Average Handle Time (AHT)
Average Handle 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."