Calculating average speed of answer using industry standards

Calculating average speed of answer using industry standards

What do most call centers use as a standard for average speed of answer (ASA)? 20 seconds? 10?

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There are no call center standards for average speed of answer (ASA), or for other performance targets. You need to set targets based on many factors about your business – goals, the products/services you offer and support, the call center role, budgets, staffing levels, caller tolerance for delays, competition, alternative channels, etc. Keep in mind that a ring cycle is about six seconds, so 10 or 20 seconds is pretty fast. And also keep in mind that you may want to look at service level rather than ASA as a better indicator of caller experience.

This was first published in November 2006