Average Call Duration (ACD) is a key metric used to assess the efficiency of support teams by measuring the time customers spend on the phone, excluding pre- and post-call tasks. It helps organizations identify opportunities for improvements in service, training, and procedures, though the optimal ACD can vary across industries and support levels. To enhance ACD, representatives should focus on effective communication strategies, thorough questioning, and rapport-building with customers.

1. Average Call Duration
A
verage call duration (ACD) is an easy benchmark to
understand and an insightful metric to track. Whether it’s
tracked for a small group of Level 2 engineers or for a
contact center of several hundred agents, this metric can provide
insight into the efficiency of a support/service team.
ACD tracks the length of time a customer is on
the phone. It’s usually measured in minutes
and is exclusive of any pre-call preparation or
post-call documentation, typically referred
to as“wrap.”By measuring the duration of
the call, organizations hope to find ways in
which to improve the efficiency of the service they provide, thereby
controlling costs and increasing customer satisfaction.
There is no single“optimum”value of ACD
that applies across all industries or across all
the various levels of support within a given
organization. In general, ACD increases with
the level of support personnel engaged. For
this reason, it’s important not to overemphasize
the importance of ACD with higher level support teams. As the
level of support or complexity of the call increases, more emphasis
should be placed on thorough questioning, testing, and confirming
customer satisfaction.
An important use of ACD is measuring the
effectiveness of changes in procedures,
training, and coaching. A baseline measure-
ment taken before training or a procedural
change can be compared to a secondary
measurement taken afterwards. If a reduction
in ACD was both expected and observed, progress can be measured.
If not, the training or procedural change may need to be revisited.
To improve ACD, representatives
should be encouraged to:
Focus on the caller, take notes
and confirm information that is
unclear.
Use an effective questioning
strategy. Present questions in a
logical order to gain an accurate
picture of the customer’s
request.
Build rapport though a pleasant
tone of voice and the use of
positive language. Avoid low-
value questions such as“How
are you doing today?”
Complete customer service
training to learn how to control
the call, including calls with
difficult or upset customers.
Average Call Duration (ACD)
Costofsupport
Average Call Duration (ACD)
Levelofpersonnelengaged
Average Call Duration (ACD)
Improvementfromtraining
orproceduralchange
For more information contact:
Impact Learning Systems International
☎ 800.545.9003
☎ 805.781.3283
info@impactlearning.com
www.impactlearning.com
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