Call centre KPIs: how to calculate AHT, FCR and the other metrics, and what to track
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
The core call centre KPIs are the answer rate, average speed of answer (ASA), service level, abandon rate, AHT (average handling time per call), FCR (share solved on the first call) and conversion. A small business can start with five: answer rate, wait time, AHT, FCR and the share of calls that become a request or sale. Don’t chase one metric: force AHT down and FCR drops. Look at each one by week and by hour.
The core KPIs: formula and example
| Metric | What it shows | How to calculate | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer rate | How many calls were answered | Answered ÷ all offered | 950 ÷ 1,000 = 95% |
| ASA (average wait) | How long callers waited | Total seconds waited ÷ answered | 28 seconds |
| Service level | Answered within a target time | Answered within 20 seconds ÷ all offered | 80/20: 80% within 20 seconds |
| Abandon rate | Waited, then hung up | Dropped while waiting ÷ all offered | 50 ÷ 1,000 = 5% |
| AHT | Time spent on one call | (Talk + hold + after-call work) ÷ calls | 3 minutes 40 seconds |
| FCR | Solved on the first call | Solved with no repeat call ÷ all requests | 700 ÷ 900 ≈ 78% |
| Conversion | What calls produce | Requests or sales ÷ answered | 180 ÷ 950 ≈ 19% |
All numbers in the table are only examples. More on service level: service level 80/20.
AHT: what it includes and why not to chase it
AHT has three parts: talk time, hold time and after-call work (logging in the CRM, creating a task). For example, 3 minutes of talk, 20 seconds on hold and 20 seconds of notes: an AHT of 3 minutes 40 seconds.
AHT tells you how many people a shift needs. Make it a target for operators, though, and they rush callers, don’t hear the question out, and the customer calls again. FCR drops and call volume grows. If AHT is long, look for the cause: an awkward knowledge sheet, a slow CRM or too many questions.
FCR: how to measure it
A simple method: if the same number doesn’t call again about the same issue within 3 days, count the request as solved on the first call. Then:
- Log why people call back: the answer was wrong, a manager didn’t call back, the customer didn’t understand.
- Add the three most common reasons to the knowledge sheet or the script.
- Track promised callbacks separately: a broken promise also brings a repeat call.
Which KPIs to start with: a small-business plan
- Record one week as a baseline: all offered, answered and missed calls. Look at missed calls by day and hour.
- Calculate wait time and abandons for peak hours separately: a daily average hides the problem.
- Use AHT to size each shift, not as a target for operators.
- Mark how every call ended: request, sale, question or complaint. Then conversion and FCR become visible.
- Every week, 15 minutes: five numbers, one cause, one change.
How KPIs change with an AI operator
Sado’s AI operator answers in about a second and handles more than ten calls at once: no queue, 0 seconds of waiting. So answer rate, wait time and abandons hold up even at peak hours.
The data for the other KPIs is in the portal: every call’s recording, full transcript, collected answers and bookings. When it doesn’t know an answer, the operator says a manager will call back and creates a task, so you track FCR by whether those tasks get done.
More: AI operator for incoming calls. Cost: Sado pricing, 800 so‘m per talked minute. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
What should AHT be?
There’s no right number for everyone: it depends on the product and the type of call. Track your own AHT for a few weeks and watch how it changes. Comparing with another company’s figure tells you little.
How is FCR different from conversion?
FCR asks whether the request was solved on the first call. Conversion asks whether the call became a request or a sale. FCR matters more in support, conversion in sales.
Where do I get these numbers?
Offered, answered and missed calls, wait and talk time are in your phone system or telecom provider’s report. Requests and sales show up in the CRM, if the outcome of each call is logged.