How to Improve AHT in a Call Center? 10 Proven Strategies 

AHT is often considered the ultimate measure of agent performance in contact center environments. The shorter the calls, the more calls agents can handle, and hence improved efficiency and lower operating costs. But it’s not that simple. Many times, agents may finish calls quickly, but what if customer issues aren’t fully resolved? The best-performing contact centers aren’t those focusing on agent performance, but those finding a balance between efficiency and customer experience. Let’s break down what AHT is, why it matters, what causes it to increase, and how to improve AHT in a call center.

What is AHT in a Call Center? 

One of the most commonly tracked metrics in contact centers, AHT measures the average time an agent spends interacting with a customer, from the beginning to the end. AHT includes the duration for which the agent-customer conversation happened, the time for which the customer is placed on hold, and also the work the agent completes after the call ends.

For instance, if an agent spends 7 minutes talking to a customer, 1 minute on hold, and 1 minute updating notes after the call, then the total handle time for the call is 9 minutes.

Through AHT, businesses are able to understand how efficiently calls are being managed and whether agents have the right tools and processes to support customers.

How is AHT calculated?

AHT can be calculated using a formula, which is: 

AHT = (Talk Time + Hold Time + After Call Work) ÷ Total Number of Calls 

Where, 

• Talk Time is the duration for which the agent-customer interaction happened actively.
• Hold Time refers to the period when the customer is placed on hold.
• Wrap-up Time, often called After-call work, is the time to complete the after-call work, such as updating CRM, scheduling follow-up, adding notes, etc.

Why is AHT Important?

The importance of AHT lies in the fact that it affects almost every aspect of contact center performance. Here’s how:

• AHT helps measure how effectively agents are able to handle customer calls. 
• It also helps in estimating or forecasting staffing needs, as increased AHT means more agents may be required. 
• By measuring AHT and removing factors that unnecessarily increase handling time, the operating costs of a contact center can also be managed in a better way.
• A balanced and well-managed AHT is a direct indication of higher customer satisfaction rates.
• AHT also helps contact centers learn about their queue rates, abandoned calls, and even missed service targets.

What is a Good AHT in a Call Center? 

Managers in the contact center industry often ask this question: What is a Good Average Handling Time?

Now let’s be very honest – A good AHT simply depends on the products, customers, and service goals of every business. Yes, there’s no universal number for AHT that works for every business.

For instance, a password reset call may take only 3 minutes, while another call where a technical issue needs to be resolved may take 10 minutes. Both calls are successful as issues get resolved, but their AHT differs significantly. 

Average AHT by Industry 

There are some general benchmarks for different industries that many contact centers use as a starting point.

Industry	Typical AHT
Technical Support	10–15 minutes
Healthcare	8–12 minutes
Insurance	7–10 minutes
SaaS	6–10 minutes
Telecom	6–8 minutes
Banking	5–7 minutes
BPO	4–8 minutes
E-commerce	4–6 minutes

Note – These are approximate industry ranges compiled from contact center research and vendor guidance.

Why is There No Universal AHT Benchmark?

Many businesses fail to understand that AHT is unique to every business, and comparing yours to another company might not give you the full picture.

Here are some valid reasons:

• Different customer calls have different levels of complexity. Some might take less than 2 minutes to get resolved, while others may take more. Generally, the more complex the issue, the longer the AHT.
• Each industry has its own workflows and compliance requirements. Suppose an agent from the banking industry needs to complete identity verification before discussing the customer’s issue. Such extra work naturally increases AHT, but that doesn’t mean agents are inefficient; they are simply doing more work.
• AHT score also changes depending on the communication channel. Phone calls naturally take more time than live chat. Moreover, email support can also have a significantly higher handling time, but allows agents to handle multiple customer queries throughout the day.
• Customer expectations also impact AHT because some need detailed explanations while others may be satisfied with quick answers.

Why Chasing Low AHT Can Backfire?

Companies often aim to reduce their average handling time, which is a reasonable goal, but only when it’s done the right way.

Rushed Conversations 

If your agents feel pressured to reduce their AHT, they might rush to finish conversations rather than focusing on solving the problem.

Poor Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) 

A fast conversation can leave the customer confused or even frustrated, leading to poor CSAT.

More Repeat Calls 

If a call is ended, trying to reduce AHT without fully resolving the issue, the customer will certainly call again. This will create more work for the support team.

Lower First Call Resolution (FCR) 

When a lower AHT is aggressively achieved by rushing to finish calls, agents are more likely to miss important details or provide incomplete solutions. As a result, customers are likely to be unsatisfied, and thus FCR drops.

Why is Your AHT High? 

For many businesses, a high AHT is simply normal. This is because their agents have to deal with complicated customer issues. However, if your AHT is consistently high without a clear reason, then it’s worth taking a closer look.

Once you are able to figure out the reason that’s causing longer calls, you can start addressing the root cause.

Common Causes of High Average Handle Time 

Let’s talk about some of the very common and uncommon factors that increase AHT.

• Long hold times are often the primary reason for higher AHT. This happens because agents need to search for information, look at multiple systems, and ask supervisors for help.
• Agent training is often an overlooked area that can impact AHT. When agents do not have updated information about products and services, they may hesitate during converstaions and thus put customers on hold.
• Many contact centers still run on multiple disconnected applications, which again makes agents to consantly switch between screens, adding more time to their customer interactions.
• If agents have to do everything manually, such as enter customer details by hand, copy information between systems, or create tickets, then it certainly takes longer than necessary.
• Inefficient call routing is another major reason that increases AHT. When routing rules are not optimized, customers are not directed to the right person on the first attempt, causing multiple transfers. 

How to Improve AHT in a Call Center?

If you want to improve your AHT and are telling your agents to finish calls faster, then you are going in the wrong direction. It is going to create more problems than solve anything.

Contact center professionals need to understand that their real goal should be to remove the things that waste time. Here are some of the most effective ways that have proven to improve AHT. 

1. Provide Better Agent Training 

The first and foremost thing in agent training is to ensure that your agents know the product inside out. They should be able to explain products and solutions to customers clearly and confidently.

Besides this, agent training should focus on various other aspects, including soft skills, troubleshooting techniques, handling difficult conversations, and company policies and processes. 

Regular coaching and refresher sessions enable agents to stay more confident during customer interactions and also solve problems faster, which reduces AHT. 

2. Build a Strong Knowledge Base 

A contact center with a good knowledge base can help agents save several minutes over every call. Some of the key components of a useful knowledge base include product information, troubleshooting guides, FAQs, step-by-step workflows, and company policies. When agents can find information easily, they take less time to answer customer queries

3. Reduce Hold Time 

Hold time is a major contributor in unnecessary longer calls. If a supervisor learns how to reduce hold time in a call center, then they can make customer-agent interactions feel much smoother. Some of the practical ways to reduce hold time are:

• Providing agents with access to information within a single unified place 
• Clearly defining escalation paths for complex issues so that agents can follow the exact steps 
• Adding AI-powered knowledge assistants so that agents receive recommendations during live converstaions 
• Providing internal chat tools to agents so that they can quickly ask teammates or supervisors for help

4. Improve Call Routing 

If your customers have to speak to three different agents before reaching the right person, then you are in trouble. Intelligent call routing can help you make fewer transfers and make a big difference in customer satisfaction. You can adopt any of the routing methods that you find most useful, some of which are

• Skill-based routing 
• Language-based routing 
• Priority routing 
• AI-driven routing

When customers reach the right agent the first time, your AHT automatically decreases as fewer transfers happen.

5. Streamline After-Call Work (ACW) 

After-call work often consumes a good amount of time as agents spend several minutes completing paperwork after every call. But it shouldn’t be this way. Modern-day contact center platforms reduce after-call work in various ways, including

• Generating automated call summaries 
• CRM integration for automatic updation of customer records
• Automating repetitive tasks 

Rather than typing everything manually, agents just need to spend a few seconds checking the information and move on to the next caller.

6. Use Call Scripts Wisely 

Call scripts have a reputation problem because most people picture agents robotically reading line by line. But this assumption is not correct. 

Call scripts are meant to be used by agents more like a guide than a robotic script. Their usefulness lies in various aspects, as agents can: 

• Ask important questions to customers 
• Follow company policies while interacting
• Give consistent information to all customers
• Resolve common issues more quickly

It’s a skill that agents should learn to adapt the conversation naturally while using the script as a reference.

7. Empower Agents to Make Decisions 

If your agents have to wait for supervisor approval even for the smallest things, then that also creates a big hurdle in improving your contact center AHT. Agents should be given reasonable decision-making authority so that issues are resolved on the spot, rather than waiting for approval.

8. Improve First Call Resolution (FCR) 

A call that lasts one extra minute but resolves the issue and prevents two repeat calls is certainly better. Contact centers should understand that FCR and AHT are closely connected. If your FCR is not good, your AHT isn’t going to be good anywhere. Making it a practice to try solving the issue completely in the first call itself will help a lot.

9. Use AI-Powered Agent Assistance 

AI is here, and it is offering some awesome assistance that can help agents, like

• Suggest relevant knowledge articles during the call
• Recommend the next best action so that the agent responds quickly
• Generate call summaries automatically, reducing manual work
• Surface answers based on what the customer is saying

A contact center platform is AI assistant has now become a must-have.

10. Monitor Regularly 

Improving your AHT isn’t a one-time process, but a continuous effort. This is because your products change, your processes change, and customer expectations certainly change. Regular monitoring of various aspects of your contact center will help you understand what’s causing longer calls and overcome those challenges.

How to Reduce AHT as an Agent?

If you’re a customer support representative and wonder how I can reduce my AHT as an agent, then the first rule is never rush finishing calls.

Let’s learn about a few useful habits that agents should adopt

Practical Tips for Agents to Reduce AHT

• Listen actively because when you understand the problem correctly the first time, you avoid asking customers to repeat themselves later in the call.
• Only put customers on hold when it is really necessary, and when you need to, explain why and return as soon as possible.
• Learn your products thoroughly because when you are fully familiar with your company’s products and services, you take less time searching for answers.
• Use shortcuts like quick replies, saved templates, and CRM shortcuts that save time; even a few seconds every interaction can make a big difference.
• Keep customer records updated so that you don’t have to spend the first few minutes figuring out what happened during the previous interaction.
• Follow structured call flows like understanding the customer issue first and then confirming important details and moving on to solve the problem; it helps you stay focused.
• Summarize effectively before the call ends to ensure that you and the customer are on the same page and minimize the chances of any misunderstandings.

Common Mistakes Agents Should Avoid 

• Keep your answers clear and relevant; over-talking can make calls drag on.
• Don’t make call transfers a routine habit; try to take ownership of issues and resolve them yourself.
• Try to learn where all important resources are located and make a habit of bookmarking those pages.
• Keep a clear, concise summary at the end of each interaction to save time and make future converstaions smoother.

Smart Action Plan for AHT Improvement 

A SMART action plan for AHT is a framework that aims to create a goal which is realistic, measurable, measutrable and easily achievable for everyone.

Let’s understand the terms.

Specific 

You should be clear about what you want to improve. Rather than just focusing on shorter calls, work on improving call routing, reducing hold times, and streamlining after-call work. Focusing on these goals contributes to shorter handling time.

Measurable 

It is important to measure your progress. Therefore, track metrics like Average Handle Time (AHT), Hold Time, After-Call Work (ACW), First Call Resolution (FCR), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). Together, it gives you a much better picture than running solely behind AHT. 

Achievable 

Set goals for your team, but only those that are achievable. For instance, you cannot expect your agents to reduce AHT from 9 minutes to 4 minutes in a month. Aim for small improvements that can help in achieving the bigger objective. 

Relevant 

Every improvement that you make to make your AHT better should support a bigger business goal. Like you want to reduce customer wait times, or maybe you want agents to handle more calls.

Time Bound 

Setting timelines is important so that projects don’t lose their momentum. With clear timelines, it is easier to review progress and adjust your approach if needed. 

Sample 30-Day AHT Improvement Plan 

Week	Action	Key Focus Areas
Week 1	Audit Current AHT	Break down talk time, hold time, after-call work, and transfer rates. Review call recordings to identify where agents spend the most time.
Week 2	Identify Bottlenecks	Spot recurring issues (long holds, slow systems, poor routing, outdated knowledge bases). Prioritize problems affecting the largest volume of calls.
Week 3	Train & Support Agents	Share best practices and refresh product knowledge/call guides. Coach agents using real recordings and introduce new workflow tools.
Week 4	Measure Results	Compare new AHT against the baseline. Track CSAT, First Call Resolution (FCR), and repeat call rates to ensure quality didn’t drop.

AHT Improvement Plan for Contact Center Managers 

When aiming to improve AHT, the major objective of contact center managers should be to find the roadblocks and remove them. Here’s a simple step-by-step approach.

Step 1: Analyze Current AHT Data 

Break your AHT into smaller parts to understand where your time is actually going. 

Monitor these:

• Talk time
• Hold time
• After-Call Work (ACW)
• Transfer rates
• Repeat calls

This data simply tells you where to focus. 

Step 2: Segment by Team 

Different teams handle different types of customer interactions. So, everyone should not have the same target. It is best to group the data by:

• Team
• Queue
• Call type
• Product
• Agent experience level

This data will help you spot the patterns, and if any team has an unusually high AHT, then it could be some faulty process of theirs rather than the entire contact center.

Step 3: Identify Root Causes 

After finding high AHT, the next obvious question is: Why? By listening to call recordings and talking to agents, you might find issues like:

• Customers are being transferred too often
• Agents searching for information during calls
• Slow CRM or business applications
• Confusing workflows
• Repeated customer verification
• Long approval processes

Try focusing on addressing the underlying cause of long calls, rather than just the symptom.

Step 4: Optimize Processes 

After you know the bottlenecks, simplify the processes wherever possible. Some things you can do are: 

• Update outdated call flows
• Improve the knowledge base
• Remove unnecessary approval steps
• Simplify customer verification
• Improve call routing
• Integrate systems to reduce screen switching

Step 5: Introduce Automation 

Even if your agents can save 30 seconds on every call, imagine how significant it would be for hundreds and thousands of calls each month.

Step 6: Measure Progress 

Keep tracking results. Ask questions like:

• Has Average Handle Time improved?
• Is Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) still strong?
• Has First Call Resolution (FCR) improved?
• Are customers spending less time on hold?
• Have repeat calls decreased?

Remember, a good AHT improvement plan is never “set it and forget it.” If one metric improves while another gets worse, adjust your approach. That’s how you reduce Average Handle Time without sacrificing the quality of the customer experience.

How Modern Contact Center Solutions Help Reduce AHT?

Modern contact center platforms reduce Average Handle Time by removing the everyday obstacles that slow agents down. These platforms offer a unified desktop where customer details, call history, and CRM data are available in one place. Moreover, AI-powered assistance can suggest answers, generate call summaries, and recommend the next best course of action while the conversation is still in progress.

When combined with omnichannel customer history, agents no longer need to ask customers to repeat the same details across calls, chats, or emails. Solutions like REVE Cloud PBX and REVE Contact Center bring these capabilities together, helping businesses simplify agent workflows, improve first-call resolution, and naturally reduce AHT while delivering a smoother customer experience. Talk to us to know more!

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