Call centers depend on data. Every manager knows that you cannot improve what you do not measure. The problem is that not every metric matters anymore.
Some of the numbers that looked impressive in reports ten years ago now reveal little about customer satisfaction or agent performance. In fact, they can hold your team back. The best call centers have already stopped tracking them and have shifted to modern metrics that give real insight into customer experience and loyalty.
Here are five outdated call center metrics you should stop tracking immediately, along with better alternatives you can use today.
1. Average Handle Time
Average Handle Time (AHT) was once one of the most common call center KPIs. The idea was simple. Shorter calls meant faster resolutions and lower costs.
However, speed does not always equate to quality. When agents rush to finish calls, customers feel brushed off. Issues get escalated or repeated. Satisfaction drops.
A Harvard Business Review study found that lowering customer effort is more important than lowering call length. People are willing to spend more time on the phone if it means the problem gets solved on the first try.
What to track instead. First Contact Resolution and Customer Effort Score. These indicate whether the problem was resolved and how easily the customer was able to obtain assistance.
2. Calls Per Agent
Many call centers still measure the number of calls each agent handles in a day. At first glance, this appears to be productivity, but it is not.
An agent who races through eighty calls with half unresolved is not more valuable than one who handles forty calls with almost every case closed successfully. High volume can mean poor quality.
Focusing on call counts encourages speed over service. Customers are not calling to be processed. They are calling to be heard.
What to track instead. Quality of conversations. Use AI-powered analysis to measure empathy, listening skills, and the ability to resolve the issue. The number of calls does not matter as much as the outcome of each one.
3. Average Speed of Answer
Average Speed of Answer (ASA) measures the speed at which calls are answered. At the same time, nobody likes long hold times; this number can mislead.
Pressuring agents to answer instantly leads to shallow service. They might pick up quickly, but then place the caller on hold again while they search for information. Customers remember the frustration of poor outcomes more than a few extra seconds of waiting.
What to track instead. Queue Abandonment Rate and Customer Satisfaction. These metrics indicate whether customers are leaving due to long wait times and whether they are satisfied with the service once connected.
4. After Call Work Time
After Call Work (ACW measures how long agents take to log notes and update records once the call ends. Managers often push to shrink this time as much as possible.
Cutting ACW too aggressively leads to sloppy records and missing details. This can negatively impact customer service later when another agent takes the call and lacks context.
The modern solution is automation. AI tools can now transcribe call log data and automatically create summaries. Instead of punishing agents for ACW time, managers should focus on how much work technology can handle for them.
What to track instead. Automation efficiency. Measure the extent to which the post-call process is automated and its impact on productivity.
5. Occupancy Rate
The occupancy rate measures the proportion of time agents spend on calls compared to their idle time. It sounds good on paper, but it often causes more harm than good.
When occupancy is too high, agents burn out. They feel pressured to stay busy without breaks. Service quality suffers, and customer conversations become overly scripted and robotic.
The truth is that motivated agents provide better results than overworked ones. High occupancy does not necessarily equate to high performance.
What to track instead. Agent experience metrics. Surveys, engagement scores, and turnover rates reveal how your team feels. A motivated team delivers stronger results than one that is fully occupied but disengaged.
Why This Shift Matters
Clinging to outdated metrics can make your call center appear busy without actually being effective. Numbers like AHT or occupancy rate are vanity measures. They make spreadsheets look good, but they do not build loyalty or trust.
Smart organizations are focusing on modern outcomes, such as first-call resolution, conversation quality, and agent experience. These are the metrics that drive customer satisfaction and revenue growth.
Companies using platforms such as Bigly Sales are already replacing outdated KPIs with more effective ones. They are scaling call centers while maintaining high quality and keeping agents motivated.
Final Thoughts
Metrics are tools, and tools should guide you toward better outcomes, not distract you with empty numbers.
If you are still focused on average handle time, call volume, or occupancy rate, you are stuck in the past. Today, customers care about ease, empathy, and results. Call centers that measure those things are the ones that stand out.
The decision is yours. You can continue chasing outdated numbers, or you can adapt and build a call center that’s prepared for the future.
FAQs
- Why is Average Handle Time outdated
Because it prioritizes speed over quality, customers prefer calls that actually resolve their issues, even if they take longer to complete.
- What metric is better than call volume per agent
Resolution rates and conversation quality give a far more accurate view of agent performance than raw call counts.
- Is the Average Speed of Answer still useful
It is secondary at best. What matters more is whether customers abandon calls or are satisfied after speaking with an agent.
- How can AI reduce After Call Work
AI tools can automatically transcribe calls, update CRM systems, and create case notes. This shortens ACW without forcing agents to rush.
- Why should agent experience be measured
Because engaged agents deliver better service. Tracking engagement and turnover ensures teams stay motivated and effective.
