Average handle time (AHT) is the metric every call centre manager watches and the one most often misused. Pushed down too hard, it creates rushed calls and repeat callers. Ignored, it lets queues grow and service levels fall. This guide explains the AHT formula, what goes into it, how to read it per agent and per queue, and how to reduce AHT without hurting the customer.
What is average handle time?
Average handle time is the average time an agent spends on one customer interaction, from the moment they answer to the moment they are ready for the next call. It includes three parts:
- Talk time: the conversation itself.
- Hold time: time the caller is on hold while the agent checks something or consults a colleague.
- After call work: the wrap-up after the call, such as notes, forms and outcome codes. See after call work (ACW).
The AHT formula
AHT = (total talk time + total hold time + total after call work) / number of calls handled
Example: in one shift, an agent handles 60 calls with 4 hours of talk time, 30 minutes of hold and 1 hour of wrap-up. That is 5.5 hours, or 19,800 seconds, divided by 60 calls: an AHT of 330 seconds, or 5 minutes 30 seconds.
Calculate inbound and outbound AHT separately. A five-minute renewal call and a two-minute order status call should not share one average.
Why AHT matters
AHT is the main input to staffing. If calls arrive at 120 per hour and AHT is 5 minutes, that is 600 minutes of work every hour, or ten agents fully busy before anyone takes a break. When AHT rises by one minute, you need two more agents to keep the same service level. That is why AHT changes show up quickly as longer waits and more abandoned calls.
What a good AHT looks like
There is no single right number. A hospital appointment desk, a bank’s card blocking line and a technical helpdesk all have very different calls. The right target is the one that lets agents solve the customer’s problem in one call, for your call types.
Instead of copying an outside benchmark:
- Measure AHT per queue for four weeks to get your own baseline.
- Look at the spread between agents on the same queue.
- Check AHT together with first call resolution and customer satisfaction. A low AHT with many repeat calls is not efficiency.
Reading AHT in Voxdial Contact Center
- Dashboard: the call centre dashboard shows average handle time alongside average wait, average response time, answer rate and service level.
- Wallboard: the live wallboard shows average wait and handle time, total talk time and calls this hour, so the whole floor sees the trend. See call centre KPIs and the wallboard.
- Agent performance report: for each agent, time in incoming calls, outgoing calls and closure (wrap-up), with the number of incoming and outgoing calls handled. Divide time by calls to get each agent’s AHT and see which part is long: talk or wrap-up.
- Detailed report: a timeline of each agent’s status through the day, useful when one agent’s AHT jumps on a particular shift.
- Inbound reports: every call with its duration and recording, so you can listen to the longest calls.
How to reduce AHT without hurting service
1. Put information in front of the agent
The biggest cause of long calls is searching. When a call arrives, Voxdial opens the caller’s CRM record inside the agent console, so the agent does not ask for details the business already has. See click to call CRM integration.
2. Route calls to the right team first time
A caller transferred twice has a long handle time across three agents. A clear IVR and separate queues per call type mean the first agent can usually help. Read IVR call flow design.
3. Shorten hold time
Hold usually means the agent is checking with someone. Quick contacts, a busy lamp field to see who is free and attended transfer let the agent reach the right colleague quickly instead of searching.
4. Tidy up after call work
Long wrap-up is often a form problem. Keep lead forms and dispositions short and relevant to the queue. Voxdial’s auto closure ends wrap-up automatically, so agents do not stay unavailable because they forgot to click.
5. Coach on real calls
Pick the longest calls from the inbound report and listen to them with the agent. Supervisors can also listen and whisper on live calls to guide an agent through a hard one. See call monitoring.
6. Let AI take the simple questions when agents are busy
When every agent is busy, a BitVoice AI voice agent can answer routine questions such as timings or directions and pass the caller back to the next free agent with a summary. Agents still answer first; AI only covers the overflow. See AI voice agents.
AHT mistakes to avoid
- Targeting AHT alone. Agents will end calls early, and customers will call back.
- One target for all queues. Complex calls need more time.
- Ignoring hold and wrap-up. Often the quickest gains are there, not in the conversation.
- Comparing new and experienced agents directly. Track new agents against their own trend.
Want to see AHT, wrap-up and agent reports on your own call data? Talk to BitVoice for a demo of Voxdial Contact Center.
FAQs
What is average handle time in a call centre?
It is the average time an agent spends on one call, including talk time, hold time and the after call work needed before the next call.
What is the AHT formula?
AHT = (total talk time + total hold time + total after call work) divided by the number of calls handled.
How can a call centre reduce AHT?
Show the customer’s record on the agent’s screen, route calls to the right team first time, reduce hold time, keep wrap-up forms short and coach on recorded calls.
Is a lower AHT always better?
No. If calls get shorter but customers have to call back, AHT looks good while service gets worse. Track it with first call resolution and customer satisfaction.
