How to reduce average handle time in your call centre

Need to reduce costs, but don’t want to sacrifice customer or employee experience? This is a very real situation that so many contact centre leaders are currently facing.  

Following the pandemic, prices are rising, there’s an energy crisis, a cost-of-living crisis, and the great resignation on top. Regardless of industry type, everyone has been affected in some way.  

In this webinar, MaxContact’s Product Owner, Sean McIver and CEO Ben Booth, combine more than 30 years of experience working in or alongside contact centres to provide actionable tips and strategies for making cost-saving changes.  

They answer the most pressing questions from contact centre leaders across all industries, provide practical ways to make cost-saving changes, suggest how to utilise technology to streamline operations and more.  

Keep reading for the top takeaways from our discussion or tune in to the full video.

Doing more with less  

The global business landscape has witnessed a steady increase in costs. This upward trend is particularly prominent in the technology and development industry, and as a software company, MaxContact has experienced this first-hand.  

In addition to rising costs, businesses are being asked to do more with fewer resources. The pandemic further compounded this by altering work dynamics across contact centres, resulting in a surge in customer interactions and a decline in available staff.  

During the pandemic, many organisations saw a drop in staffing numbers, while at the same time experienced an increase in customer interactions. The work-from-home model enabled people to address issues and seek assistance without waiting until their workday concluded or setting aside an admin day.  

As a result, the influx of customer enquiries rose, presenting contact centres with the challenge of meeting a far higher demand with a far smaller number of employees. And this hasn’t gone away, says Ben, and it won’t go away. That’s why it’s important to find the best solution going forward.  

Sean emphasises that within the contact centre industry, there are certain demographics that have been affected more than others. For example, those in the BPO (business process outsourcing) space have had to deliver on their own metrics as well as deliver the client requirements, which can be massively varied.  

Ways to reduce costs

Reducing costs is one thing, but how can you do it without impacting the employee and the customer experience?

To explain this, let’s break it down into three pillars: people, technology and data.  

People

Pre-pandemic, Ben explains, agents were often treated as commodities, resulting in high attrition rates. However, the staffing crisis prompted a shift towards recognising the importance of employee engagement and motivation within contact centres.  

It became clear that factors beyond monetary compensation – such as understanding your value to the business, aligning with company goals, and career progression – were instrumental in retaining talent.  

By recognising and addressing these factors, contact centres can foster a motivated and committed workforce.  

However, in order to address the challenges associated with rising staff costs, contact centres need to prioritise sustainable growth.  

It’s important to involve the entire organisation in setting the goals for this, from staff on the ground to those at the top. Engaging with frontline staff and seeking insights on process improvement and pain points can lead to valuable innovations. And while some won’t work, says Ben, some will and could have a lasting positive impact on the company.  

There’s still much to do in this space, says Sean, but the migration of staff from commodity to asset is critically important.

Technology

Ben doesn’t know an industry that has embraced modern technology as much as the contact centre space. But most systems offer more capabilities than many realise. To maximise value, lean on your vendors and get their advice on ways to get more value from the contact centre software you’re using, and embrace cutting-edge technologies, such as real-time agent assistance.  

Agent-assist is AI-powered software that provides suggestions to agents while they are in conversation with a customer. These transcriptions add enormous value as they help people deal with more complex calls faster and can improve training time. However, Ben is wary of scripted responses, as he feels this can demotivate agents.  

Sean emphasises how important it is to leverage the tools at your disposal to keep costs down. For example, ask yourself: how effective is your IVR? Make sure it is as slick as possible and that scripting tools provide agents with the right information at the right time to reduce callbacks.  

Data

Always keep an eye on the data.  

• Why are people contacting you?
• What for?
• What training is required?  

Also, try to engage more with your long-standing staff. Sean explains how those who have been with you for a while will have a range of shortcuts, cheats, and quick wins that you might not know about, or that haven’t been formalised. Centralise that knowledge to help other staff members streamline processes.  

This will also make your long-standing staff feel valued.  

Also, lean on your providers. If you have a challenge, take that challenge to them and ask what you should do, says Sean. The data that comes from these types of exchanges provide valuable information that can speak to a bigger issue in the industry that needs to be addressed.

To learn more about ways to reduce costs without negatively impacting the employee or customer experience, tune in to the full webinar.

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Today’s customers are harder to reach, less tolerant of poor customer experience, and much more selective about when and how they engage. Our Voice of the UK Consumer report highlights the challenge:

• 63% are more likely to respond to outbound contact when it’s sent through their preferred channel.
• 58% are more receptive when the message is personally relevant, like renewals, billing or appointments.
• 52% say they’re more likely to answer a call if they’ve received an email or SMS first.
• 76% expect personalised outbound communication, not broad scripts.

[Source: Voice of the UK Consumer Report]

So how do you increase the chances of your calls being answered, messages being acted on, and customers responding positively?

Start with two foundations:

• A data-driven outbound strategy built on real behavioural insight rather than assumptions.
• Technology and automation that free agents to focus on the conversations where human interaction matters most.

Without these foundations, outbound teams risk dialling blind. With them, you can target strategically, stay compliant, reduce costs, and deliver better outcomes for both customers and agents.

What is a contact strategy?

A contact strategy, or in this case, an outbound contact strategy, is a structured plan for how a contact centre engages with customers. It sets rules for who to contact, when, how often, which channel to use, and what message to deliver.

It should also set KPIs (like contact rate, right-party contact (RPC), conversion and cost-per-contact) that you’ll use to measure success. The better the plan, the more people your agents will speak to, and the more positive those interactions will be.

How to create an effective contact strategy

Define outcomes & set KPIs

Before you get into outbound channels, dialler modes, or scripts, start with the “why”. What’s the outcome you want to achieve, and how will you measure it? Pick 3-4 KPIs for a period of time, set a baseline, and track against your targets.

Here are some example KPIs:

• Sales contact centre: Contact rate, Right-party contact (RPC), Conversion, CSAT
• Debt collection: RPC, Promise-to-pay (PTP) rate, Complaints rate

Without defining your KPIs and taking this step, you won’t be able to benchmark or improve your contact strategy in the future.

Build your data foundation

A data-driven outbound strategy is only as good as the information behind it. Before you refine channels or scripts, make sure you’ve got the basic data covered:

• Who the customer is (ID, segment, account details)
• How to reach them (phone, email, SMS, consent/preferences)
• What happened last time (outcome and notes)
• When you last tried (to avoid over-contacting)
• Key dates or flags (renewals, appointments, balances)

With these foundations in place, technology can take over and save you time. MaxContact’s Contact Prioritisation feature ensures outbound agents see the best-fit records first, so no time is wasted chasing the wrong people. Contact Prioritisations allows contacts to be segmented and prioritised based on specific rules.

Here are what Contact Prioritisation rules might look like in action:

Sales: Follow up on prospects not contacted within 72 hours

Debt collection: Prioritise accounts with balances overdue by 30+ days, or, those with the highest amount of debt owed.

Utilities: Send renewal reminders before contracts expire

Put your contact centre software to work

Your goals are set. Your data foundations are in place. Your campaign is ready to run. With an effective omnichannel contact centre platform in place, you can optimise your entire contact workflow. Aside from reporting results, features that come as part of many contact centre software remove long-winded admin, automate certain tasks, and support agents so they can focus on conversations that matter most.

Here’s a list of key contact centre software features that optimise your contact strategy and enhance customer experience:

Capability: Integrations & data

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Connect CRM and billing so agents see a complete customer view

CX impact: Faster resolutions, no need to repeat information

Capability: Consent & preferences

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Apply GDPR/DNC rules and contact caps automatically

CX impact: Fewer complaints, fully compliant outreach

Capability: Targeting (contact prioritisation)

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Filter records so agents only see contacts that match campaign rules

CX impact: Higher hit rates, no wasted effort

Capability: Omnichannel routing & outbound dialling

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Use diallers, skills-based routing, callbacks, and virtual hold

CX impact: Customers speak to the right person first time, less waiting

Capability: IVR, AI agents & self-serve

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Contain simple queries like payments or balance checks

CX impact: Quicker answers for customers, more time for agents to handle complex cases

Capability: Agent assist & knowledge

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Provide prompts, scripts, and guided workflows

CX impact: Consistent, confident conversations, even with new agents

Capability: QA & analytics

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Quality check interactions with speech analytics and flag coaching needs

CX impact: Continuous improvement, fewer service issues

Capability: Dashboards & alerts

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Monitor KPIs in real time and adapt to demand

CX impact: Smooth service levels, fewer abandoned calls

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Choose the right channel, timing & cadence

For outbound campaigns, channel, timing and cadence have a direct impact on hit rates and contact success. With KPIs set and data connected, the evidence will tell you who to contact, how to contact them, and when.

Channel‍

Look at recent behaviour. Do they open emails, reply to SMS, or pick up calls? Use phone for urgent or complex issues, email or SMS for reminders and renewals, and self-serve/IVR for simple tasks. Make sure you always provide an easy handoff to an agent if needed.

Timing‍

Forget the old rules about “after 6pm” landline calls. Flexible working has changed patterns completely. Use CRM data to book calls when the customer typically answers. If queues are long, offer virtual hold or a callback rather than leaving people waiting.

Cadence‍

Set simple caps, for example, no more than two calls a day, five a week. Pause outreach after clear outcomes (“promise-to-pay agreed” or “not interested”). And always honour consent and channel preferences.

When agents have context from previous interactions, they can also personalise outreach, for example, referencing a prior purchase or payment arrangement. These details make conversations more relevant and more likely to succeed.

Top Tip: Technique matters too! Avoid the biggest call handling mistakes that damage CX that undo good targeting.

How to optimise your contact centre through data-driven strategy

Outbound contact centre optimisation can reduce costs, but it’s also about creating smoother, more positive experiences for both customers and agents. And a data-driven customer contact strategy helps you to strike that balance.

By setting clear KPIs, you can measure what’s working and what needs to improve, whether that’s contact rates, first-call resolution, or customer satisfaction scores. Layer in automation and omnichannel tools, and you reduce wasted effort while making it easier for customers to get the help they need, when and how they want it.

For example, outbound skills-based routing matches the right agent to the prospective customer, while self-service options handle simple tasks without adding to queue times. Real-time dashboards and analytics give managers the insight they need to fine-tune performance on the fly.

Done well, contact centre optimisation improves customer experience and operational efficiency at the same time, giving your business a competitive edge.

Is reducing contact centre cost a priority for you? Read our guide on 7 ways to reduce costs in your contact centre without sacrificing quality.

Why your contact strategy has to flex

One thing that came through strongly in our recent Contact Strategy Webinar is this: there’s no such thing as a universal “best practice” strategy. Customers expect you to flex around their preferences, their comfort with AI, and the complexity of their issue.

A few standout insights from our Voice of the UK Consumer Report:

• 80% of customers expect brands to understand their needs and expectations.
• The AI acceptance gap is a real challenge: 65% of 25–33-year-olds are comfortable with AI interactions, compared to just 27% of over-55s. In fact, 52% of over-55s are actively uncomfortable.
• When things get complex, sensitive or financial, people want human interaction, and 60% prefer speaking to an agent in those scenarios.
• Customers are most accepting of outbound contact when it relates to billing, payments or account updates, and they often prefer an email first, then a call or SMS follow-up.
• 76% expect personalisation. That means data-driven targeting, not just broad scripts.

And the impact isn’t theoretical. One client moved from manual Salesforce dialling to MaxContact’s skills-based routing and data prioritisation. Their conversion rate doubled from 4% to 8%, simply by ensuring the right lead reached the right agent, at the right time.

Tailoring your contact strategy to the use case

These insights underline why your contact strategy can’t be one-size-fits-all. The right approach depends not only on the customer but also on your business context. Sales teams and collections teams, for instance, work with very different goals, sensitivities and success metrics.

Top tips for sales contact strategies

1. Focus on speed to lead: research shows that contacting a new prospect within five minutes can achieve conversion rates of up to 70%. Wait an hour, and it can drop to 20%.
2. Use demographic and geographic filters to maximise ROI, such as prioritising leads in certain postcodes or life stages.
3. Omnichannel flexibility is key. Some prospects will respond to SMS, others prefer email or a WhatsApp nudge.
4. Skills-based routing helps by ensuring high-value or “hot” leads are automatically directed to your top-performing agents.

Top tips for debt collection contact strategies

1. Sensitivity is critical. Customers in arrears often prefer a human agent when discussing finances, rather than automated channels.
2. Prioritisation rules might focus on balance size, number of missed payments, or active repayment plans, ensuring agents spend their time where they can have the most impact.
3. Timing matters too. Contacting just after a payday, for example, can increase recovery rates.
4. Personalisation builds trust: referencing past conversations or agreements makes the customer feel understood rather than pursued.

For a deeper dive, check out our webinar on Creating and Executing the Best Contact Strategies for Easier Debt Resolution: Watch now

Successful contact strategies start with the right platform

The best contact strategies don’t happen by chance. They’re built on data, technology, and a clear understanding of your customers, and they adapt to fit different scenarios, from fast-moving sales campaigns to sensitive debt resolution.

With the right foundation, you can:

• Increase your hit rate by targeting the right people at the right time.
• Reduce wasted effort through automation and filtering.
• Protect compliance while respecting customer preferences.
• Empower agents with the tools and context to turn conversations into outcomes.

That’s exactly what MaxContact’s platform is designed to do. From contact prioritisation to skills-based routing, omnichannel contact, and real-time analytics, it gives you everything you need to design, execute, and continually improve a winning contact strategy.

Are you ready to put your contact strategy into action and see how MaxContact can help you boost results? Request a demo of our contact centre software platform.

When you get it right, you build trust, loyalty, and efficiency. If you get it wrong, you risk frustrating customers, increasing churn, and even regulatory trouble.

Long waiting times and poor call handling don’t just test patience; they directly impact outcomes. Customers who are satisfied with wait times are 2.6x more likely to repurchase, and 3x more likely to recommend a brand (Qualtrics 2025).

So, if you’re a contact centre leader aiming to reduce customer churn and strengthen reputation, then optimising call handling operations is essential. Drawing on insight from our ,, here are the five most common mistakes that hurt customer experience and compliance and how to avoid them.

1. Long average handling times without a call resolution

55% of customers abandon calls because of long waits. It’s an all too familiar frustration, but it’s the way contact centres tackle it that makes all the difference.

The knee-jerk reaction is to push agents to “be faster,” but it often backfires. When speed becomes the only metric, compliance takes a back seat, important details are missed, and customers end up calling back because their issue wasn’t fully resolved the first time around. That adds more volume, along with more cost and frustration.

The more effective approach is to focus on resolving calls the first time. That involves giving agents the tools and context to handle conversations confidently and consistently:

• Skills-based call routing means customers reach the right person the first time. While routine queries go to newer agents, complex or sensitive issues are routed straight to specialists or agents with more experience.
• Call recording and reporting tools can uncover repeated bottlenecks and delays, helping managers coach more effectively.
• Agent assist features, such as call scripts and prompts help to keep conversations on track without rushing, reducing compliance risks.

By fixing the causes of long average handling time, such as poor routing, lack of context, or inefficient workflows, contact centres can cut waiting times and keep customers from hanging up.

For deeper strategies on reducing average handling time (AHT) while preserving that all-important customer experience, see our guide on How to Reduce Average Handle Time.

2. Poor call routing

Yes, being left on hold is frustrating, but being bounced between agents and departments is worse. In fact, 34% of customers abandon calls after being transferred multiple times.

Every unnecessary transfer forces customers to repeat themselves, delays resolution, and erodes trust in your service. It’s inefficient and leaves people questioning whether your business is competent at all.

Intelligent call routing solves this by matching enquiries to the right place first time:

• Skills-based routing directs complex or sensitive cases to the most experienced agents.
• IVR menus streamline routine queries and cut unnecessary transfers.
• CRM integration gives agents context immediately, so customers aren’t asked to repeat themselves.

With fewer transfers and faster resolutions, customers stay on the line and crucially, on your side.

3. Lack of agent training on compliance protocols

When customers call with complaints or sensitive issues, they want to feel heard and reassured they’re in safe hands.

But if an agent sounds unsure or handles a situation incorrectly, trust is lost. Our Voice of the Consumer Report shows this has real consequences: 35% of customers have abandoned a call because the agent couldn’t understand their situation.

So, what’s the solution? Invest in ongoing coaching and visibility:

• Drag-and-drop scripting tools guide agents through tricky or regulated conversations step by step.
• Speech analytics and sentiment analysis flag risks early and speed up QA reviews.
• Targeted coaching and live monitoring allow managers to step in before issues escalate.

Well-trained agents aren’t just more compliant. They’re more confident, faster, and deliver better CX.

4. Not capturing or acting on customer feedback

When service quality falls short of customer expectations, they rarely hold back: 66% leave reviews after a negative experience. One of the biggest mistakes many contact centres make is failing to capture or act on their feedback, thus missing opportunities to fix the most common issues that lead to customer complaints in the first place.

With the right technology in place, contact centres can take customer feedback (one of the richest sources of improvement) and turn it into action.

Here’s how:

• Speech analytics records 100% of calls, and with speech-to-text transcripts, managers can review real conversations. By spot-checking and searching for recurring issues, like complaints about wait times or poor transfers, managers can act on weaknesses in call-handling processes.
• CRM integrations can also be utilised to link feedback with customer history, highlighting any customer retention risks or gaps in agent onboarding.
• Post-call surveys and IVR feedback can capture immediate customer sentiment and reactions, feeding CX metrics such as CSAT and NPS.

When feedback loops are closed, customers feel heard, agents improve faster, and compliance risks are caught before they escalate. This is only possible with a well-defined, data-driven contact strategy guiding your approach.

5. Over-reliance on AI or automation

70% of customers prefer to speak to a human for complex situations, and 20% say AI doesn’t understand them. The takeaway from those statistics is that automation is powerful. But only if it supports rather than replaces live agents.

Used well, automation makes operations more efficient:

• IVR menus and AI agents handle simple, repetitive tasks like account checks or payment reminders instantly.
• Seamless escalation to live agents ensures sensitive or complex queries are handled with empathy and context.

This hybrid approach keeps costs and waiting times down, but also reassures customers that when they need to speak to a human, someone is available.

These five mistakes; long handling times, poor routing, inadequate training, ignoring feedback, and over-reliance on automation do more than just hurt customer experience. They also increase compliance risks due to inconsistent handling and breaching customer trust.

Used effectively, software and automation can support your people, not replace them. By combining the right tools and processes, contact centres can deliver a service that’s faster, more compliant, and more human, even under cost pressure.

See how MaxContact helps you meet customer expectations and improve compliance. Book a demo today.