Ever wondered how many calls you or your team should be making each hour? Whether you’re in sales, customer support, or running a busy call center, understanding the ideal calls per hour can boost productivity and track performance.
Knowing this number helps you set realistic goals, manage time better, and deliver exceptional service. In this article, we’ll break down how to calculate calls per hour, share practical tips for improvement, and offer insights to help you succeed.
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Understanding Calls Per Hour: What It Means and How to Calculate It
When managing a call center or assessing the productivity of your customer support team, understanding “calls per hour” is essential. This metric doesn’t just measure how many calls an agent or a team handles each hour—it reveals opportunities for improvement, showcases workload balance, and helps to maintain high service quality. Let’s break down what calls per hour really means, how you can calculate it, the benefits and drawbacks of tracking it, and some practical tips for using this metric effectively.
What Is “Calls Per Hour”?
Calls per hour (CPH) is a metric used to evaluate how many phone calls a call center agent or the entire call center handles within one hour. It’s often used as a measure of productivity. A high CPH can suggest efficiency, while a low CPH may signal delays or complex call issues requiring more time.
There are two main perspectives:
– Calls per Hour per Agent: How many calls a single agent handles each hour.
– Calls per Hour for the Center: The total number of calls tackled by all agents in an hour.
How to Calculate Calls Per Hour
Calculating calls per hour is straightforward. Here’s a simple way to do it:
- Count the Total Calls Handled
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Determine the total number of calls an agent (or team) has taken during a given period (typically a work shift or day).
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Measure the Total Hours Worked
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Tally up the total hours worked by the individual agent or the team during that period. Only count active, logged-in hours (time available to take calls), not break or training time.
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Apply the Formula
Calls Per Hour = Total Calls Handled / Total Hours Worked
– Example: If an agent handled 60 calls over a 6-hour shift, that’s:
– 60 calls ÷ 6 hours = 10 calls per hour.
Variations: “True” Calls Per Hour
Some organizations prefer to track “True Calls Per Hour,” which adjusts for breaks, meetings, and other off-phone activities.
– True CPH Formula:
True Calls Per Hour = Total Calls Handled / (Total Shift Hours – Break/Non-productive Time)
This gives a more accurate productivity measure.
Why Is Calls Per Hour Important?
Tracking calls per hour provides insights into:
– Agent Productivity: Measures how efficiently agents handle customer interactions.
– Workforce Management: Helps plan staffing, shift allocations, and process improvements.
– Customer Satisfaction: Correlates with metrics like wait times and queue management.
– Operational Efficiency: Highlights training needs, technology gaps, or workflow bottlenecks.
Key Factors That Influence Calls Per Hour
Several factors can raise or lower an agent’s or a call center’s calls per hour:
- Call Complexity: Simple inquiries are quicker; technical or emotional calls take longer.
- Experience and Training: Well-trained, experienced agents often handle calls faster.
- Tools and Technology: Efficient phone systems and access to information speed up resolution.
- Call Routing & Distribution: Smart algorithms and fair workload distribution prevent bottlenecks.
- Breaks and Non-productive Time: More non-call activities lower the “true” calls per hour.
- Call Handling Policies: Certain standards (like requiring follow-up emails or detailed notes) can extend call handling time.
Benefits of Measuring Calls Per Hour
Tracking this metric delivers several advantages:
- Objective Productivity Measurement: Easily compares performance across agents and shifts.
- Staff Allocation Optimization: More accurate forecasting and resource planning.
- Goal Setting and Motivation: Helps set clear performance targets.
- Identifying Trends and Issues: Detects patterns in high/low call periods, agent burnout, or workflow slowdowns.
- Balancing Workloads: Ensures even distribution and prevents some agents from being overwhelmed.
Potential Drawbacks and Challenges
It’s important to understand the pitfalls of focusing solely on calls per hour:
- Quality vs. Quantity: Overemphasizing speed may harm customer service quality. Agents might rush calls to meet quotas.
- Unfair Comparisons: Agents handling more complex calls may seem “slower,” though their work is equally or more valuable.
- Incomplete Picture: Calls per hour doesn’t account for call resolution rates or customer satisfaction directly.
- Burnout Risk: Setting goals too aggressively can lead to stress and burnout.
Best Practices for Using Calls Per Hour Metrics
To get the most value from the calls per hour metric, consider implementing these strategies:
1. Use in Combination With Other Metrics
Don’t rely on calls per hour alone. Track alongside other important indicators, such as:
– Average Handle Time (AHT)
– First Call Resolution
– Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
– Net Promoter Score (NPS)
– Service Level Agreements
2. Regularly Review and Adjust Targets
Set realistic, flexible goals that reflect the nature of your calls and the experience level of your team. Review performance regularly and adjust targets to reflect changes in call complexity or volume.
3. Encourage Quality Over Quantity
Incentivize not just speed, but positive customer outcomes. Provide ongoing feedback and training to help agents balance efficiency with empathy and problem-solving.
4. Leverage Tools and Technology
Make it easy for agents to find information, log calls, and transfer calls as necessary. Modern call center platforms offer detailed analytics, dashboards, and calculators to make tracking performance seamless.
5. Account for Non-Productive Time
When assessing productivity, exclude breaks, meetings, and other non-calling time to get a fairer picture of true efficiency.
6. Coach, Don’t Punish
Use calls per hour data as a starting point for coaching, not reprimanding. Celebrate high performers, and work collaboratively to help slower agents grow.
Practical Tips for Improving Calls Per Hour
If you want to improve your calls per hour (without sacrificing quality), try these practical suggestions:
- Provide Ongoing Training: Help agents stay up to date on products, processes, and technology.
- Streamline Processes: Reduce time spent on manual tasks or redundant paperwork.
- Use Scripts Wisely: Well-designed scripts speed up common calls without sounding robotic.
- Encourage Teamwork: Foster a collaborative environment where agents help each other out.
- Monitor and Analyze Call Flows: Look for bottlenecks that slow things down.
- Offer Self-Service Options: Free agents from routine queries by using chatbots or IVR systems for simple requests.
- Keep Technology Fresh: Outdated systems slow everyone down—invest in modern solutions.
Calls Per Hour: Not Just a Number
Remember, the goal is to offer great service efficiently—calls per hour is just one piece of the puzzle. The best call centers use this metric thoughtfully, as part of a bigger picture, to ensure both customers and agents are happy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a good calls per hour rate for a call center agent?
A typical range for many industries is 8 to 15 calls per hour, but this varies widely depending on the complexity of calls. Technical support lines generally see fewer calls per hour than simple, transactional lines.
How do I calculate calls per hour for agents who take breaks?
To get a more accurate rate, subtract break or non-work time from total hours worked. Then, divide calls handled by the adjusted number of hours.
Does increasing calls per hour mean better customer service?
Not necessarily. While high call handling rates may boost efficiency, rushing through calls can result in poor service. It’s vital to balance speed with quality.
What tools can help me track calls per hour?
Most call center management software includes built-in reporting for calls per hour, along with dashboards that show real-time performance. Some companies use calculators or custom dashboards for more detailed breakdowns.
How can managers use the calls per hour metric to improve performance?
Managers can identify coaching opportunities, reward high performers, balance workloads, and uncover training or process issues. The key is to use the data constructively—not just to pressure agents into handling more calls, but to support overall improvement.
Conclusion
Calls per hour is a foundational metric for measuring call center performance, but it should never be the only number you watch. Use it alongside other measures of quality and satisfaction, coach your team effectively, and always focus on delivering the best possible customer experience. When handled well, tracking calls per hour can help your center operate at its peak—without sacrificing the human touch that sets great customer service apart.