What is average handle time?

Average handle time (AHT), also known as average handling time, is a crucial call center key performance indicator (KPI). It measures the average duration of customer interactions, including both talk time and any associated after-call work, like scheduling follow-up tasks. Why is average handling time an important call center metric? AHT reflects operational efficiency and the quality of customer experience. Optimizing it helps improve your service levels, increases customer satisfaction, and improves your overall call center productivity.

How to calculate average handling time?

The calculation for AHT uses the following KPIs: Total interaction time: The duration of the actual interaction with the customer. Total hold time: The time customers spend on hold during the interaction. Total transfer time: The time customers spend being transferred to different agents or channels. After-call work time: The time spent on post-interaction tasks, and any associated wrap-up or administrative tasks. Take the metrics above and plug them into this formula to calculate AHT: Average handle time = Total talk time + total hold time + total transfer time + total after call work time Total number of interactions handled by the agent

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