Hold Time: In-Call Holds and Queue Waits
Hold time is one of those terms people use to mean two different things — and the confusion matters, because each one is measured differently and fixed differently.
To a contact centre, hold time has a precise meaning: the time a customer spends on hold during a call, while the agent checks something. But to most callers, "being on hold" means the wait before an agent ever picks up — which is really wait time, not hold time at all.
This guide covers both. It explains hold time in its proper sense (the in-call hold and a component of Average Handling Time), clears up the mix-up with queue wait time, and points you to the right metric — and the right Australian data — for each.
What it is
The time a caller spends on hold during a live call while the agent checks something — a component of handle time, separate from talk and wrap-up.
Why it matters
Holds add to handle time and to customer effort. And the "on hold" people complain about most — the queue wait — is a different metric with a different fix.
What this guide covers
The two meanings of hold time, how each is measured, why they matter, how to manage them well, and where to find Australian wait-time data.
The Two Meanings of Hold Time
In plain English
The word "hold" gets attached to two completely different moments in a phone interaction. Knowing which one you mean is the difference between measuring — and fixing — the right thing.
1. On hold during a call
You're already speaking to an agent, and they put you on hold to check your account, consult a colleague or get an approval.
This is hold time in its precise, technical sense — a contact centre metric and a part of handle time.
2. On hold before a call connects
You've called, you're in the queue, and no agent has answered yet. Callers say they're "on hold", but strictly this is wait time, measured by Average Speed of Answer (ASA) — not hold time.
Both matter, and both shape how the experience feels. But they sit at different points in the call, belong to different metrics, and call for different fixes — so the rest of this guide takes them one at a time.
Hold Time During a Call
In contact centre terms, hold time is the portion of a live call where the agent places the customer on hold — the line is open, but the conversation is paused while the agent does something off-call.
Common reasons include checking an account, looking something up in a knowledge base, consulting a colleague or supervisor, or waiting on an approval.
Where it sits in handle time
Hold time is one of the three building blocks of Average Handling Time (AHT):
Talk Time
The live conversation between agent and customer. Measured by Average Talk Time.
Hold Time
Time the customer spends on hold mid-call while the agent checks or consults. This is what we're defining here.
After-Call Work
Wrap-up the agent does once the customer has gone. Measured as After-Call Work (ACW).
Telephony platforms record hold automatically as a call event, so it's a clean, reliable figure. Because it feeds handle time, it also flows into staffing and occupancy calculations — which is why a creeping hold time quietly raises the cost of every call.
"On Hold" Waiting for an Agent
This is the version most customers mean when they grumble about being "on hold" — the wait in the queue before anyone answers. It feels like hold time, but in metric terms it's something else entirely.
The right metric
The wait before a call is answered is measured by Average Speed of Answer (ASA), and managed against your service level target. If callers give up while waiting, that shows up as abandonment.
The better alternative
Rather than make people wait on hold, many centres offer a callback — hold your place in line without staying on the phone. That's virtual hold (also called a virtual queue).
How long do Australian call centres keep you waiting?
If your question is really "how long will I be on hold before someone answers?", that's wait time — and ACXPA actually measures it.
The ACXPA Call Centre Rankings include a Wait Time Leaderboard tracking how quickly major Australian call centres answer, sector by sector — independent, published data on who keeps you waiting and who doesn't.
Why It Matters
Both kinds of "hold" shape the experience and the economics of a contact centre — but in different ways.
👤 For the customer
Silence on hold — mid-call or in the queue — is effort and frustration. Long or repeated holds are one of the quickest ways to push up customer effort and sour an otherwise good interaction.
🎧 For the contact centre
In-call hold time inflates handle time, which drives staffing and occupancy. A rising hold time is often a signal of a process or knowledge gap, not a lazy agent.
📊 For measurement
Conflating the two leads to the wrong fix. An in-call hold problem is solved by coaching, tools and process; a queue-wait problem is solved by staffing and service-level planning.
Managing Hold Time Well
The goal isn't zero hold time — sometimes a brief, well-handled hold genuinely helps the customer. The goal is to make holds short, purposeful and respectful, and to fix the root causes that make them long.
For in-call holds
Ask permission before holding, say why and roughly how long, and check back regularly. Give agents the knowledge, tools and authority to find answers fast, so the hold is short — or unnecessary.
For queue waits
This is a staffing and service level question, not an agent one. Forecast and roster to demand, and offer a callback so customers don't have to wait on the line at all.
💡 Silence is the enemy, not the hold
What frustrates customers isn't usually the hold itself — it's being left in silence, unsure if they've been forgotten.
A short hold with a clear reason and a check-back beats a long, silent one every time. Manage the experience of the hold, not just the seconds on the clock.
⚠️ Don't use hold to game the numbers
Parking a customer on hold to stop the talk-time clock, or to make an interaction "look" shorter, is gaming the metric at the customer's expense.
Hold time should reflect genuine, necessary pauses — not a workaround for pressure on other targets. If holds are climbing, treat it as a signal to investigate the cause, not a number to hide.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hold Time
What is hold time in a call centre?
In a contact centre, hold time is the time a customer spends on hold during a live call, while the agent does something off-call — checking an account, looking something up, consulting a colleague or getting an approval. The line stays open but the conversation is paused. It's a component of Average Handling Time, alongside talk time and after-call work.
Is hold time the same as wait time?
No — and this is the most common confusion. Hold time is the pause during a call you're already on. Wait time is the period before any agent answers, while you're in the queue. Callers often say they were "on hold" when they mean they were waiting to be answered, but in metric terms those are two different things, measured separately.
Is hold time part of AHT?
Yes. Average Handling Time (AHT) is the sum of three parts: talk time, hold time and after-call work. Hold time is the in-call portion where the customer is on hold. Because it feeds AHT, hold time also flows into staffing, occupancy and the cost of each call.
What's the difference between hold time and ASA?
Hold time happens during a call, once you're connected to an agent. Average Speed of Answer (ASA) measures the wait before a call is answered — how long you're in the queue. So the "on hold" you experience before anyone picks up is ASA, while the "on hold" mid-conversation is hold time.
What is a good hold time?
There's no single target number — it depends on the type of work. The better measure is whether holds are short, necessary and well-handled: permission asked, reason given, and the customer checked back on. A short hold that genuinely helps resolve the issue is fine; a long, silent hold is not. Focus on the experience and the root cause, not a fixed figure.
How can I reduce hold time?
For in-call holds, give agents fast access to knowledge, the right tools and the authority to resolve issues without escalating — most long holds are a knowledge or process gap, not an agent problem. For the queue wait before answering, the levers are different: better forecasting and staffing to your service level, and offering a callback so customers don't wait on the line.
Where can I see how long Australian call centres keep you on hold?
If you mean the wait before an agent answers, the ACXPA Call Centre Rankings publish a Wait Time Leaderboard that tracks how quickly major Australian call centres answer, broken down by sector. It's independent, published data on who answers fast and who keeps you waiting.
Where to Next
Summary: Hold Time
Hold time has two meanings, and keeping them straight matters. In its precise contact centre sense, hold time is the pause during a live call while the agent checks something — a component of Average Handling Time alongside talk time and after-call work.
The other "hold" — waiting in the queue before an agent answers — is really wait time, measured by Average Speed of Answer, not hold time at all.
Both add to customer effort, and both have fixes — but different ones. In-call holds are a coaching, knowledge and process question; queue waits are a staffing and service-level one, often best solved with a callback rather than making people wait on the line.
And if your real question is how long Australian call centres keep you waiting before answering, that's wait time — and the ACXPA Call Centre Rankings measure and publish exactly that.
