Average Handle Time - AHT

Average Handle Time (AHT) is one of many key performance metrics measured in a call center. This measures the efficiency of an agent on all the interactions handled. It normally includes the time spent talking, the time the customer was on hold, and the work done after the call.

The Formula:

Interaction duration = (Talk Time + Hold Time + After Call Work). This may vary by client.

AHT = Sum of all Interaction durations ÷ Total Interactions.

Let's see a quick example:

An agent talks for 300 seconds, puts the customer on hold for 60 seconds, and spends 60 seconds typing notes at the end of the interaction (After Call Work - ACW).

Interaction duration = (300 + 60 + 60) = 420 seconds, which equals 7 minutes (420 ÷ 60).

On a second interaction, the agent took 11 minutes to complete everything the customer needed, including holds and notes at the end of the interaction.

On a third interaction, the agent spent 23 minutes until the very end of the interaction.

If we want to know what the AHT of the agent is, we will follow the formula mentioned above:

• Sum of interaction durations: 7 + 11 + 23 = 41.
• Number of interactions: 3.
• AHT = 41 ÷ 3 = 13.66

For simplicity purposes, we have used minutes instead of seconds, but in the vast majority of cases, all contacts or interactions, and AHT, are measured in seconds.

Let's see a few more examples of how AHT is calculated, using 3 different agents. Do the math on your own and compare the result:

Both a very high AHT and a very low AHT metric could mean something wrong is happening with an agent. On one hand, a very high AHT means the agent is taking longer to resolve interactions due to a lack of skills or knowledge; on the other hand, a very low AHT could mean the agent is not interacting enough with customers, or not completing the interactions at all (call or work avoidance) due to, again, a lack of skills or knowledge.

However, it all depends on how each client sees and defines this metric and what the tolerance ranges are for them. This varies depending on their internal processes, systems, and types of calls. The average AHT for most clients ranges between 6 and 10 minutes.

Another scenario could be that the types of contacts that the agents are receiving are not in line with their skills or the training provided.

It is important that Team Managers/Leaders are constantly monitoring the AHT of their agents to detect any strange trends, and use the correct forms of feedback or coaching to drive performance up, and escalate any abnormal situation to their superiors.