Glossary
What is average speed of answer (ASA)?
Definition
Average speed of answer (ASA) is the average time it takes for inbound calls to be answered by an agent, measured from when the call enters the queue until it is picked up. It is usually expressed in seconds and is a core metric for phone-based customer service. A lower ASA means callers spend less time waiting before someone helps them.
01How ASA is measured
ASA is calculated by dividing the total wait time of answered calls by the number of answered calls over a given period. The clock generally starts when a call enters the queue—after any greeting or menu—and stops when an agent connects. Because it averages across all calls, ASA can hide outliers, so it is often reviewed alongside longest-wait and percentile figures.
02Why ASA matters
Speed of answer directly shapes the caller experience and correlates with abandonment: as ASA rises, more callers hang up. It is also a common component of service-level goals, which pair a target answer time with a target percentage of calls answered within it. Monitoring ASA helps businesses balance staffing against caller expectations.
03Improving ASA
Reducing ASA usually means matching staffing to call volume, improving routing so calls reach available agents faster, and offloading routine calls to automation. Overflow and after-hours answering—by a service or an AI agent—can keep answer times low during spikes. The aim is to connect callers with help promptly without over-staffing quiet periods.
Frequently asked questions
Is ASA the same as hold time?
They are related but distinct: ASA measures the wait before an agent first answers, while hold time can also include periods a caller is placed on hold during a conversation.
What is a good average speed of answer?
There is no universal number; targets vary by industry and business, but generally the shorter the ASA, the better the caller experience.
See also
Related terms
Ahoya is an AI receptionist that answers every call 24/7.
Start free