What is a good average handle time?

There is no universal "good" AHT as it varies significantly by industry, channel, and enquiry type. Phone support typically ranges from 4-10 minutes. Chat support from 5-15 minutes. Email responses from 15-60 minutes. The key is to benchmark against your own historical data, industry peers, and ensure AHT targets do not compromise service quality.

Should you try to minimise AHT?

Not necessarily. Reducing AHT at the expense of quality leads to repeat contacts, customer dissatisfaction, and higher total cost. The goal should be "right-time resolution" - spending the appropriate amount of time to resolve the enquiry fully on the first contact. Track AHT alongside quality and resolution metrics for a balanced view.

How does AI affect AHT?

AI can significantly reduce AHT by providing agents with instant access to relevant knowledge, auto-populating customer information, suggesting responses, automating after-call work (summarisation, CRM updates), and routing complex enquiries to specialised agents. Typical AHT reductions with AI assistance range from 15-30%.

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Average Handle Time (AHT)

Average Handle Time

Also known as:AHTaverage handling timehandle time

The average total time spent handling a customer interaction from start to finish, including talk time, hold time, and any after-call work required to resolve the enquiry.

In-Depth Explanation

Average Handle Time (AHT) is a key operational metric in customer service that measures the total time agents spend on customer interactions. While often associated with call centres, AHT applies across all service channels including chat, email, and in-person support.

AHT calculation: AHT = (Total Talk Time + Total Hold Time + Total After-Call Work) / Number of Interactions

AHT components:

Talk time: Time the agent is actively communicating with the customer
Hold time: Time the customer spends on hold during the interaction
After-call work (ACW): Time spent on post-interaction tasks (notes, follow-up, system updates)
Transfer time: Time spent transferring between agents or departments

Factors affecting AHT:

Complexity of customer enquiries
Agent experience and training level
Quality of knowledge base and support tools
System performance and number of applications required
Customer communication style and language
First contact resolution rate
Quality of self-service options (reducing simple enquiries)

Using AHT effectively:

Track AHT by enquiry type (not just overall average)
Benchmark against industry standards
Balance AHT with quality metrics (do not sacrifice quality for speed)
Use AHT to identify training opportunities
Monitor AHT trends over time rather than individual interactions
Consider AHT alongside FCR (First Contact Resolution) - faster is not always better

AHT reduction strategies:

Improve agent training and knowledge management
Streamline systems and reduce the number of applications agents use
Implement AI-powered agent assist tools
Automate after-call work (automated notes, CRM updates)
Improve self-service to deflect simple enquiries
Reduce hold times through better routing and queue management

Business Context

Managing AHT helps balance service efficiency with quality, enabling appropriate staffing levels and cost management while maintaining positive customer experiences.

How Clever Ops Uses This

Clever Ops helps Australian businesses optimise their AHT through AI-powered agent assist tools, automated after-call work, and knowledge management systems. We focus on reducing handle time without sacrificing service quality, enabling agents to serve customers more efficiently.

Example Use Case

"A contact centre implements an AI-powered knowledge base that suggests answers to agents in real time, reducing AHT by 25% while simultaneously improving first contact resolution rates."