Agent Utilization

What does agent utilization mean?

Agent utilization is the percentage of time agents spend on active work — including calls, customer interactions and related tasks — compared to their total available working hours. This metric includes all aspects of a support agent's workday, from direct customer engagement to training and meetings and adjusts for breaks, vacations and sick days.   

It is a comprehensive indicator of productivity, revealing both the actual workload handled and the potential capacity of the workforce. Higher utilization rates suggest good resource use and lower per-contact costs.  Here’s how to calculate agent utilization. 

Where: 

• Total Work Time includes the time spent on calls/interactions and other related tasks. 
• Total Available Time is the overall time the agent is scheduled to work, including breaks, training and meetings. 

 Now that you understand what agent utilization is, let’s jump into how to improve it.   

How to improve agent utilization 

Here are five ways to improve agent utilization. 

• Align agent schedules with peak call volumes, ensuring they are actively engaged during times of highest demand. 
• Streamline documentation to reduce after-call work (ACW) time, allowing agents to handle more calls. 
• Provide targeted customer service coaching to enhance agents' speed and proficiency in managing calls and related tasks. 
• Use omnichannel routing to connect customer inquiries directly to the most qualified agents, reducing waiting times. 
• Analyze call volume patterns to strategically schedule breaks and reduce idle time.