Customers Want AHT - CRMAdvocate: 5/24/2012

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My Take: Customers Want AHT
Gary Lemke, Chief Customer Advocate (May 24, 2012)

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Would customer satisfaction improve if your contact center improved your Average Handling Time (AHT)? The answer is 'yes' if it means the customer feels closure faster. The answer is 'no' if the experiences feels like "beat the clock."

In general terms, people remember what was done longer than they remember when it was done. But they still cherish expediency.

It turns out most customers are very, very interested in your AHT. They want you to reduce the time it takes to handle their requests. They don't want to wait. They want to move on. If asked if they want their contact center agents to be measured on AHT, most would respond affirmatively . Customers have high hopes that your AHTs are getting better.

Your customers may be your biggest AHT advocates . . . but only to the extent that the outcome does not suffer. Done correctly, improvements in AHT should drive improvements in customer satisfaction.

The two metrics should work in concert, not conflict.

What's your take?

Gary Lemke

Other CRMAdvocate "Takes"

05.23.12 The Average of Averages 05.22.12 Abandoning AHT Practices 05.21.12 Abandon AHT? 05.17.12 At the Speed of the Customer 05.15.12 Delightful CRM 05.14.12 Quality of Experience 05.10.12 Not So Sleek CRM 05.09.12 Sleek CRM more "takes"

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