Clarity Performance Solutions logo in brand colors of grey, dark blue and light blue.
Clarity Performance Solutions logo in brand colors of grey, dark blue and light blue.

CONTACT CENTER

Cutting Answer Times in Half in Payer Contact Centers

Advancing Answer Times

Answer Time, measured in Average Speed of Answer (ASA), is the number of seconds it takes for an agent to pick up an incoming call. It reflects both staffing efficiency and the effectiveness of call-routing systems. This is a key KPI for payer contact centers as reducing the time it takes for a call to be answered improves experiences and reduces frustration, which directly contributes to operational efficiency of the organization.

Initial Challenge

Clarity Performance Solutions partnered with a large healthcare organization in 2024 to reduce the average answer times of their commercial provider callers. When we first started working with our client, their ASA was 12 seconds per customer. While this might not seem high initially, every second matters as delayed response times increase the likelihood of call abandonment and the rate of frustrated providers. Our goal was to reduce this starting answer time to help make our payer’s organization more competitive and successful.

Action Plan

From the months of January to September, we implemented the following strategies in order to tackle the high ASA head on:
  • Introduced AI-powered call routing to efficiently connect providers to the correct agents.
  • Optimized staffing schedules to align with call volume patterns.
  • Provided additional agent training focused on handling commercial provider inquiries with greater speed and accuracy.

Results & Improvements

Over this nine-month period, we reduced the ASA from 12 seconds to 5 seconds, cutting the time by over half.

This dramatic reduction in answer times resulted in a decrease in call abandonment rates, improved provider satisfaction, increased agent efficiency and better adherence to SLAs for our client. Their contact center was able to handle more calls than ever before, leaving operations streamlined and efficient.

Reducing answer times not only enhances the customer experience, but also optimizes operational efficiency across all contact center operations.

Our call-routing strategies and agent training programs are designed to maintain an ASA below 10 seconds. We also leverage predictive analytics to forecast call volumes and ensure staffing meeting future demands. When partnering with Clarity, we ensure the best for your contact center.

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