Longest Call Hold Metric

Overview

Putting callers on hold is never ideal, but it is sometimes a necessity during high-traffic periods. The Longest Call Hold metric measures the maximum amount of time a single caller waited on hold before an agent connected with them. Tracking this KPI helps call centre managers identify bottlenecks, assess staffing adequacy, and understand the customer experience during peak demand.

Long hold times frustrate customers, increase abandonment rates, and damage satisfaction scores. By monitoring longest call hold alongside related metrics like average speed of answer and service level, you can pinpoint when your team needs additional support and take action to reduce wait times.

Why longest call hold matters

Customer experience: Callers who wait too long may hang up before reaching an agent, resulting in lost sales, unresolved issues, and negative feedback.

Operational insight: Longest call hold reveals your worst-case scenario during busy periods. If your longest hold exceeds your target by a wide margin, it signals understaffing, inefficient call routing, or unexpected demand spikes.

Performance benchmarking: This metric helps you set realistic service level agreements (SLAs) and compare your call centre's performance against industry standards.

Agent morale: When hold times spike, agents feel pressure to rush callers off the line, which can reduce call quality and increase first-contact resolution failures.

How to calculate longest call hold

Formula:
Maximum hold time across all calls in a reporting period

Example:
If your call centre receives 500 calls in a week and the longest hold time is 8 minutes and 45 seconds, your longest call hold for that week is 8 minutes 45 seconds.

Data sources:
Most modern phone systems and call centre software (such as Avaya, Genesys, Five9, or NICE) automatically track hold times and can export this data for analysis. You can also pull this metric from your customer relationship management (CRM) system or call recording platform.

Longest call hold targets and benchmarks

Industry benchmarks vary by sector, but most call centres aim to keep longest call hold under 3–5 minutes. For high-volume operations (e.g., customer support, tech support), targets may be tighter:

• Best-in-class: Under 2 minutes
• Good performance: 2–4 minutes
• Acceptable: 4–6 minutes
• At-risk: Over 6 minutes

Your specific target depends on your industry, customer expectations, and business model. A luxury concierge service may tolerate longer holds than a quick-resolution help desk.

How to reduce longest call hold

Increase staffing during peak hours: Analyse call volume patterns and schedule more agents when demand peaks. Use workforce management software to forecast demand and adjust schedules accordingly.

Implement call queuing and routing: Modern phone systems can route calls intelligently to the next available agent or to a specialist who can resolve the issue faster. This reduces unnecessary transfers and hold times.

Offer callback options: Let customers opt for a callback at a scheduled time instead of waiting on hold. This improves satisfaction without requiring additional staffing.

Improve first-contact resolution: Train agents to resolve issues on the first call, reducing the need for transfers and follow-up calls that lengthen overall hold times.

Monitor and adjust in real time: Use dashboards to track longest call hold throughout the day. If hold times spike, alert supervisors to add staff or adjust call routing immediately.

Reduce after-call work: Streamline post-call documentation and follow-up tasks so agents return to the queue faster.

Reporting frequency

Most call centres track longest call hold weekly or daily to catch trends early. High-volume operations may review this metric hourly during peak periods to respond quickly to bottlenecks.

Related call centre metrics

To get a complete picture of call centre performance, monitor longest call hold alongside these related KPIs:

• Average Speed of Answer (ASA): The average time callers wait before an agent answers.
• Service Level: The percentage of calls answered within a target time (e.g., 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds).
• Abandoned Call Rate: The percentage of calls disconnected before reaching an agent.
• Average Handle Time (AHT): The average duration of a call, including hold time and after-call work.
• First Contact Resolution (FCR): The percentage of calls resolved during the initial contact.
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Post-call surveys measuring customer satisfaction with the interaction.