Average Speed of Answer (ASA) Defined

Hold music is the sound of a contact center falling behind. Average speed of answer puts a number on how long customers listen to it, and it is one of the first metrics contact center leaders check each morning.

What is average speed of answer?

Average speed of answer is the mean time answered calls spend waiting in queue before a live agent picks up. The clock usually starts when the call enters the queue, after any IVR menu, and stops when an agent answers.

ASA = total wait time for answered calls ÷ number of answered calls

If 500 calls are answered in an hour with a combined wait time of 25,000 seconds, the ASA is 50 seconds.

Two details affect how ASA is reported:

• Abandoned calls are excluded: ASA only counts calls that were answered. Callers who gave up are tracked separately in call abandonment rate.
• IVR time is usually excluded: time spent in the menu is not queue time, although some teams report it separately because callers experience it as waiting.

ASA applies to live chat and messaging too, measured as the wait before an agent joins the conversation.

Why ASA matters

• It is what customers feel first: before anyone helps them, callers experience the wait
• It predicts abandonment: as ASA rises, more callers hang up, and the calls that are answered start with a frustrated customer
• It reveals staffing gaps: a rising ASA at certain times of day shows where schedules do not match demand
• It affects handle time: customers who waited longer often spend part of the call expressing frustration, which lengthens average handle time

ASA and service level

ASA is closely related to service level, the percentage of calls answered within a target time. A common target is 80/20: 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds. The two metrics tell different stories:

Tracking both, along with the longest wait, gives a clearer picture than either alone.

How to improve ASA

1. Forecast accurately: plan staffing by 15- or 30-minute interval using historical volume. This is the core of workforce optimization.
2. Schedule to demand: shift breaks and training away from peak periods.
3. Route intelligently: send calls to available agents with the right skills instead of waiting for a specific team.
4. Offer callbacks: let callers keep their place without staying on hold; this reduces abandonment and smooths peaks.
5. Automate common requests: calls resolved by self-service or an AI agent never enter the queue, which shortens the wait for everyone else.
6. Reduce avoidable calls: proactive updates about outages or delays prevent spikes.

For example, a utility company sees ASA jump from 40 seconds to 6 minutes every time there is a power outage. By sending outage alerts by SMS and letting an AI agent answer "when will my power be back?" calls, it keeps the queue for customers who need an agent.

How Fin affects ASA

Fin Voice answers calls immediately, with no queue, and resolves many requests during the call. Because those calls never wait for an agent, fewer calls reach the human queue, and the customers who do need a person reach one faster. When Fin transfers a call, the agent receives the call's context so the conversation picks up where Fin left off.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good average speed of answer?

Many contact centers target under 30 seconds for phone. The right target depends on the industry, the call type, and what customers expect, so compare against your own trend and service level goals.

Does ASA include time in the IVR?

Usually not. ASA typically measures time in the agent queue after the caller leaves the IVR, although some teams also track total time to answer.