Smart Automation First: Introduce AI into the support process<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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5. One Pane of Glass: Equip agents with data and customer context<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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6. Knowledge at Hand: Expand self-service and the internal knowledge base<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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7. Automate the Routine: Automate your processes to shave seconds and minutes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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8. Self-Service That Works: Provide Customer Self-Service Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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9. Stop Problems Before They Grow: Offer proactive support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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10. Software That Enables Faster Resolutions: Equip agents with the right tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Related Reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Try our Text to Speech Tool for Free Today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n