How to Improve Average Speed of Answer (ASA) in Your Contact Center

Average Speed of Answer (ASA) is one of the most important metrics in any contact center. It reflects how quickly agents respond to incoming calls and directly impacts customer satisfaction. Long wait times frustrate customers, increase abandonment rates, and put pressure on agents. Conversely, reducing ASA improves efficiency, strengthens customer experience, and increases overall contact center performance.

Improving ASA requires more than adding staff. It involves balancing technology, workforce management, training, and process optimization. By addressing each of these areas, contact centers can deliver faster responses and ensure customers feel valued.

Quick Takeaways

• Lowering ASA improves customer satisfaction and reduces call abandonment.
• Workforce management strategies align staffing with call demand.
• Technology and automation reduce delays and optimize routing.
• Training and real-time monitoring create consistent performance. 

Why ASA Matters in Contact Centers

ASA reflects how efficiently a contact center serves its customers. A lower ASA shows customers that their time is respected, while a higher ASA signals inefficiencies that may damage the brand experience.

Poor ASA often leads to higher call abandonment, longer handling times, and increased agent stress. This cycle creates both operational and reputational challenges. By focusing on ASA improvement, organizations strengthen loyalty, reduce churn, and build a contact center that contributes directly to business success.

Common Causes of High ASA

Several factors contribute to longer wait times in contact centers. Identifying these root causes is the first step in reducing ASA.

Typical causes include:

• Insufficient staffing: Not enough agents to handle peak call volumes.
• Inefficient call routing: Calls directed to the wrong agents, increasing transfer rates.
• High call complexity: Agents spending too much time resolving each case.
• Outdated technology: Legacy systems that slow down routing and data access.

By diagnosing which of these apply, managers can implement targeted solutions rather than broad, costly changes.

Workforce Management Strategies

Effective workforce management reduces ASA by aligning staffing levels with real demand.

Forecasting and Scheduling

Accurate forecasting uses historical data to predict call volumes and patterns. By analyzing trends from previous weeks, months, or even seasonal cycles, managers can anticipate when demand will peak. 

Scheduling tools then ensure the right number of agents are available during these busy periods while avoiding unnecessary overstaffing during slower times. This balance helps maintain consistent ASA without driving up labor costs.

Flexible Staffing Models

Part-time staff, remote agents, or on-call teams provide flexibility during unexpected surges. Having a pool of trained agents available for overflow ensures customers are not left waiting during promotions, product launches, or seasonal spikes. 

Flexible staffing also reduces agent burnout by distributing workload more evenly across the team. Dealerships and contact centers alike benefit from a structure that adapts to changing needs.

Real-Time Adjustments

Monitoring live call queues allows supervisors to shift resources instantly when ASA begins to rise. Whether rerouting calls to available agents, extending shifts, or temporarily adjusting breaks, small adjustments can have an immediate impact. 

This level of agility keeps wait times under control and demonstrates a proactive approach to customer service. Over time, consistent real-time management reduces stress on both agents and customers.

Leveraging Technology to Reduce ASA

Technology plays a critical role in improving ASA. Modern platforms give customers faster access to the right resources and free agents from unnecessary delays.

Examples of technology that supports ASA contact center performance include:

• Automatic Call Distribution (ACD): Routes calls based on skills, availability, or priority.
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Provides self-service options, resolving routine inquiries before reaching agents.
• AI-Powered Routing: Uses predictive data to match calls with the most suitable agent.
• Workforce Optimization Tools: Integrate forecasting, scheduling, and analytics to streamline operations.

Investing in these systems not only lowers ASA but also improves customer experience by ensuring callers reach the right agent faster.

Agent Training and Development

Agents have a direct influence on ASA. Well-trained agents resolve issues faster, minimizing call duration and freeing time for new calls.

Key training areas include:

• Product knowledge: Ensures agents can answer questions accurately and efficiently.
• Soft skills: Builds confidence in communication, reducing hesitation or errors.
• System navigation: Familiarity with contact center tools eliminates delays in retrieving information.

Ongoing development, such as refresher courses or scenario-based training, keeps skills sharp. Agents who feel supported and confident maintain consistent performance, directly improving ASA.

Real-Time Monitoring and Analytics

Improvement requires constant visibility into performance. Real-time dashboards provide managers with insight into call volumes, agent availability, and queue lengths.

Live Dashboards

Supervisors can track ASA in real time and intervene quickly when wait times rise. Dashboards display active call volumes, queue lengths, and agent availability, giving managers the visibility needed to shift resources instantly. 

With clear, actionable data, teams can prevent backlogs before they become major issues and maintain steady service levels throughout the day.

Performance Alerts

Automated alerts notify managers of issues before they escalate, enabling immediate corrective action. For example, a sudden spike in wait times can trigger an alert that prompts a staffing adjustment or escalates calls to backup teams. 

These alerts help managers stay proactive, rather than reactive, in maintaining low ASA and consistent customer experiences.

Analytics for Long-Term Improvement

Historical analysis highlights patterns in ASA across different times, teams, or campaigns. By examining these trends, leaders can pinpoint recurring issues such as underperformance during peak hours or inefficiencies with specific call types. 

With these insights, managers can adjust staffing, refine training programs, and invest in better technology to create sustainable improvements. Over time, analytics provide the evidence needed to justify strategic changes that strengthen the entire contact center operation.

Balancing ASA with Other Metrics

While ASA is critical, focusing on it in isolation can lead to unintended consequences. For example, pushing agents to answer faster without considering call quality may result in poor customer experiences.

Contact centers should balance ASA with metrics such as:

• First Call Resolution (FCR).
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT).
• Average Handle Time (AHT).

This balanced approach ensures that reducing ASA contributes to overall service quality rather than undermining it.

Improve ASA with Intermedia

ASA is a reflection of how efficiently and effectively a contact center operates. By applying workforce management strategies, leveraging technology, training agents, and monitoring performance in real time, organizations can significantly reduce ASA and deliver better customer experiences.

Improving ASA in contact centers requires a thoughtful mix of people, process, and technology. With Intermedia’s secure, integrated communication solutions, you can streamline operations, empower agents, and ensure customers receive timely support. 

Ready to reduce ASA in your contact center? 

Explore how Intermedia can help you achieve measurable improvements today. Request a demo today.

Rob Oscanyan

Robert Oscanyan is a Senior Director of Product Marketing at Intermedia, where he focuses on helping businesses improve their customer experience using Intermedia's award-winning cloud communications solutions. Rob has over a decade of experience spanning market research, messaging, and elevating the voice of the customer. In his free time, he constantly creating new adventures with his wife, seven kids, and a small army of pets.