Managing AHT is not just about speeding up interactions; it’s about striking the right balance between efficiency and quality. By focusing on strategies to reduce AHT while maintaining customer satisfaction, contact centers can improve their bottom line, streamline operations, and enhance the customer experience.
In this guide, we’ll explore actionable tips to achieve these goals.
What is Average Handle Time (AHT) in Call Centers?
Average Handle Time (AHT) is a key performance metric in call centers that measures the total time an agent spends handling a customer interaction. It includes talk time, hold time, and after-call work (ACW).
AHT is calculated using the following formula:
AHT = (Talk Time + Hold Time + After-Call Work) / Total Calls Handled
Why Do You Need to Reduce Average Handling Time in Call Centers?
For several reasons, reducing Average Handling Time (AHT) is crucial in call centers. First and foremost, a lower AHT ensures agents can handle more calls in less time, directly reducing customer wait times and improving overall service levels. This efficiency doesn't just benefit the call center; it significantly enhances customer satisfaction.
Studies show that 80% of customers expect support reps to assist them with everything they need during the interaction. Minimizing AHT ensures that agents can resolve customer inquiries quickly and effectively, meeting these expectations and delivering a more seamless support experience.
From a cost perspective, lower AHT optimizes workforce productivity, minimizing the need for additional agents and reducing labor costs. By streamlining interactions, it also improves call center Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as First Call Resolution (FCR) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT).
For example:
An ecommerce call center handles 10,000 customer inquiries per month. If the Average Handle Time (AHT) per call is 10 minutes, the total agent workload would be 100,000 minutes (or 1,667 hours).
Suppose the company implements better call routing, automated responses for common questions, and improved agent training, reducing AHT to 8 minutes per call. This means the total workload drops to 80,000 minutes (or 1,333 hours).
Tips to Reduce Average Handling Time (AHT) in Call Centers
We will explore some tips to streamline processes and reduce AHT, ultimately improving productivity and customer experience.
1. Drive Customers toward Self-Service Options
Self-service options allow customers to solve their issues independently without relying on a customer agent. A well-thought-out and user-friendly Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system is a prime example of a self-service tool. IVRs enable customers to quickly navigate through menus to find answers to common questions or perform simple tasks, such as checking account balances or making payments.
To further modernize and optimize the customer experience, businesses should consider implementing AI-enhanced Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) pages on their websites or mobile applications. It utilizes natural language processing to provide accurate, real-time answers to user queries, guiding customers to solutions instantly. Unlike traditional static FAQs, AI-driven systems can interpret a wider variety of user inputs, making them more interactive and practical in deflecting simple tickets.
Additionally, incorporating more advanced AI-driven chatbots can take self-service to the next level. These bots go beyond basic Q&A; they can understand context, escalate issues when necessary, and even complete complex transactions, such as booking appointments or updating account details. By automating such tasks, AI chatbots reduce the volume of incoming calls, allowing agents to focus on more complex customer issues and effectively lower overall AHT.
2. Invest in Comprehensive Agent Training
When your agents are well-trained, they can handle customer issues faster and more efficiently. Ensure that your training program includes both the technical aspects of your services and soft skills, such as problem-solving and communication. Regularly update your training materials to inform agents about new features, tools, or products to enhance their ability to resolve issues quickly.
Technology, such as conversation intelligence tools and sentiment analytics, can also provide agents with in-the-moment guidance that enables them to self-evaluate and make corrections. This provides immediate feedback to agents for areas of improvement before waiting for a weekly or monthly training session.
3. Utilize Smart Call Scripting
A well-designed call script can be an invaluable tool that ensures that calls stay on track and agents promptly address all relevant issues. Call scripts can reduce the time spent figuring out what to say next, allowing agents to focus on resolving the problem instead of coming up with responses.
However, it’s essential to ensure that scripts are flexible and conversational. Rigid, robotic scripts can frustrate customers. Instead, train your agents to use the script as a framework while allowing room for natural conversation. The goal is to keep the conversation efficient without sacrificing the customer’s experience.
4. Optimize Your Call Routing System
When customers are routed to the correct department or specialist on the first try, there’s less chance of call transfers, which can increase handling time and customer frustration.
You can optimize call routing by categorizing calls based on product inquiries, technical support, or billing issues. Advanced call routing tools can analyze previous customer interactions and identify the best agent to resolve their problem. This ensures that the call is handled efficiently right from the start.
5. Minimize After-Call Work (ACW)
Inefficiencies often arise when agents manually enter data across multiple systems, leading to redundant work and inconsistencies. Poorly structured workflows, unclear documentation guidelines, or a lack of automation tools can further slow the process.
Call centers can use automation tools to streamline ACW and reduce agents' time on post-call tasks. These tools help agents log call details more efficiently by automatically capturing key data, reducing the need for manual input. Integrating customer relationship management (CRM) software can enable agents to update records with minimal effort.
6. Empower Agents with Decision-Making Authority
Many contact centers rely on supervisors to handle escalations for fundamental problems, which delays resolution and increases customers' time on the line. By training agents to handle a broader range of issues and giving them the authority to make decisions, you can reduce the need for escalations.
For instance, allowing agents to issue refunds or apply discounts for certain situations eliminates the need for supervisors to step in, leading to faster resolutions and shorter call durations. This decreases AHT and improves agent morale, as they feel trusted and empowered to resolve customer concerns without delay.
7. Use Call Back Technology
When customers are waiting in a call queue, offering them the option to receive a call-back later when an agent is available eliminates the need for customers to remain on hold. This reduces the active waiting time for the customer and helps distribute call volume more evenly, preventing call queues from becoming too lengthy.
With fewer customers waiting on hold, agents can focus on the current call without worrying about juggling multiple calls in a queue.
8. Monitor and Analyze Call Data
By regularly monitoring and analyzing call data such as average talk time, hold time, call volume, and resolution rates, call centers can identify bottlenecks that contribute to prolonged call handling times. More advanced call data can also be monitored to categorize specific types of conversations (product challenges, cost increase complaints, etc).
For instance, if a particular type of issue (billing disputes, product/service complaints, technical troubleshooting) consistently leads to longer call durations, it may indicate a gap in agent training or a need for additional resources.
Analyzing this data allows managers to pinpoint specific areas for improvement, whether that involves optimizing workflows, revising call scripts, or adjusting staffing levels to better handle peak times.
Conclusion
Reducing Average Handling Time (AHT) is essential for improving call center efficiency, customer satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness. Businesses can streamline operations without compromising service quality by implementing comprehensive agent training, optimized call routing, self-service options, and data-driven decision-making.
One way to achieve this is by integrating solutions like Sycurio, which helps lower AHT by allowing customers to make secure payments independently. This means they can complete transactions without needing long conversations with agents. With DTMF masking and automated payment systems, customers can safely enter their payment details, reducing the need for manual input and verification.
Sycurio works with IVR and live agent systems to speed up transactions while staying compliant. This reduces time spent on payment security and makes contact centers more efficient.
Book a demo with Sycurio today to discover how the solutions can help you achieve faster, more efficient customer interactions.
FAQs
What is the meaning of AHT?
Average Handle Time (AHT) measures an agent's total time on a customer interaction, including talk time, hold time, and after-call work. It helps evaluate call center efficiency and agent performance. Lower AHT generally indicates quicker issue resolution, but quality should not be compromised for speed.
What is the root cause of high AHT?
Complex customer issues, inefficient agent workflows, lack of proper training, slow systems, and excessive after-call work often cause High Average Handle Time (AHT). Long hold times and unclear communication also contribute. Identifying bottlenecks in processes and improving agent efficiency can help reduce AHT.
How can I reduce my call center hold time?
Optimizing call routing, training agents for faster issue resolution, using self-service options, and upgrading technology for quicker access to information can reduce hold times. Monitoring call data, adequately staffing during peak hours, and automating routine tasks can also help minimize delays and improve customer satisfaction.
What is the cause of AHT?
AHT is affected by agent efficiency, call complexity, system performance, and customer cooperation. Long wrap-up times, unclear communication, and unnecessary transfers increase handling time. Insufficient training and outdated processes can also slow resolution. Streamlining workflows and leveraging automation can help control AHT.
