Not all productivity metrics are created equal, especially in an AI-powered contact center.
Are you measuring handle time across every channel the same way? If so, you’re not alone—it’s a common reflex. But it can also be a costly one, since the levers that drive performance in voice don’t always apply to chat, email, or SMS. Each channel plays by its own rules, and if you’re pulling the wrong lever, you’re wasting time, money, and agent energy.
But the good news is that there are better metrics. Ones that actually move the needle.
Here are three often-overlooked but high-impact metrics that can help you unlock meaningful gains in productivity and cost efficiency, no matter what channels you’re managing.
1. Chat Concurrency: The Multiplier Metric
If you’re only watching handle time in chat, you’re missing the real productivity driver.
In chat, agents spend more time waiting for customer replies than actually resolving issues. That’s why smart operations leaders have long leaned on concurrency—letting agents handle multiple chats at once—to maximize output.
But here’s where it gets interesting: AI makes higher concurrency possible without overwhelming agents.
Smart metrics to track:
- Average chat concurrency per agent
- Chats resolved per productive hour
How AI impacts these metrics:
- Provides real-time chat summaries so agents can switch between conversations without losing context
- Suggests next best responses to reduce agent thinking time and minimize delays
- Maintains consistency at scale, helping agents manage 4-6 (or more) chats simultaneously
The result? Higher capacity, lower cognitive load, and a better experience for both agents and customers.
2. After-Call Work: The Hidden Handle Time Tax
Most leaders focus on reducing talk time. But the time after the customer hangs up, before the agent can move on in the queue? That’s where the silent costs stack up.
After-call work (ACW) includes case notes, labels like disposition and sentiment, wrap-up tasks—small things that add up fast. Across thousands of calls, shaving off even 20 seconds per interaction can mean real dollars saved and fewer headaches for agents.
Smart metrics to track:
- ACW as a % of total handle time
- Time spent on note-taking, dispositioning, and system navigation
How AI impacts these metrics:
- Auto-generates case notes and summarizes conversations
- Pre-selects dispositions based on call content
- Acts as a smart overlay to eliminate system toggling
Pro tip: ACW is one of the most automatable parts of the agent workflow. That means faster wrap-up, reduced burnout, and more time spent where it matters: helping customers.
3. Emails Per Hour: The Quiet Channel with Big Potential
Email often gets ignored in productivity planning—either because it’s seen as “slow” or because teams aren’t tracking it clearly. But with the right AI assist, like Sidd, email can actually become your most efficient, lowest-cost channel.
Smart metrics to track:
- Emails handled per productive hour
- Percentage of email drafts assisted by AI
How AI impacts these metrics:
- Drafts high-quality responses using brand-approved templates
- Lets agents personalize with a quick review and send
- Speeds up triage, tagging, and routing for complex cases
The upside is that not only does AI write faster, it helps agents move more emails per hour with higher consistency and lower effort. That’s a big win for both CX and cost control.
One-Size Metrics Don’t Work in a Multichannel World
If you’re still measuring productivity the same way across every channel, it’s time to rethink your metrics. AI only drives impact when you’re applying it to the right problems, and tracking the outcomes that actually matter.
Voice
Old Metric: Talk Time
Better Metric: ACW %
AI Assist Wins: Faster wrap-up, smarter notes
Chat
Old Metric: Handle Time
Better Metric: Chat concurrency
AI Assist Wins: More chats at once, less mental fatigue
Old Metric: AHT (estimated)
Better Metric: Emails Per Hour (EPH)
AI Assist Wins: Drafted responses, faster triage
Want Smarter Metrics (and Better Outcomes)?
At Laivly, we built our AI tools with operators in mind. That means we’re not trying to convince you to “AI-ify” everything. We’re here to help you pull the right levers, in the right channels, for the outcomes that matter.
Ready to figure out where your real opportunities are hiding? Let’s start with a quick productivity audit, and we can show you what your metrics have been missing.
