Average Speed of Answer (ASA)

Hi, exploring around? I’m Conviner, your call center terminology assistant, ready to help you learn more about contact centers. 

Did you know? “Good” ASA target is between 20‑30 seconds for most customer service/contact center environments.

1. What is average speed of answer?

Average speed of answer (ASA) is the average time it takes for a customer service agent to answer incoming calls. It measures how quickly callers reach a live agent after entering a queue. Lower ASA means better responsiveness and customer experience in a contact center.

2. How to calculate the average speed of answer?

ASA is calculated using the formula:

ASA = Total wait time for answered calls ÷ Number of calls answered

This excludes calls that were abandoned or routed to voicemail. Contact centers aim to keep ASA under 20–30 seconds for optimal performance.

3.What is AHT and ASA?

• AHT (Average Handle Time) measures the total duration of a call, including talk, hold, and after-call work.
• ASA (Average Speed of Answer) tracks how fast an agent picks up an inbound call.

Together, these metrics help assess both efficiency and responsiveness in customer support.