Average Wait Time (AWT), also known as Average Speed of Answer (ASA), refers to the duration an inbound caller spends in queue.
This metric differs from Average Handle Time (AHT), which calculates the average length it takes an agent to complete a call or customer interaction. Call centers can observe this metric with varying degrees of granularity, across ring groups, phone numbers or agents.
The industry standard AWT is 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds.
Customers increasingly expect real-time service and instantaneous access to a call center agent. Reducing the time callers spend waiting to interact with your agents can lower your call abandonment rate and improve overall customer satisfaction.