AHT includes the time spent reading the ticket, researching solutions, composing replies, coordinating with other teams, and updating ticket fields. It does not include time the ticket spends On Hold waiting for customer input, as that is not active agent work.
Lower AHT generally indicates more efficient agents. However, AHT must be read alongside CSAT and reopen rate. An agent with very low AHT but high reopen rate may be closing tickets too quickly without resolving the root issue.
AHT combined with ticket volume gives managers the total agent-hours required to handle incoming demand. If AHT is 12 minutes and 500 tickets arrive per day, the team needs 100 agent-hours per day. This calculation supports staffing and scheduling decisions.
Average Handle Time (AHT) is the average total time an agent spends actively working on a ticket from creation to closure. It measures agent efficiency and helps calculate the agent capacity needed to handle incoming ticket volume.
AHT can be reduced by implementing Reply Assistant for faster responses, creating macros for common scenarios, improving knowledge base articles for quick reference, and using Blueprint to guide agents through efficient resolution processes.
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