Explaining Standard Handle Time Goal to Organization

Answers

• Terry Lang Posted at 9:01AM on Aug 22, 2012

  Lisa - This will likely depend on the type of calls you are taking. My company has an inbound call center taking calls regarding employer benefits. Our calls vary from 1 minute (am I eligible) to 14 minutes (walk me through the process on the website). You can have an average handle time (ours is 4:00 mins) and it does successfully drive agent behaviors. Your explanation to your management team will need to explain the breatdth of your calls so that they don't expect every call to be an average length but what the range of times/types of calls are and how this will help guide training opportunities such as minimizing hold time, typing and talking, etc.

• Jeff Palzkill Posted at 11:55AM on Oct 23, 2012

  Lisa, I've been tasked many times with the famous "industry standard" or "magic" AHT number, and I went with a two pronged approach. For any given split/skill I asked the team leads/coaches to come up with the "perfect call" - hitting all the KPIs, QPIs, and other necessary compliance pieces. During the same time period I extracted the data on average call length by agent (again for the specific call type (aka split/skill))and plotting them out using Minitab to show the variance in the call length. Pulling the data by agent is important as you have to make allowances for seniority - i.e. many times more seasoned agents have found shortcuts in moving through screens that help them (conversely they may have undesirable habits but we'll stay positive here). Then compare the coaches' "perfect" call to observable data and you have your magic number - the perfect call is where you want to be, and the observed data is where you are. Enjoy. jeff palzkill, MSTM, CCOM

• DJ Overley Posted at 11:54AM on Dec 7, 2012

  Lisa - I would say try to change the focus. You can't control AHT. AHT is just a product of many other items. Agents have two items they can control, their quality and their schedule adherence. If they are using the tools correctly, navigating systems correctly, and controlling the call, the AHT will be what it needs to be to provide the best service possible. If all these items are being done, then AHT can not be increased or decrease unless new technology is brought in that will make tools more efficent, or allow for easier navigation. Key is AHT is the result, you have to look at what is producing that result and work to manage that rather than manage AHT.

• Gordon McCleary Posted at 4:37PM on Apr 1, 2013

  I treat AHT like any other stat. It has it's "bell curve" the middle of the chart is the majority of Reps, the leaders (less AHT) are a few and the stragglers (more AHT) are a few. I have managed many centers and this is the standard everywhere. Listen to the reps with the most AHT and then listen to the reps with the least AHT. (Assuming the less AHT reps are not just giving quick - bad service) your answer is right in front of you. In my many case studies on this, the less AHT reps know how to control the call and are closers, while the more AHT folks are driven by the caller. You can teach call control to some.