We should interpret Average Handling Time (AHT) together with complementary quality and experience metrics to get a true picture of performance. Relevant KPIs to measure alongside AHT include: FCR (First Contact Resolution), which shows how often issues are resolved during the first contact and is a strong indicator of quality; CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) or NPS (Net Promoter Score), which show how customers experienced the help they received; CES (Customer Effort Score), which shows how much effort customers had to expend to get a solution; and the repeat contact rate, which shows how often customers need to contact us again about the same issue. A healthy signal is when AHT decreases while FCR and CSAT remain stable or improve. A warning signal is when AHT decreases but repeat contacts increase and CSAT falls, which suggests that we have sacrificed quality for speed. We should therefore use AHT as one component within a balanced metric set to guide improvements, not as the sole success criterion.