ASA (Average Speed of Answer) — expert guide for customer service leaders

What ASA is and how to calculate it

ASA (Average Speed of Answer) is the industry-standard contact center KPI that measures the mean time inbound contacts wait in queue before being answered by an agent. The mathematical definition is straightforward: ASA = (Sum of all wait times for answered calls) / (Number of answered calls). Wait time is measured from the moment the call joins the queue to the moment the agent answers (not including talk or wrap time).

Example: over one hour a queue had 120 answered calls with total cumulative wait time of 18,000 seconds. ASA = 18,000 / 120 = 150 seconds (2 minutes 30 seconds). When you calculate ASA for SLAs use the same clocking method (seconds resolution), specify whether calls answered by IVR self-service are excluded, and always report the measurement window (hourly, daily, monthly).

Benchmarks, targets and common service-level conventions

Typical contact centers set ASA targets according to industry and value of the contact: high-value financial services and premium retail often target 10–20 seconds; general retail and telecommunications aim for 20–30 seconds; public sector and utilities sometimes accept 30–60 seconds where call volumes are lower priority. A widely used complementary metric is Service Level (e.g., 80/20 = 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds).

Operational leaders should define targets by channel and customer segment. For example: VIP support—ASA ≤15s and 90/15 service level; general inbound—ASA ≤30s and 80/30; complaint lines—ASA ≤45s with escalation rules. Using segmented ASA targets reduces misinterpretation that a single average covers all customer journeys.

Business impact: why ASA matters

ASA directly affects abandonment, first-contact resolution, and perceived service quality. As a rule of thumb observed across many centers: as ASA increases, abandonment and repeat-callbacks increase non-linearly. Operationally, every 10–20 second improvement in ASA can reduce abandonment materially, protect revenue from lost sales, and improve NPS. This is why ASA is often tied to revenue KPIs in e-commerce and subscription businesses.

Long waits also drive cost: abandoned calls still consume IVR and trunk resources and create outbound recovery work. When you quantify ASA improvements, include downstream costs avoided (repeat work, refunds, expedited shipping) so leadership sees the ROI. Example ROI calculation: reducing ASA from 60s to 30s on a 100-seat queue with 8,000 monthly calls might lower abandons by 6% and save several thousand agent-hours annually—convert that to FTE costs to justify investments.

Operational levers to improve ASA

Improving ASA is a mix of workforce planning, process design and queue engineering. Core tactics include accurate forecasting (15–30% better forecasts reduce understaffing), adherence and shrinkage controls (target agent occupancy levels of 75–85% to balance service and burnout), and schedule optimization (intra-day breaks and part-time hires to cover peaks).

Routing and automation reduce pressure on live agents: skills-based routing, VIP bypass queues, and digital deflection (chatbots and web self-service) lower live-call volumes. Implement callback-from-queue to convert hold time into scheduled callbacks—this preserves customer experience while keeping ASA metrics acceptable when peaks occur.

• Top operational actions (high-impact): accurate 14–28 day forecasting with Erlang-C/Erlang-A models; intraday management with 15-minute adherence tracking; implement callback for calls > threshold (e.g., >30s); deploy overflow routing to outsource or blended cross-team lines during scheduled peaks.
• Quick wins: reduce IVR menu depth to 3 steps for top-contact reasons; standardize wrap-up codes to speed post-call processing; institute after-call short training bursts that shave average handle time by 5–10%.

Technology, vendors and cost considerations

Modern CCaaS platforms deliver the tools you need to manage ASA: automatic call distribution (ACD), real-time dashboards, workforce management (WFM), intelligent IVR, and callback features. Leading vendors include Genesys (www.genesys.com), NICE/Nice inContact (www.nice.com), Five9 (www.five9.com), Talkdesk (www.talkdesk.com) and RingCentral (www.ringcentral.com). These providers publish case studies showing ASA improvements of 20–50% after cloud migration and orchestration improvements.

Cost structures vary: entry/basic cloud contact center seats commonly start in the $50–$100 per agent/month range for voice-only packages; enterprise bundles with omnichannel routing, WFM, and analytics typically range $120–$250 per agent/month, and professional services for migration run from $10k to $200k depending on complexity. When comparing vendors, insist on SLA language around ASA-related reporting, data retention, API availability for custom dashboards, and failover/routing during outages.

Monitoring, reporting and an SLA template

Measure ASA continuously: real-time dashboards (15–60 second refresh), intraday alerts when ASA exceeds threshold, and daily/monthly trend reports with median and percentile (P50, P80, P95) values—not just the arithmetic mean. Report both ASA and service level (e.g., 80/20) and include abandonment and occupancy rates so ASA is interpreted in context.

• Sample SLA clauses (concise, actionable): Service Level = 80/20 measured monthly; ASA target = ≤20 seconds (monthly average); Reporting cadence = daily real-time dashboards plus monthly consolidated report; Credits = 2% monthly invoice credit for each 5 percentage points the Service Level misses beyond a single allowable miss; Exclusions = force majeure, scheduled maintenance announced ≥72 hours, and customer-driven configuration changes.

What is the phone number for ASA aviation?

Product support is available by calling 425-235-1500 or emailing [email protected]. ASA materials are used and sold by schools and retail locations worldwide. For information about the location nearest you visit asa2fly.com. Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.

What does asa mean in customer service?

average speed of answer
In a contact center or call center, supervisors monitor and track the average speed of answer (or ASA) to determine the amount of time required for the call center to answer a customer call or message. This metric includes hold time and queue time, but does not include IVR or call routing time.

How to reduce ASA in call center?

Using workforce management technologies, your company can reduce idle time during slower hours. This avoids understaffing during busy periods by appropriately forecasting call volumes and scheduling staffing. This helps lower ASA by ensuring enough agents are on hand to handle incoming calls effectively.

Does American Airlines have 24 hour customer service?

Worldwide phone numbers

Language	Phone	Hours (CT)
English	800-433-7300	24 hours
Spanish	800-633-3711	24 hours
French	800-756-8613	7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Portuguese	866-824-8717	6 a.m. – 7 p.m.

What is the meaning of asa?

An AI Overview is not available for this searchCan’t generate an AI overview right now. Try again later.AI Overview The name Asa has multiple origins and meanings. In Hebrew, it means “healer” or “doctor,” and it’s the name of a biblical king of Judah. In Norse, Åsa (with the accent mark) means “god”. It can also mean “morning” in Japanese. Additionally, ASA can be an abbreviation for the Advertising Standards Authority, a UK organization that regulates advertising.  Here’s a more detailed breakdown: 1. Hebrew Origin:

• Asa is a Hebrew name derived from the word “asa,” meaning “healer” or “doctor”. 
• It’s the name of King Asa of Judah, known for his efforts to reform religious practices and for his military victories. 

2. Norse Origin:

• Åsa (with the accent mark) is a Scandinavian name, primarily used as a feminine name, meaning “god”. 

3. Japanese Origin:

• Asa can also mean “morning” in Japanese. 

4. Other Meanings:

• In Igbo (a Nigerian language), Asa can mean “beautiful” or “graceful” when referring to a woman. 
• In Sanskrit, Asa can mean “hope”. 

5. ASA as an abbreviation:

• Advertising Standards Authority (ASA): . Opens in new tabThe ASA is a UK organization that ensures advertisements are truthful and socially responsible, according to the Cambridge Dictionary. 
• Acoustical Society of America: . Opens in new tabASA can also refer to the Acoustical Society of America, a professional organization. 
• American Standards Association: . Opens in new tabThis was the former name of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). 
• American Society of Anesthesiologists: . Opens in new tabASA is also the abbreviation for the American Society of Anesthesiologists, which uses a physical status classification system for surgical patients. 

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn moreAsa – Baby Name Meaning, Origin and PopularityThe BumpAsa (given name) – WikipediaAsa (אסא): derived from the Hebrew language, as the name appears in the Old Testament to designate the third King of Judah, who re…Wikipedia(function(){
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