What is Hold Time?
Hold time is the period during which a customer is placed on hold by an agent during a call. This could be due to various reasons, such as retrieving customer information, verifying details, or checking on order statuses.
Why is Hold Time Important in a Call Center?
Hold time is a critical metric in call centers as it provides insights into both customer service response time and agent efficiency.
Understanding Customer Satisfaction:
Long average hold time can lead to customer frustration. Imagine waiting over two minutes for an agent to find the details of your order—annoying, right? Shorter hold times generally mean higher levels of customer satisfaction and better overall service quality.
Assessing Agent Performance:
Short hold times can also indicate efficient agents. By tracking average hold time, call centers can identify agents who are resolving queries quickly versus those who might need additional training. Lower hold times often translate to more effective customer service.
How to Calculate Average Hold Time:
The average hold time is calculated by dividing the total hold time by the number of calls where customers were placed on hold. The average hold time formula is:
Average Hold Time=Total Hold Time/Number of Calls on Hold
By using the average hold time formula, call centers can identify which agents may need additional training to reduce their average hold time and improve the customer service response time.
That’s all you need to know about hold time! Keep those waits short, and your customers happy!