Definition
What is after-call work?
By Lewis CrookPublished
After-call work (ACW) is the time an agent spends completing a contact after the caller has disconnected — notes, case updates, transfers, follow-ups, and any required compliance logging. It is the most under-measured contributor to AHT.
After-call work is everything the agent does after the caller hangs up.
Why it matters for enterprise CX leaders
- ACW typically accounts for 15–35% of total AHT and is often invisible on real-time dashboards.
- Voice AI integrations that auto-summarise calls and pre-fill case fields routinely cut ACW by 30–60% on suitable intents.
- Reducing ACW is the cleanest productivity gain available because it does not trade off against FCR.
Frequently asked questions
- Is after-call work part of AHT?
- Yes — AHT formally includes talk, hold, and ACW. Reports that exclude ACW understate the real cost of a contact.
- Can voice AI replace after-call work?
- It can reduce it substantially via auto-summarisation, case pre-fill, and structured transcript handoff. Eliminating it usually requires deeper system-of-record integration.
- How is ACW measured?
- Time between call disconnect and the agent marking themselves available. Measured cleanly in modern contact-centre platforms; harder in legacy stacks.
Related terms
- Average handle time— Average handle time is how long each call costs you.
- First call resolution— First call resolution is whether the customer had to call back.
- Voice AI— Voice AI is software that answers the phone, understands what the caller wants, and takes action — not just a smarter IVR.
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