Here’s how to calculate call handling capacity using an Erlang calculator:
- Input the total number of agents you have available to handle calls.
- Enter your average handling time (AHT) for calls.
- Specify your desired service level (e.g. “we’d like 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds”).
- Input an acceptable wait time for callers.
The important thing here is to be as realistic and specific as possible. The more realistic you are with your numbers, the better the results will be.
Once you’ve inputted this info, the calculator can then determine the maximum number of calls that can be handled in a given time, the occupancy rate of agents (a.k.a. the percentage of time they spend on calls), and how likely it is that calls will be answered within the specified wait time.
For example, if you have 10 agents with an AHT of five minutes and want 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds, the calculator might show that your team can handle about 100 calls per hour at 85% occupancy.
While the Erlang calculator doesn’t directly calculate AHT, it’s a must-have input. To externally calculate your AHT, sum up the total time agents spend on calls (including after-call work) over a specific period and divide this total by the number of calls handled in that period.
For example, if your team spent 1000 minutes on 200 calls in a day, the formula would look like this:
AHT = 1000 minutes / 200 calls = 5 minutes per call
Once you’ve figured out your AHT, you can input it into the Erlang calculator to plan staffing.
👉 Assembled automatically calculates your AHT based on previous call history.
