It was 4:58 p.m. on a Friday when Mia, a customer support lead at a fast-growing tech company, noticed something odd. Despite hiring new agents to handle calls, call queues were long, customers were frustrated, and her team felt the heat. The culprit? Average handling time — or as her dashboard said, AHT: 12.4 mins.
Mia had always known AHT mattered, but now it was front and center. Long handling times weren’t just slowing down her team — they were dragging down customer satisfaction, bloating costs, and making it harder to scale. She needed a fix — and fast.
If Mia’s story feels familiar, you’re not alone. Average handling time is one of those metrics that seems simple on paper but gets complicated fast in real-world support environments. This article dives into improving AHT correctly, not by rushing through conversations or cutting corners, but by optimizing processes, empowering agents, and using the right tools to work smarter, not just faster.
What is the average handling time?
Average handling time (AHT) is a key performance indicator (KPI) commonly used in customer service and call center environments. It measures the average duration of a customer interaction, including:
- Total talk time – the time customers spend speaking with an agent
- Total hold time – the time a customer spends on hold during the conversation
- Total after-call work (ACW) time– the time an agent completes follow-up tasks after the interaction (e.g., documentation, follow-up emails)
Why improving average handling time matters
While it’s important not to compromise service quality, reducing average handle time offers several operational and customer experience benefits:
Improved contact center efficiency
Minimizing average hold time allows contact centers to handle more calls with the same number of agents. This leads to better resource utilization, reduced call center costs, and improved return on investment for customer support operations.
Reduced response average times
Shorter handling times often translate to reduced wait times and queue lengths for other customers, enhancing the overall service speed and responsiveness. Reducing average handle time ensures your company has high-quality service, streamlining processes even during increased call volumes.
Increased customer satisfaction
Customers appreciate prompt, efficient call center agents. If their issue can be resolved quickly without compromising quality, it contributes to a better customer experience and improves net promoter score (NPS) or Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT).
Better agent performance
When contact center agents spend less time per interaction, they also reduce the time customers spend waiting, reducing the average length of idle time and potentially increasing motivation through meeting or exceeding performance targets.
Scalability
Contact centers aiming to grow their customer base without proportionally increasing support headcount benefit from good AHT, as it supports scaling without significantly increasing costs. You can improve customer satisfaction scores by improving average talk time, and there is no better way to do that than with agent performance.
Improving AHT is important, but not at the expense of service quality. If agents hurry customers through calls just to improve AHT, it can lead to:
- Poor first-call resolution (FCR)
- Increased call-backs or escalations
- Decreased customer satisfaction
- Burnout among agents
What do you need before improving average handling time
Improving average handling time (AHT) isn’t just about quick fixes and building the right foundation. If you don’t have the essentials, you’ll risk solving the wrong problems or introducing changes that don’t stick. Here’s what you really need before you dive into optimization:
Clear and accurate AHT data
Establish your baseline using dashboards or reports. You’ll need this not only to spot inefficiencies but also to measure progress once improvements begin.
Start by asking:
- How are we measuring AHT?
- Are we including all the important metrics — talk time, total hold time, and after-call work?
- Are we capturing AHT consistently across channels (calls, chats, emails)?
Tip: Segment AHT by issue type, team, or channel to find your real problem areas. AHT might be high for specific tickets, but not others, and that nuance matters.
Defined and documented support processes
You need to understand what’s supposed to happen during a call or chat before you can streamline it. Determine the support team's workflow to know where the pain point lies.
Ask yourself:
- Do agents know the standard steps for common customer interactions?
- Are there clear escalation paths?
- Is there a shared playbook or internal knowledge base?
If every agent handles issues in their way, start by aligning on best practices. Standardization is step one to identifying and eliminating unnecessary friction.
Team buy-in (and input)
If agents feel like AHT targets are another pressure point, you’ll never get real results. Improvement starts with collaboration, not top-down directives.
Here’s how to bring them in:
- Explain why reducing AHT can make their lives easier (less backlog, fewer angry customers).
- Ask for feedback: where do they feel stuck? What slows them down?
- Celebrate insights: if someone has a shortcut or tip that reduces call time without compromising service, spotlight it!
You’ll get better ideas and more motivation when the team feels part of the solution.
The right tools in place
Even the best agents can’t work efficiently if they switch between five tabs to find basic info. Make sure your tech stack supports fast, smooth service:
- Is your CRM easy to navigate?
- Can agents access customer history instantly?
- Do they have real-time help (like AI-powered suggestions or automated summaries)?
- Is your knowledge base searchable and up to date?
If your tools are clunky, no amount of coaching will fully fix AHT. Make tech your ally, not a bottleneck.
Check how AI enhances support team processes in LiveChat.
Ways to improve average handle time
Improving average handling time (AHT) requires a combination of process optimization, agent enablement, and innovative use of technology. Below are key strategies companies can use to effectively improve AHT without compromising service quality:
Streamline call routing and IVR systems
- Use intelligent routing to connect customers with the most qualified agents based on skills, previous interactions, or issue type.
- Optimize IVR menus to reduce customer confusion and avoid unnecessary transfers or misroutes.
Provide comprehensive agent training
- Equip agents with deep product knowledge and issue-resolution skills.
- Train them to use call scripts as guides, not rigid dialogues, so they can handle calls confidently and efficiently.
- Focus on active listening and call control techniques to avoid repetitive conversations or unnecessary escalations.
Leverage knowledge bases and AI tools
- Offer a centralized knowledge base that agents can quickly search during calls.
- Use AI assistants or chatbots to surface suggestions and answers in real-time during interactions.
- Implement predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs or problems.
Automate after-call work (ACW)
- Use CRM integrations and auto-logging tools to reduce the time spent entering data manually after a call.
- Pre-fill common fields based on call type or system triggers.
- Deploy automated summaries via AI to handle post-call documentation.
Optimize agent desktop interfaces
- Ensure agents don’t have to navigate multiple systems to gather information.
- Use unified agent desktops that consolidate customer history, chat, CRM, and order management into a single screen.
Implement real-time performance monitoring
- Provide agents with live dashboards showing AHT and other KPIs so they can adjust performance on the fly.
- Use call coaching tools or supervisors to assist with long or complex calls as they happen.
Encourage first call resolution (FCR)
- Many calls drag out due to follow-ups or escalations. Focus on resolving the customer’s issue completely during the first interaction.
- Empower agents with the authority to resolve common issues without requiring managerial approval.
Run call simulations and quality reviews
- Review long or complex calls regularly to identify bottlenecks or training gaps.
- Run mock calls to practice efficiently handling objections or complex issues smoothly.
Tip: Always monitor other metrics (like CSAT, FCR, and call quality) to ensure reductions in AHT are not negatively impacting customer satisfaction or issue resolution.
How to build an AHT improvement plan
Improving average handling time (AHT) isn’t about finding a magic fix — it’s about connecting the dots across process, technology, and people. Once you’ve laid the foundation (clear data, team buy-in, defined workflows), it’s time to build a focused, actionable AHT improvement plan that your team can rally behind. Here’s how to bring it all together:
| Step | Action | Details/tools | AHT impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Set goals | Define realistic AHT benchmarks by channel & issue type | Segment by chat, email, voice, simple vs complex tickets | Focuses team efforts and avoids unrealistic expectations |
| 2. Identify time drains | Audit long interactions to find slow points | Use call/chat recordings, agent interviews, and screen captures | Reveals root causes behind high AHT |
| 3. Upgrade tech | Implement efficient live chat software & workflows | Use features like canned responses, pre-chat forms, CRM integrations, and concurrent chat handling | Cuts down response and handling time significantly |
| 4. Empower and coach agents | Use AHT as a guide for coaching, not pressure | Share individual AHT reports, pair with CSAT/FCR, encourage ownership and autonomy | Improves handling efficiency & avoids quality trade-offs |
| 5. Track progress and celebrate wins | Create and maintain a live dashboard | Track AHT weekly/monthly by agent, issue type, channel | Reinforces momentum and helps course-correct in real time |
Step 1: Set realistic, context-aware goals
Start by analyzing your baseline AHT and breaking it down by:
- Channel (phone, chat, email)
- Issue type
- Agent team or tier
- Customer segments
Then, set realistic, tiered targets. For instance:
- Password resets → Target AHT: 2–3 mins
- Refund requests → Target AHT: 5–7 mins
- Complex account issues → Flexible time, focus on resolution
Ensure agents understand that the goal is smart efficiency, not speed for speed’s sake.
Step 2: Identify top time drains
Pull a sample of long-handling-time interactions and look for patterns:
- Are agents waiting on internal approvals?
- Is the knowledge base hard to navigate?
- Are tools slow or disconnected?
Use tools like call recordings, screen shares, and agent interviews to map out what’s eating up time.
Step 3: Upgrade tech - especially real-time support tools
One of the fastest ways to reduce average handling time is by using live chat software optimized for speed, context, and automation. Here’s how platforms like LiveChat can help:
✔️ Instant context access
LiveChat can automatically pull in customer details (name, past orders, location, device, etc.) so agents don’t waste time asking for info or switching tabs.
✔️ Canned responses and snippets
Agents can use pre-written replies for FAQs, greetings, or transactional steps, slashing response time while maintaining consistency in tone.
✔️ Concurrent chat handling
Unlike voice support, live chat allows agents to handle multiple conversations simultaneously, significantly improving support efficiency.
✔️ Integrated workflows
LiveChat integrates with CRMs, ticketing systems, and analytics platforms. This means faster after-chat work and seamless hand-offs, reducing post-interaction time.
✔️ AI chatbots for frontline triage
You can set up AI bots to:
- Greet customers
- Collect initial context
- Route queries to the right agent or department
This pre-work reduces handling time once a human steps in.
Tip: Use LiveChat’s chat transcripts and AHT reports to spot where agents get stuck and optimize your flows further.
Step 4: Coach and empower agents continuously
Read the Agent's Handbook and help your team succeed!
Use AHT trends to guide coaching, not punish performance. For example:
- Is one agent consistently above the benchmark? Watch a few chats and identify what's slowing them down.
- Is another agent crushing their AHT but has low CSAT? Dig into quality issues.
Empower agents with decision-making authority where appropriate. Sometimes long calls come from unnecessary escalations or policy bottlenecks.
Step 5: Track progress and share wins
Create a dashboard (or use your live chat’s built-in reporting) to:
- Monitor average handling time improvements weekly or monthly
- Compare across channels or teams
- Identify where AHT drops without hurting customer experience
Celebrate early wins, whether a 30-second improvement on simple queries or reduced post-chat work time.
Final thoughts
Remember Mia? The support lead staring down that stubborn average handling time number late on a Friday afternoon?
Fast-forward a few weeks, and things look very different. Mia began to see real traction after taking a hard look at her team’s workflows, involving her agents in pinpointing bottlenecks, and switching to LiveChat to streamline customer conversations. With features like canned responses, chat routing, and CRM integration, LiveChat helped her team handle more inquiries more efficiently without sacrificing the human touch.
As a result, her team's average handling time improved, customer satisfaction went up, and the support queue no longer loomed like a storm cloud. Thanks to tools that made their jobs smoother and smarter, her agents felt more empowered and less stressed.
