Average Handle Time (AHT) is the average time to complete customer call center interactions. If your call center took 10 minutes to help Customer A, 2 minutes to help Customer B, and 15 minutes to help Customer C, the AHT would be 9 minutes.

Many factors determine your call center’s Average Handle Time, including:

• Wait time (i.e., how long it took for a customer to be connected with a live agent)
• How difficult the customer’s problem is
• How well-trained the live agent is
• Whether the customer needs a live agent or if a recording can provide an answer
• How difficult it is to navigate your call center system
• Whether you have enough live agents to handle the number of customers calling in
• Technical difficulties

AHT is an important metric for any call center. If your AHT is too long, your live agents may need retraining, or you must shorten wait times with technologies such as an interactive voice response system. If your AHT is too short, customers are giving up before they complete their interactions. You may need to streamline your call center experience.

The Average Handle Time impacts many other metrics, including:

• Customer satisfaction increases when customers’ problems are resolved quickly
• First Call Resolution (FCR) increases when customers can easily get through without redialing repeatedly
• Call center efficiency measures how fast you can help each customer and the number of customers you can handle in a day
• Customer retention improves with a good customer experience

OutPLEX makes it easy for you to monitor your Average Handle Time and determine if it needs improving. Associate assist can monitor all customer interactions, including the length of time each interaction takes, and then:

• Collate and calculate your AHT
• Make a note of how to improve your AHT
• Identify areas that need improvement so you can implement a targeted, effective solution

To find out how OutPLEX can improve your call center’s AHT and other metrics, call 1.866.531.5773 or visit us online today.