Call Wait Time vs. Call Answer Time: What’s the Difference?

Call wait time refers to the time a caller waits in the queue before a live agent picks up their call. The time begins once the caller joins the queue for a live agent, not when they first dial the number or interact with the IVR menu.

Here are some examples of how call wait time is calculated:

Example 1: Without IVR

• Callers call the support number.
• The phone rings and goes straight to the queue.
• The customer waits for 60 seconds in the queue before the agent answers.

Call Wait Time = Total time spent waiting in the queue = 60 seconds

Example 2: With IVR

• A customer calls, either interacts verbally or inputs information into the automated menu, and selects options.
• After choosing an option, the caller is placed in a queue with common prompts like
  “Please wait while we connect you to an agent.”
• The time it takes to connect with an agent may depend on the number of agents available, call volume, or priority routing. For example, let's assume it took 60 seconds to connect with a live agent:

Call Wait Time = Total time after the IVR ends until the agent answers = 60 seconds

You will need two key metrics to calculate the average wait time in a call center: the total call wait time and the number of calls handled.

Call wait time is affected by high call volumes, a lack of self-service options, insufficient staffing, and poor call routing.

1. Call Volume: When incoming calls exceed what your team can handle, callers end up waiting longer in the queue.
2. Length of Previous Calls: Generally, if an agent spends more than the average call handling time on an ongoing call, new callers must wait longer in the queue.
3. Workforce Planning: When enough agents are not scheduled for peak hours, queues build up. That’s why it’s essential to predict call volume and adjust agent schedules accordingly.
4. Lack of Self-Service Options: Even for simple inquiries that could be resolved automatically, callers are often forced to wait for a live agent when there are no self-service options.
5. Average Speed of Answer (ASA): When agents are slow to answer calls, fewer agents are available to handle new ones. A lower average speed of answer means a shorter wait time and vice versa.

Call answer time is the duration an agent takes to answer a call from the moment the customer’s call is connected to the system. It measures how quickly an agent picks up after the call is routed.

Generally, a shorter call answer time means customers receive help faster, which in turn decreases call wait time.

For example:

• A customer dials your support number at 10:00:00 AM.
• The phone rings on the agent’s end at 10:00:30 AM.
• The agent answers the call at 10:00:55 AM.

Here, the call answer time is 55 seconds.

You must track the total waiting time for answered calls, as well as total answered calls, to calculate the average answer time in a call center.

Call answer times increase due to agent unavailability, system delays, poor shift planning, and improper training.

1. Agent Availability and Readiness: Even if agents are logged in, they might be busy with after-call work, multitasking, or on short breaks. This makes them temporarily unavailable to answer new calls, causing delays.
2. System Lag or Call Distribution Delay: Sometimes, technical issues like slow call routing or system delays can add precious seconds before the call even rings on an agent’s end.
3. Poor Workforce Scheduling: If you don’t have enough agents to cover a surge in calls, they’ll struggle to keep up, resulting in longer wait times and overall answer times going up..
4. Lack of Training: Agents who aren’t trained efficiently may take longer to resolve customer issues, thereby increasing the average call answer time for others.

Call wait time and call answer time measure different moments in a caller’s journey. Here is how these two metrics differ:

You can improve call wait time and call answer time by using intelligent routing to ensure calls reach the right agent instantly. Similarly, ensure that sufficient staffing is present, train the agents, offer callback options, add self-service features, and monitor real-time dashboards.

IVR gathers caller input and directs them to the right department. Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) then routes the call to the available or best-suited agent. This reduces wait time by minimizing misrouting and improves answer time by quickly sending calls to the next available agent.

Well-trained agents answer calls faster and resolve queries more efficiently. Training reduces hesitation, improves first-call resolution, and enhances responsiveness, thereby directly improving call answer times.

Supervisors can use live dashboards available on the telephony platform to monitor queues and review agent status and performance metrics. If wait or answer times spike, they can reallocate resources or activate backup staff immediately to maintain service levels.

You can allow callers to request a callback instead of waiting on hold. The queue callback option reduces the queue length and decreases the wait time for other callers.

Integrate FAQs, order tracking, or account updates into your IVR. This allows callers to resolve common issues without speaking to an agent, thereby lightening the load and shortening wait times.

Use historical call data to forecast peak times and schedule agents accordingly. Better workforce optimization ensures that enough agents are available to reduce both wait time and answer time.

Call wait time and call answer time may sound similar, but they track two distinct periods within the customer process, and both directly affect the caller's experience.

While call wait time reflects how well your system handles incoming calls and queue management, call answer time reflects how efficiently agents respond once a call is routed. Delays in either can cause frustration, abandoned calls, and lost opportunities.

To keep customers satisfied, you need the right combination of smart call routing, trained agents, real-time insights, and effective workforce planning.