{"id":42347,"date":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/average-handle-time-call-center\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T06:27:41","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T13:27:41","slug":"average-handle-time-call-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/average-handle-time-call-center\/","title":{"rendered":"9 ways to improve your average handle time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s no secret that call centers are concerned with metrics and performance.<\/p>\n<p>Reps have to be fast at not only picking up the phone and responding to customers, but also solving those issues\u2014sometimes, even when they\u2019re quite complex. Hey, life isn\u2019t always fair.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s exactly why you can\u2019t ignore your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/call-center.html\">call center<\/a>\u2019s average handle time (AHT).<\/p>\n<p>From avoiding lengthy hold-times to making sure that your customer service team is actually having productive conversations, your average handle time is crucial if you want to respect the schedules of your customers and employees alike.<\/p>\n<p>In this guide, we\u2019ll break down everything you need to know about AHT and how to measure it. We\u2019ll also delve into the actionable ways to speed up your customer communications\u2014that won\u2019t require you to reinvent the wheel.<\/p>\n<p>In this post, we\u2019ll look at:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"table-of-content\">\n<li><a href=\"#What is average handle time, anyway?\">What is average handle time, anyway?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#What\u2019s considered a \u201cgood\u201d average handle time\">What\u2019s considered a \u201cgood\u201d average handle time<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#What utilization rate is and how to use it\">What utilization rate is and how to use it<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Why average handle time is so important to a call center\">Why average handle time is so important to a call center<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#What causes a slow average handle time\">What causes a slow average handle time<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#8 ways to slash your contact center\u2019s average handle time\">8 ways to slash your contact center\u2019s average handle time<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn about the damage that long hold times can do, and what customers expect from call or contact centers today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"https:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/documents\/rc_cx_long_hold_times_ebook.pdf\" data-id=\"6a0871bfbff74\" id=\"6a0871bfbff74\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:6a0871bfbff74.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">Get it now<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">\ud83d\udc4d Want to start building a modern contact center strategy? Check out this guide.<\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:6a0871bfbff74.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Enjoy! \ud83c\udf89<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a name=\"What is average handle time, anyway?\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What is average handle time (AHT), anyway?<\/h2>\n<p><b><i>Average handle time (AHT) measures the average duration of time it takes for an agent to resolve a service call from beginning to end. This includes hold-times, actual conversations with customers, and any necessary follow-ups.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Although AHT typically refers to service calls, the metric also applies to communication via email, social media, or live chat.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, average handle time represents the average amount of time (in second or minutes) required for an agent to consider a call \u201ccomplete.\u201d You can measure AHT either per agent or across an entire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/contact-center.html\">contact center<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>How is average handle time calculated?<\/h3>\n<p>Good question. Here\u2019s an average handle time formula that we can work with:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>(Time on hold + time talking to customers + time spent following up) \/ (# of calls completed)<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>The easiest way to track average handle time without having to calculate it by hand is through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/analytics-portal\/overview.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">call monitoring and analytics<\/a> features in your contact center platform, which does all the hard work for you.<\/p>\n<p>Given everything on your agents\u2019 plates, manual call-logging probably isn\u2019t an ideal use of their time. Remember: they should be empowered to build relationships with customers, not deal with repetitive low-value tasks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>Pro-tip: <\/b><\/div>\n<p>Keep in mind the distinction between average handle time and average hold time. The second one measures how long a customer waits on hold before their call is answered. Here\u2019s an average hold time formula for reference: <i>(# of minutes or seconds customers spend on hold) \/ (# of calls completed).<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a name=\"What\u2019s considered a \u201cgood\u201d average handle time\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s considered a \u201cgood\u201d average handle time?<\/h2>\n<p>The short answer? It depends.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for an average handle time industry standard for reference, data from <i>Call Centre Helper Magazine\u2019<\/i>s Erlang calculator<sup>1<\/sup> takes real-world data from hundreds of thousands of calls to come up with a working average:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6518 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image9-42.png\" alt=\"Call Centre Helper Magazine\u2019s Erlang\" width=\"519\" height=\"625\" \/><\/p>\n<p>According to their sample data, AHT for call centers sits somewhere around six minutes. However, this doesn\u2019t take into account variables like industry and team size.<\/p>\n<p><i>\u200b<\/i>[ebook-download title=&#8221;How customer-obsessed is your business?&#8221; link=&#8221;https:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/documents\/quiz_how_customer_obsessed_your_business.pdf&#8221; cta-text=&#8221;Take the quiz&#8221; src=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>In fact, this is what makes average handle time a tricky metric to track. Call centers aren\u2019t all making their numbers readily available, meaning that you might have to use your own benchmarks and internal data.<\/p>\n<h3>There are quite a few variables that impact your average handle time.<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Team size:<\/b> Smaller teams that can\u2019t handle a larger volume of calls or messages are going to have higher average handle times, spending more time on hold or in-between calls.<\/li>\n<li><b>Departments: <\/b>From marketing and sales to accounts receivable and beyond, different departments may tend to have longer (or shorter) calls that skew your average handle time.<\/li>\n<li><b>Industry: <\/b>For example, a SaaS company selling a service with tons of complicated features will likely have a longer handle time than a retail business that primarily handles billing and shipping questions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Also, service calls shouldn\u2019t be seen as a matter of \u201cquantity over quality.\u201d Agents shouldn\u2019t sacrifice customer satisfaction just for the sake of quicker calls. The goal here is to find ways to become more efficient, not micromanage your agents to the point where they\u2019re trying to sprint through their conversations.<\/p>\n<p>The takeaway? There is no \u201cright\u201d AHT.<\/p>\n<p>That said, you should continuously strive to find new ways to make your call center more efficient. Research from Forrester<sup>2<\/sup> notes that average handle time increased by 11% from 2013 to 2016, suggesting that there\u2019s room for improvement for call center agents who are arguably busier than ever.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/whyringcentral\/casestudies\/insureon.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See how Insureon reduced their average call handle time by an incredible <em>45%.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a name=\"What utilization rate is and how to use it\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What about utilization rate?<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re concerned about productivity and efficiency at your call center, your team\u2019s utilization rate is another metric to watch in addition to AHT.<\/p>\n<p>Utilization rate measures the amount of time that agents actively spent logging and conducting calls compared to the rest of their tasks. Here\u2019s a calculation of a sample utilization rate:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>[(# of hours logging calls) \/ (total hours per week)] x 100<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>For example, an agent who spends 30 hours logging calls during a 40-hour workweek would have a utilization rate of 75%.<\/p>\n<h3>What is a good utilization rate for a call center?<\/h3>\n<p>Much like average handle time, what makes a \u201cgood\u201d utilization rate is up for debate.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the previously mentioned<i> Cell Centre Helper Magazine<\/i> says that a strong utilization rate is around 80% (and anything above that is approaching burnout). Meanwhile, older research<sup>3<\/sup> suggests that a rate of 60\u201370% is approaching burnout.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>Pro-tip:<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Although every business wants to get more done in less time, there\u2019s no denying that burnout is a massive problem\u2014and reps aren\u2019t going to perform at their best when they\u2019re run ragged. Consider that your team may have other tasks (including meetings and training) that may impact their utilization rate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a name=\"Why average handle time is so important to a call center\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Why is average handle time so important to a call center?<\/h2>\n<p>According to recent research by Gartner<sup>4<\/sup>, meeting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/customer-expectations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer expectations<\/a> goes hand in hand with long-term loyalty. You want your customers to stick around.<\/p>\n<p>And to meet those needs, you need to prioritize speed in your live customer service channels\u2014like phone calls, which are still preferred by the average consumer. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/customer-communications-trends-report.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">survey of US consumers<\/a>, phone calls were either the most popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/communication-channels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">communication channel<\/a> or a very close-second favorite for customers who want to communicate with a business after buying from them:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/customer-communications-trends-report.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6519 size-medium\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image10-1.jpg\" alt=\"Customer Communications Review in 2020\" width=\"695\" height=\"364\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Beyond that, companies should strive to eliminate obvious annoyances to customers such as long hold-times, unnecessary back-and-forth, and so on.<\/p>\n<p>Looking specifically at your average handle time helps you focus on uncovering inefficiencies and have more productive conversations with customers\u2014a win-win for both your agents and customers.<br \/>\n<a name=\"What causes a slow average handle time\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What causes a slow average handle time?<\/h2>\n<p>So, why do so many call centers lag behind when it comes to AHT? Let\u2019s take a look at some of the most common culprits.<\/p>\n<h3>Lack of omnichannel contact routing<\/h3>\n<p>This is the big one. Call centers quite literally can\u2019t afford to \u201cwing it\u201d when it comes to accepting their customers\u2019 preferred methods of communication or routing calls to the right reps. (Learn more bout <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/automated-customer-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">automated customer service<\/a> and how it can help with this.) Not to mention this cuts down on unnecessary holds and makes sure that customers receive personalized service.<\/p>\n<p>This is why tools such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/contact-center\/products\/omnichannel.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">omnichannel contact routing<\/a> are a must-have for call centers today. WIth a constant pulse on which agents are available and what\u2019s been logged, it\u2019s so much easier to spot where your agents are winning (and where they can improve). Here\u2019s how RingCentral\u2019s solution looks, for example:<\/p>\n<h3>Tangents and time-wasting<\/h3>\n<p>Finding the balance between relationship-building and just shooting the breeze can be tough. Your team obviously wants to get to know your customers, but conversations about the weather aren\u2019t exactly the best use of your time.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, many outbound and <a class=\"waffle-rich-text-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/inbound-call-centers.html\">inbound call centers<\/a> incorporate unnecessarily long greetings and sign-offs that add to their handle times, which could be better spent getting down to business.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, you don&#8217;t want your agents to be cold or curt. That said, you should strive to respect the time of your employees and your customers.<\/p>\n<h3>Repeat calls and redundant information<\/h3>\n<p>Food for thought: 70% of people surveyed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/customer-communications-trends-report.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2020 Customer Communications Review<\/a> said that being transferred and having to repeat themselves all over again is a \u201cvery annoying\u201d part of calling companies:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/customer-communications-trends-report.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6520 size-medium\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image7-5.jpg\" alt=\"2020 Customer Communications Review\" width=\"695\" height=\"364\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Having this shared information readily accessible is quickly becoming a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/customer-service-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer service best practice<\/a>. Plus, if someone has to call you back multiple times or repeat information that could\u2019ve been logged in your customer history, your average handle time is going to suffer.<br \/>\n<a name=\"8 ways to slash your contact center\u2019s average handle time\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>8 ways to slash your contact center\u2019s average handle time<\/h2>\n<p>Want to improve your average handle time? The following tactics are a good place to start.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Step up your call center training for new and struggling agents<\/h3>\n<p>Maybe the best way to trim down your AHT is by making a conscious effort to train all of your agents to become more efficient from the word \u201cgo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here are some points to emphasize when you\u2019re onboarding new hires to speed up your handle times:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Familiarize agents with your product and service with demos, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/webinars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">webinars<\/a>, and blog posts; doing this helps them spend less time later looking up answers to questions they should already know.<\/li>\n<li>Recommend and practice call handling techniques (think: quick greetings, close-ended questions).<\/li>\n<li>Allow your new (and struggling) agents to shadow your existing support staff.<\/li>\n<li>Review and roleplay the scenarios that most often result in lengthy and complicated calls (think: confused or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/how-to-deal-with-angry-customers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">angry customers<\/a>).<\/li>\n<li>Allow your agents to ask questions and collaborate with each other.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The last point is especially important as we\u2019re seeing more and more companies hire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/how-to-manage-a-remote-call-center-staff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">remote call center staff<\/a>. With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/communication-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">communication tools<\/a> like RingCentral, you can encourage more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/effective-teamwork\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">effective teamwork<\/a> through channels like messaging and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\">video calls<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This is a great way of letting your agents share advice, resources, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/customer-feedback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer feedback<\/a> with you more proactively during the training process:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/rcapp.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6521 size-medium\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image11-30.png\" alt=\"RingCentral communication app\" width=\"573\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>2. Empower your reps with scripts for common customer questions<\/h3>\n<p>Despite popular belief, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/using-scripts-to-deliver-consistent-customer-experiences-across-digital-channels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">using scripts for customer service<\/a> doesn\u2019t necessarily mean robotic or \u201cone-size-fits-all\u201d support.<\/p>\n<p>Scripts are fantastic tools for efficiency when it comes to dealing with common questions or concerns, particularly over email or social media.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s say you sell software that has a particularly complex feature that often confuses your customers. By having a script or templated reply handy, you can provide faster answers to your customers without having to come up with a response from scratch every time.<\/p>\n<p>Scripts can also become second nature to agents over the phone, ultimately making them more knowledgeable about your service in the long run.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Gather relevant information before hopping on a customer call<\/h3>\n<p>The more you know about your customers before a call, the better.<\/p>\n<p>Remember what we said earlier about redundant questions and repeat information? Ideally, you should have your customers\u2019 history and contact information front and center as soon as you pick up the phone. If nothing else, this information should be easy to look up.<\/p>\n<p>For example, customer intake forms (like this one from Box.com) allow you to understand key details about customers or leads to better route them and serve them based on which agents are available.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-6522\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image2-160.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"642\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Even better? Use a CRM that stores your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/customer-interactions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer interactions<\/a>. Here\u2019s an example using Zoho CRM (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/zoho-crm-ringcentral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">which integrates with RingCentral<\/a> to show a pop-up with your customer\u2019s information on the screen when you\u2019re prepping for a call):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/zoho-crm-ringcentral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6523 size-large\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image5-104-1024x515.png\" alt=\"Zoho CRM and RingCentral Integration\" width=\"840\" height=\"422\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>With a CRM, you can see how long someone\u2019s been a customer, which products they\u2019re using, and who they\u2019ve spoken to in the past. This allows you to route customers to agents they already know and trust, leading to fewer introductions and less repeat information relayed.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Make sure you\u2019re routing calls to the right agents<\/h3>\n<p>The importance of this is two-fold.<\/p>\n<p>For starters, customers should be automatically routed to the right departments (think: sales, accounts receivable) to avoid being bounced around or needlessly transferred.<\/p>\n<p>Not only that, your agents should also be receiving an appropriate number of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/inbound-calling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">inbound calls<\/a> based on their availability, skill-level, and overall call volume.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>Pro-tip: <\/b><\/div>\n<p>A new agent stuck with handling angry customers or in-depth problems that would be better suited for a veteran team member is <i>not<\/i> an ideal situation. This is exactly how your average handle time gets skewed. We\u2019d recommend using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/blog\/what-is-skills-based-call-routing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">skills-based call-routing<\/a> to make sure your customers are routed to agents in a way that results in shorter wait times and faster resolutions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>5. Model what an effective call actually sounds like<\/h3>\n<p>Pop quiz: do you agents know what a \u201cgood\u201d call sounds like?<\/p>\n<p>Giving your agents real recordings and transcripts (RingCentral does both!) of some of your best agents\u2019 calls lets you both reinforce your training <i>and<\/i> prove that positive, timely calls aren\u2019t just a pipe dream.<\/p>\n<p>These recordings can be part of your training program or reference resources that your team can review on their own time.<\/p>\n<p>Another added <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/analytics-portal\/overview.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bonus of using RingCentral<\/a> is the ability to conduct in-depth call and speech analysis. For example, the platform can uncover successful phrases and procedures used in agent calls through AI:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/analytics-portal\/overview.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6524 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image1-10.jpg\" alt=\"RingCentral in-depth call and speech analysis\" width=\"729\" height=\"362\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>6. Build out your knowledge base and self-service resources<\/h3>\n<p>With customer resources and an in-depth knowledge base, you\u2019re basically empowering customers to try to answer their own questions before reaching out to you for a call.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/create-knowledge-base\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Knowledge bases<\/a> are awesome for not only helping customers diagnose problems but also providing agents with resolutions to product questions they may not already be familiar with.<\/p>\n<p>For example, companies like Dyson, Campaign Monitor, and Zendesk boast a variety of guides and videos that take customers step by step through potential problems. Pointing to your knowledge base is both time-efficient and straightforward for agents, especially those working with customers via chat or email:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6525\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image6-85.png\" alt=\"Dyson's guides and videos that take customers step by step through potential problems\" width=\"1053\" height=\"763\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>7. Let analytics guide your support strategy<\/h3>\n<p>Having all of your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/call-center-metrics.html\">call center metrics<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/customer-service-kpi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer service KPIs<\/a> in one place is key to improving your AHT.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, RingCentral\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/analytics-portal\/overview.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">analytics portal<\/a> actually features an average handle time analysis:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6526\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image8-60.png\" alt=\"RingCentral\u2019s analytics portal average handle time analysis feature\" width=\"457\" height=\"353\" \/><\/p>\n<p>With a dedicated analytics tool and dashboard, you can understand how your agents and company at large are performing. Want to know who\u2019s handling the most calls? Interest in the average calls per hour in a call center? With RingCentral, you don\u2019t have to second-guess the answers. Having these numbers available provides a clear roadmap for where you and your agents can improve.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\ud83d\udd79\ufe0f<\/span> Get a hands-on look at how RingCentral works by booking a product tour:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><button data-href=\"#leadform-popup\" class=\"js-open-popup-activator btn primary\" >Choose a time<\/button><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>8. Regularly communicate performance and expectations to your agents<\/h3>\n<p>Piggybacking on the last tip, you can\u2019t expect reps to improve their AHT until they know what\u2019s expected of them. Highlighting performance data and expectations is crucial for reaching both team-wide and individual benchmarks.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than expect agents to meet your performance goals \u201cjust because,\u201d they should have context to what\u2019s considered \u201cgood\u201d in terms of your company\u2019s AHT and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/customer-service-kpi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer service KPIs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With RingCentral\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/contact-center\/products\/reporting.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contact center analytics and reporting<\/a>, you can build dashboards and reports you can show to your agents to highlight where they can specifically improve.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6528\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image3-135.png\" alt=\"RingCentral\u2019s contact center analytics and reporting\" width=\"944\" height=\"602\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Perfect for presentations and meetings, these reports allow you to keep a pulse on your agents\u2019 performance and ensure that your entire team is on the same page.<\/p>\n<h2>What are you doing to speed up the average handle time in your call center?<\/h2>\n<p>Listen: there is no single way to improve your AHT and doing so doesn\u2019t happen by accident.<\/p>\n<p>That said, a combination of the tips above and tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RingCentral<\/a> can definitely do the trick.<\/p>\n<p>Through more effective routing and tracking, you can take so much of the legwork and guesswork out of reducing your average handle time.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\n<p><sup>1<\/sup> <a href=\"https:\/\/callcentrehelper.com\/tools\/erlang-calculator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">callcentrehelper.com\/tools\/erlang-calculator<\/a><\/p>\n<p><sup>2<\/sup> <a href=\"https:\/\/go.forrester.com\/blogs\/predictions-2020-customer-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">go.forrester.com\/blogs\/predictions-2020-customer-service\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><sup>3<\/sup> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinkhdi.com\/~\/media\/HDICorp\/Files\/Library-Archive\/Insider%20Articles\/Agent-Utilization.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">thinkhdi.com\/~\/media\/HDICorp\/Files\/Library-Archive\/Insider%20Articles\/Agent-Utilization.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p><sup>4<\/sup> <a href=\"https:\/\/emtemp.gcom.cloud\/ngw\/eventassets\/en\/conferences\/cet20a\/documents\/gartner-cet20a-anz-state-of-customer-pdf-2019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">emtemp.gcom.cloud\/ngw\/eventassets\/en\/conferences\/cet20a\/documents\/gartner-cet20a-anz-state-of-customer-pdf-2019.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s no secret that call centers are concerned with metrics and performance. Reps have to be fast at not only picking up the phone and responding to customers, but also solving those issues\u2014sometimes, even when they\u2019re quite complex. Hey, life isn\u2019t always fair. That\u2019s exactly why you can\u2019t ignore your call center\u2019s average handle time &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1145,"featured_media":45725,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901,18390,4],"tags":[18256,18257,7993,18229,8000,17241],"class_list":["post-42347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership","category-communication-and-collaboration","category-customer-experience","tag-aht","tag-average-handle-time","tag-call-center","tag-call-center-metrics","tag-contact-center","tag-contact-center-metrics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>9 ways to improve your average handle time | RingCentral Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you want efficiency in your call center, you can&#039;t ignore your average handle time (AHT). 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