26 terms you'll hear on the floor. Formulas show how a metric is usually calculated. Your employer may define it differently, and targets are set by each center.
Metrics
Average Handle Time (AHT)
The average time one contact takes from start to finish, usually talk time plus hold time plus after-call work.
How it is usually calculated: (Total talk + total hold + total after-call work) ÷ number of contacts handled. Usually shown in seconds or minutes:seconds.
On a shift: You handled 40 calls today with 4 hours 40 minutes of talk, hold and wrap combined. That's 16,800 seconds ÷ 40 = 420 seconds, or 7:00 AHT.
Ask your supervisor: "Which parts of AHT does our team count, and is quality weighed alongside it?"
Metrics
After-Call Work (ACW)
Time spent finishing a contact after the customer hangs up: notes, dispositions, follow-up tasks.
How it is usually calculated: Often reported as average ACW = total ACW time ÷ contacts handled.
On a shift: You spend 45 seconds writing notes and choosing a wrap code before taking the next call.
Related: AHT, Wrap code, Occupancy.
Metrics
First Contact Resolution (FCR)
The share of customer issues solved on the first contact, without the customer needing to reach out again.
How it is usually calculated: Resolved on first contact ÷ total contacts × 100. How "resolved" is measured (survey, repeat-call window, agent code) varies by employer.
On a shift: A customer calls about a double charge. You fix it and explain what they'll see on the next statement, so they don't call back.
Ask: "How does our center decide a call was resolved, and over what time window?"
Metrics
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
A score from a short survey asking customers how satisfied they were with a contact.
How it is usually calculated: Commonly: satisfied responses (for example top two boxes) ÷ total responses × 100. Scales and cutoffs vary.
On a shift: A customer rates the call 5 out of 5 and writes "very patient."
Related: NPS, Quality score.
Metrics
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
A measure of how likely customers are to recommend the company, based on a 0–10 question.
How it is usually calculated: % promoters (9–10) minus % detractors (0–6). Result ranges from −100 to +100. It is a score, not a percentage.
On a shift: Out of 100 survey responses, 50 are promoters and 20 are detractors: NPS = 50 − 20 = +30.
Ask: "Is NPS tied to my individual calls or to the company overall?"
Metrics
Service Level
The share of contacts answered within a target time, often written as a pair like "80/20."
How it is usually calculated: Contacts answered within the threshold ÷ contacts offered × 100. Whether abandoned calls count differs by employer.
On a shift: "80/20" means the goal is to answer 80% of calls within 20 seconds. Targets are set by each center.
Related: ASA, Abandon rate, Staffing.
Metrics
Average Speed of Answer (ASA)
The average time a customer waits in queue before an agent answers.
How it is usually calculated: Total queue wait time for answered contacts ÷ number of answered contacts.
On a shift: The wallboard shows ASA 1:15, so callers are waiting over a minute on average. Expect more frustrated openers.
Related: Service level, Queue.
Metrics
Abandon Rate
The share of callers who hang up while waiting, before reaching an agent.
How it is usually calculated: Abandoned contacts ÷ contacts offered × 100. Many centers exclude very short abandons (for example under 5 seconds); rules vary.
On a shift: During a storm outage, abandon rate jumps because hold times get long.
Related: ASA, Service level.
Metrics
Quality Score (QA)
A score from reviewing recorded or live contacts against a checklist or scorecard.
How it is usually calculated: Points earned ÷ points possible × 100, sometimes with auto-fail items. Scorecards are employer-specific.
On a shift: A reviewer scores your call 92%: great empathy, but you missed the required verification step.
Ask: "Can I see the scorecard and listen to a scored call with you?"
Scheduling
Adherence
How closely you follow your scheduled activities (on the phone, break, lunch, training) at the right times.
How it is usually calculated: Time in scheduled state ÷ scheduled time × 100. Some centers allow a small grace window.
On a shift: Your lunch is 12:00–12:30. Going at 12:10 can lower adherence, even if you take the same 30 minutes.
Related: Conformance, WFM. Ask: "Who do I message if a call runs into my break?"
Scheduling
Conformance
Whether you worked the total amount of time scheduled, regardless of exactly when.
How it is usually calculated: Time actually worked ÷ time scheduled × 100.
On a shift: You took lunch late but still worked your full 8-hour schedule, so conformance is 100% while adherence dipped.
Related: Adherence.
Scheduling
Occupancy
The share of your logged-in, available time spent actually handling contacts versus waiting for the next one.
How it is usually calculated: (Handle time) ÷ (handle time + available idle time) × 100.
On a shift: On a busy Monday calls come back-to-back with almost no wait, so occupancy is very high.
Ask: "What does a sustainable occupancy look like for our team?"
Scheduling
Shrinkage
Paid time when agents are not available for contacts: breaks, training, meetings, coaching, time off.
How it is usually calculated: Shrinkage hours ÷ total paid hours × 100.
On a shift: A team huddle and a 1:1 coaching session both count toward shrinkage, which is why WFM plans for them.
Related: WFM, Staffing.
Scheduling
Workforce Management (WFM)
The team or software that forecasts contact volume and builds schedules to match it.
On a shift: WFM moves your break 15 minutes later because a volume spike is forecast at 2 p.m.
Ask: "How do I request a shift swap or voluntary time off here?"
Scheduling
Aux / Not-Ready State
A phone status showing you're logged in but not taking contacts, often with a reason code (break, training, follow-up).
On a shift: You switch to "Follow-up" aux for 3 minutes to finish a callback your supervisor approved.
Ask: "Which aux codes am I allowed to use, and when?"
Tools
ACD (Automatic Call Distributor)
The phone system that routes incoming calls to available agents, often by skill or queue.
On a shift: The ACD sends billing calls to you because you're trained on the billing skill.
Related: Skill-based routing, IVR.
Tools
IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
The automated menu callers hear ("Press 1 for billing") before reaching an agent.
On a shift: A caller says they pressed 2 three times and got stuck. That's useful IVR feedback to pass along.
Ask: "Where do I report IVR problems customers mention?"
Tools
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
The system that stores customer records, history and notes.
On a shift: Before greeting a caller, you glance at the CRM and see they called yesterday about the same order.
Related: Wrap code, ACW.
Tools
Wrap Code / Disposition
A code you pick at the end of a contact describing what it was about or how it ended.
On a shift: You select "Billing – Refund issued" so reports show why customers are calling.
Ask: "Which wrap codes matter most for reporting here?"
Tools
Knowledge Base (KB)
The searchable library of approved answers, procedures and policies.
On a shift: A caller asks about a rare return case. You search the KB instead of guessing.
Ask: "How do I flag a KB article that's out of date?"
Coaching
Calibration
A session where supervisors and QA reviewers score the same contact to agree on how the scorecard is applied.
On a shift: Three reviewers score one call 80%, 88% and 95%, then talk it through so scoring is consistent.
Ask: "Can agents sit in on a calibration session?"
Coaching
Side-by-Side
A coaching session where a coach sits with an agent (in person or virtually) during live contacts.
On a shift: Your team lead joins your calls for 30 minutes and shares one thing to keep doing and one to try.
Related: Coaching, QA.
Coaching
Escalation
Passing a contact to a supervisor, specialist or another team when it's outside your authority or skill.
On a shift: A customer asks for a credit above your limit, so you follow the escalation steps for a supervisor callback.
Ask: "What can I approve on my own, and what must I escalate?"
Careers
Nesting
The period after classroom training when new agents take live contacts with extra support and relaxed targets.
On a shift: In nesting week two, a coach is on the floor to answer questions while you take real calls.
Ask: "How long is nesting, and how will I know I'm ready to leave it?"
Careers
Team Lead / Supervisor
The first leadership role, usually responsible for coaching, schedules and results for a group of agents. Titles vary by employer.
On a shift: A strong agent who helps peers often gets asked to cover as a lead when the supervisor is out.
Ask: "What skills do you look for in agents who want to move into a lead role?"
Careers
Workforce Analyst / Real-Time Analyst
Roles that forecast volume, build schedules or watch queues during the day to move people where they're needed.
On a shift: The real-time analyst messages the team to stay on the phones because a queue is backing up.
Related: WFM, Service level. A common next step for agents who like numbers.
