If your contact center budget has a leak,
It’s almost certainly hiding in one of these 5 metrics.
Here’s what to measure, and what to aim for.
1. Slip Time
This is the time between clocking in and being ready for the first call.
Two minutes is a well-run center.
Five minutes is on the high side.
Fifteen minutes is a serious problem.
2. Occupancy
This is the share of an agent’s day spent actively interacting with patients.
Target: around 80%.
Below that, you’re paying for time that isn’t producing.
Above that, you’ll start burning people out.
3. Average Speed of Answer
This is how long callers wait before reaching someone.
New patients will wait about 30 seconds.
Existing patients are accustomed to a little longer.
Match your staffing to those expectations by call type.
4. Average Handle Time
This is how long calls take from start to finish.
The most common driver of high handle time:
Unnecessary steps agents are required to follow.
A well-run call contains only what’s needed to resolve it.
5. Supervisor Ratio
This is the number of agents each supervisor is responsible for.
Target: 15–18 agents per supervisor.
This way every agent has access to the support they need.
Running closer to 1:10 means you’re likely carrying positions you don’t need.
Check these against your own numbers.
If they don’t match these benchmarks, you have a leak.
Send me a DM on LinkedIn if you want help finding it.
I’m Mark Danielson, and I help healthcare leaders reduce support costs while improving patient satisfaction.
Follow me for practical insights on cutting contact center costs, improving service quality, and modernizing operations without the tradeoffs.
