Speed in customer support is a double-edged sword. Go too slow, and you risk customer frustration. Go too fast, and you might sacrifice the quality that builds trust. Welcome to the tightrope walk of modern service delivery—fast, but not furious.
One of the most telling metrics in this balancing act? Average Handle Time (AHT). It's the heartbeat of customer support performance—tracking how long it takes, on average, to resolve an issue from hello to hang-up. Think of it as a stopwatch for your service: every second tells a story.
But here’s the catch—lowering AHT isn’t just about shaving seconds. It’s about streamlining without steamrolling, solving quickly without cutting corners, and blending efficiency with empathy.
In this blog, we’ll break down what AHT really is, why it’s a pivotal KPI for support teams, and how you can actually reduce it—without dialing down quality. From process upgrades to cutting-edge tech like Visual Remote Assistance, we’re giving you a toolkit, not just a target.
Average Handle Time (AHT) is a core performance metric in customer support, used to measure the average length of a complete customer interaction. That includes everything from the actual conversation to the silent seconds on hold and the behind-the-scenes wrap-up work agents do after the call ends.
AHT = (Talk Time + Hold Time + After-Call Work) ÷ Total Calls Handled
Each component matters:
Talk Time: Time spent actively engaging with the customer.
Hold Time: Time customers spend waiting while agents fetch info or transfer calls.
After-Call Work (ACW): Notes, ticket updates, or follow-ups logged after the conversation ends.
It’s a holistic snapshot of how long your team is tied up per customer interaction—and how that time translates to overall efficiency.
AHT spans the entire omnichannel support landscape:
Call centers
Help desks
Live chat
Email support
Social media messaging
No matter the medium, the goal is the same: resolve quickly, thoroughly, and with minimal friction.
It depends on the complexity of the product, the nature of the issue, and customer expectations. For simple troubleshooting? A snappy resolution is ideal. But for high-stakes tech support or nuanced billing issues? A slightly longer AHT might reflect the depth and care your customer needs.
The real sweet spot lies in being fast and effective—cutting waste, not wisdom.
Average Handle Time isn’t just a clock counting down—it’s a diagnostic tool. When used smartly, it becomes a compass for efficiency, not a whip for speed.
A low AHT means agents are resolving issues swiftly and can handle more volume without burnout. It’s a sign your workflows are tight, your tools are effective, and your team isn’t bogged down by inefficiencies.
AHT helps you identify top performers and those who need support. But it should always be viewed alongside other KPIs like First Call Resolution (FCR) and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). Fast isn’t better if it leads to poor outcomes.
Long interactions often signal confusion or bottlenecks. Reducing AHT (while maintaining quality) leads to snappier resolutions, happier customers, and better retention.
Don’t chase low AHT at the expense of service. The real goal is smart optimization: blending empathy, knowledge, and speed.
Start with solid onboarding: tools, products, communication.
Offer regular refreshers and coaching.
Analyze call recordings to find friction points and opportunities.
Automate repetitive tasks like data entry.
Use integrated CRMs for a single customer view.
Employ pre-call automation to provide agents with context before the conversation starts.
Implement skill-based and intelligent routing.
Reduce unnecessary transfers.
Match the right customer with the right agent from the get-go.
Offer flexible scripts for FAQs and common flows.
Encourage personalization and adaptability.
Update regularly to reflect changes in products and policies.
Build strong FAQs, chatbots, and knowledge hubs.
Empower users to resolve basic issues on their own.
Proactively promote these tools across your support channels.
Pair AHT with FCR and CSAT.
Use analytics to uncover trends: long calls by issue type, agent, or channel.
Don’t just track AHT—understand it.
What if your agents could see the issue firsthand? With Visual Remote Assistance, they can—and that changes everything.
Live video eliminates miscommunication.
AR-powered annotations guide customers visually.
Faster understanding = faster fixes.
Visuals beat verbal explanations.
Agents can assess the issue directly, without relying on vague descriptions.
Remote resolution means fewer technician dispatches.
Saves time, money, and reduces handle time.
Real-time, face-to-face interaction builds rapport.
Visual tools make digital support feel more personal.
Blitzz makes this kind of support seamless and scalable. If you're serious about reducing AHT and improving CX, check out how Visual Assistance works.
In customer support, time is experience. Average Handle Time tells you how fast—and how well—your team delivers that experience.
But speed alone isn’t success. The real magic happens when you reduce AHT by improving processes, empowering agents, and enhancing communication with tools like Visual Remote Assistance.
So yes, go fast. But go smart. Because great support doesn’t just solve problems—it does it with precision, empathy, and impact.