What customer service metric is commonly used to assess efficiency?

Average handle time (AHT) is a key customer service metric that measures the average duration of a customer interaction, including both the time spent talking with the representative and any additional time required for processing the request. This metric is critical for assessing efficiency because it reflects how quickly customer service representatives can resolve issues while still providing quality service. AHT helps organizations identify areas for improvement in their service processes and is closely linked to operational productivity.

On the other hand, while customer satisfaction score provides insights on how customers feel about their service experience, it does not directly measure the efficiency of the service interaction. Average hold time indicates the duration customers wait to be served, which can impact customer satisfaction but does not reflect the efficiency of resolution efforts. First contact resolution rate evaluates how often issues are resolved in a single interaction, which is an important aspect of service effectiveness but not a direct measure of efficiency like AHT is.