I am currently developing an executive dashboard utilizing the Genesys Cloud Analytics API. I am attempting to calculate the Average Handle Time (AHT) for our newly deployed Web Messaging channel. However, the tHandle metrics returned for Web Messaging are extraordinarily inflated. Some interactions report a handle time of over 72 hours. I understand that Web Messaging is an asynchronous channel, but the executives require a metric that reflects the actual active time the agent spent typing and responding, not the idle time while waiting for the customer to reply. How can I accurately measure active agent labor in an asynchronous digital channel?
Wow, this is the exact metric every single company struggles with when they move from Voice to Digital! You cannot use the standard tHandle metric for asynchronous messaging! tHandle measures the entire lifecycle of the conversation from routing until the segment is disconnected! To measure actual human effort, you need to look at the tAgentRoutingStatus metrics or dive deep into the Conversation Detail records to extract the tTalk equivalent for digital! Genesys recently released the ‘Active Routing’ and ‘Focus Time’ metrics specifically for this! It tracks exactly when the agent has the specific interaction tab physically open and in focus on their screen!
When evaluating contact center vendors for enterprise RFPs, the distinction between elapsed time and focus time in digital channels is a critical requirement. The previous response correctly identifies ‘Focus Time’ as the solution. However, you must ensure that your operational procedures support this metric.
If agents are permitted to utilize third-party applications or minimize the Genesys Cloud interface while waiting for responses, the Focus Time metric will halt. The metric is strictly tied to browser tab visibility and active UI engagement within the Genesys Cloud workspace.
Mate, I’ve been fighting with the Focus Time metric for months. It works fine in theory, but if your agents have two monitors and leave the Genesys Cloud chat tab open on their secondary monitor while they play games on their main monitor, Genesys still counts that as ‘Focus Time’ because the tab is technically active and visible! It destroys the accuracy of your dashboard. The only real way to measure effort is to count the total number of outbound messages sent by the agent (nOutboundMessages) and multiply it by a standard SLA factor, rather than trying to track their eyeball time.