CX & Support Metrics

Average Speed of Answer (ASA)

Definition

Average speed of answer (ASA) is the average time a customer waits in the queue before their contact is answered by an agent, measured from entering the queue to connection.

Also known as: ASAaverage wait timeaverage answer time

How to calculate it

The formula is: total wait time for answered contacts ÷ number of answered contacts. If 500 answered calls waited a combined 10,000 seconds, ASA is 20 seconds.

ASA typically counts only answered contacts and excludes time in an IVR or pre-queue menu, measuring the actual queue wait. It's the average behind a service level target — service level tells you the share answered within a threshold, ASA tells you the mean wait overall.

Why it matters

ASA is a core responsiveness and staffing metric. Rising ASA drives up abandonment and drags down satisfaction, because customers judge support heavily on how long they waited. Staffing to demand, offering callbacks, and deflecting routine contacts to automation are the standard levers to bring it down.

Frequently asked

What is a good average speed of answer?

It depends on channel and expectations, but many voice teams target well under 30 seconds. Chat and messaging tolerate slightly longer, while the trend matters as much as the absolute figure.

What is the difference between ASA and service level?

ASA is the average wait across all answered contacts; service level is the percentage answered within a fixed time threshold. A low ASA can still hide some very long waits, which service level exposes.

Related terms

Service Level

Service level is the percentage of contacts answered within a defined target time, most often expressed as an "X/Y" goal — for example, answering 80% of calls or chats within 20 seconds..

Wait Time

Wait time is how long a customer waits before their contact is answered by an agent — the time spent in a queue, on hold, or waiting for a reply after reaching out..

Abandonment Rate

Abandonment rate is the percentage of customers who leave a support queue — hanging up a call or closing a chat — before ever reaching an agent..

First Response Time (FRT)

First Response Time (FRT) is the average time between when a customer submits a support request and when they receive the first human or meaningful reply..

Handle Time

Handle time is the total time an agent spends handling a single customer contact, including the active conversation plus any after-contact work like notes, tagging, or follow-up..

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