Average Handle Time

Average Handle Time (AHT) is the mean duration of a complete call interaction, measured from the moment an agent is connected to a call through the end of after-call work (wrap time). AHT = Talk Time + Hold Time + Wrap Time. It is a key efficiency metric that affects staffing calculations, cost per lead, and campaign throughput.

How It Works in VICIdial

VICIdial tracks AHT components automatically. Talk time is recorded from agent-call connection to hangup. Hold time is logged when agents place callers on hold. Wrap time starts when the call ends and continues until the agent selects a disposition and becomes available for the next call. The wrap_up_seconds setting can impose a maximum wrap time, automatically making the agent available after the configured seconds elapse.

AHT is reported in VICIdial’s agent performance reports, campaign summary reports, and real-time monitoring dashboards. It can be filtered by campaign, agent, user group, date range, and disposition type. This granularity allows managers to identify which call outcomes have the longest handle times and which agents are above or below the campaign average.

VICIdial’s predictive dialing algorithm uses current AHT as an input for calculating the optimal auto dial level — longer average handle times mean agents are occupied longer, so fewer lines need to be dialed per agent.

Why It Matters

AHT directly determines how many calls an agent can handle per shift and therefore affects staffing requirements and cost per lead. Reducing AHT by even 15-30 seconds per call can increase an agent’s daily call capacity by 10-20%, depending on call volume.

However, AHT must be balanced against quality. Pressuring agents to reduce handle time can result in rushed conversations, incomplete data entry, lower conversion rates, and poor quality control scores. The goal is to reduce unnecessary handle time (long pauses, excessive wrap time) while maintaining conversation quality. See the analytics dashboard feature page for AHT tracking and the AI coaching feature page for handle time optimization.