What is Available Time?

What is Available Time?

Available time, sometimes referred to as “idle time,” is the time agents spend ready and waiting to handle incoming calls. This occurs when an agent is logged into the Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) system but is not currently engaged in tasks such as speaking with a customer or completing after-call work (ACW). Essentially, it’s the period when an agent is “waiting for calls.”

This metric can be thought of as the inverse of occupancy, which reflects the percentage of agents actively engaged in tasks.

Available Time Formula

Available time can be calculated as:

Available Time = Total Seats (100%) – Occupancy (%)

For example, if your agents are 85% occupied, the remaining 15% of their time is classified as available.

Why is Available Time Important?

Available time is a critical resource that supports smooth contact centre operations and ensures key performance indicators (KPIs) remain stable, even during unexpected surges in contact volume.

While some workforce planners may perceive available time as inefficiency, it plays an essential role in maintaining service quality and operational balance. Here’s why:

Maintaining Service Levels

Without available time, there would be no agents ready to take incoming calls immediately. This would result in customer queues, potentially causing delays and compromising KPIs such as average speed of answer (ASA) and customer satisfaction scores (CSAT).

Agent Well-being

An 85% occupancy rate does not mean 15% of agents are doing no work – it means there are brief pauses between calls. When occupancy nears 100%, agents face back-to-back calls without any breaks.

This relentless pace can lead to reduced motivation, lower performance, and eventually burnout. Available time provides necessary breathing room, helping to sustain morale and productivity.

What is the Right Amount of Available Time?

There is no universally accepted ‘correct’ value for available time – it really comes down to the needs of the individual contact centre and the predictability of call volumes.

While a target occupancy rate of 85% is commonly cited, centres with fewer agents often face greater challenges in maintaining consistent availability levels.

In Smaller Teams

A small pool of agents means individual availability impacts the centre’s overall performance significantly. For instance, in a 20-seat contact centre, if only 14 agents are on calls, available time is 30%. Adding just one more agent changes this percentage dramatically.

In Larger Teams

Larger centres with 500+ agents experience smaller fluctuations in availability percentages when individual agent status changes. This makes it easier to sustain an ideal balance of occupancy and available time.

Author: Hannah Swankie
Reviewed by: Robyn Coppell