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How Do I Reduce Average Handle Time (AHT)? And, Who Is John Galt?

This question -- asked by an attendee during one of our recent Webcasts -- is a good one, much like "How do I lose weight?" or "What is the best way to get to Las Vegas?" or the ever enduring "Who is John Galt?" (more on that later).  When someone asks this question (and we get it a lot), it always begs a litany of qualifying questions related to how the business is run and measured:

  • What is more important -- lower handle time, improved customer experience or driving revenue opportunity?
  • Is the customer experience important to your organization?
  • What drives current handle time? Customer loyalty? Revenue?
  • Are agent skills playing a role in handle time?
  • Do you have the best systems available to drive down handle time?

Now, I'm not trying to be elusive, but what I am attempting to point out is that this question can have different answers that are completely valid based on what the business is attempting to accomplish through each interaction with the customer.  But in general, I would say take a look at the following key areas that most often contribute to AHT:

  1. Agent Training & Skills: The right training and skills allow agents to process calls quickly AND empowers them to make some front-line decisions.
  2. QA Monitoring: Quality monitoring should be in place to ensure interactions are up to snuff and to see where there's room for improvement.
  3. Agent Incentives: Well incentivized agents have extra reasons to process interactions quickly and efficiently.
  4. Systems: Supporting agent desktop and CTI systems should be constructed in such a manner that allows agents to find the right information fast, while delivering a consistent, personalized and comprehensive customer experience.

On the flip side, I have to also mention that I've seen a growing trend toward contact centers actually removing AHT as an agent performance metric and tracking it solely for planning purposes.  A novel idea for sure, but the results seem to be pretty encouraging -- less harried agents, higher first call resolution and a better customer experience.

As for the question "Who is John Galt?" -- read Atlas Shrugged and let me know the answer.

Posted 05-05-2009 2:33 PM by Donald Davis
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Comments

Kinnet Lindley wrote re: How Do I Reduce Average Handle Time (AHT)? And, Who Is John Galt?
on 05-18-2009 6:43 PM

You asked the question:

"What is more important -- lower handle time, improved customer experience or driving revenue opportunity?"

The answer to that question -- in relationship to RPC, FCR and agent quality is relative and depends on whom you ask.

Here is an excerpt covering the agent's position on this subject from the hilarious new call center fiction novel, HANDLE TiME by LiNCOLN PARK:

 "While the customer thinks they are the most important aspect of a call center's life; it is the metrics which actually reigns supreme.

    The measurement of Quality of service to customers only serves as a way to block payout of commission-based incentives. Centers rely on Sales, Average Handle Time (AHT), Quality and Schedule Adherence to justify everything from the purchase of toilet paper to their reason for continued existence.

    In call centers, to take time and help your customer will absolutely RUIN your Average Handle Time.  Ruining your handle time means that you are ruining your quality; thus, ruining your agent variable pay; finally, ruining your paycheck.

In other words:

TO HELP YOUR CUSTOMER

IS TO

completely and

unequivocally,

RUIN YOUR PAYCHECK.

    I'm serious! The idea is to stay on the call for the shortest amount of time that you can; in order for you to take as many calls as you can. The customer's satisfaction with your service is incidental. And so – every call center worker must ponder the following questions and make a choice  each time they logon to their systems:

Do I help the customer?

-- or --

Do I pay rent?"

Jessica wrote re: How Do I Reduce Average Handle Time (AHT)? And, Who Is John Galt?
on 07-17-2009 2:42 PM

I disagree as I feel that they are tied together in some respects. If you have a caller 'stuck' on a call with you for 30 minutes and you still haven't solved my issue, I would not be a satisfied customer, even though call time is not a metric in this scenerio.

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