AHT stands for Average Handle Time, which is a metric used in contact centers to measure the average duration of one transaction. It is calculated by dividing the total amount of time spent on calls by the number of calls handled during a particular period. AHT includes talk time, hold time, and any other related tasks during the conversation. AHT is a key factor when choosing contact center staffing tiers, and it is used in several ways by call center leaders and staff. Typically, lower AHT indicates that the call center is being more efficient with its agents because the lower the AHT, the more calls each agent can handle. However, managing to AHT should be done prudently, as driving down AHT could have a negative impact on the customer experience as agents feel compelled to rush callers through the interaction. AHT is a critical customer service metric for support teams to track, and it can tell how efficiently and effectively customer services operations are running.