Average Handling Time (AHT) in customer service is the average time required to handle a customer case from start to finish. AHT includes active interaction time (call or chat time), any waiting or hold time during the interaction, and the after-call work or follow-up that is directly related to the same case. AHT is calculated using the formula: AHT = (Total call or chat time + Total waiting or hold time + Total after-work) / Number of cases handled. For example, if a team in one day spends 320 minutes in calls, 80 minutes in waiting or hold, and 100 minutes in after-work, and handles 100 cases in total, the AHT is (320 + 80 + 100) / 100 = 5.0 minutes. AHT is not intended as a race against the clock but as a diagnostic metric that helps us understand workload and process efficiency when combined with other customer service KPIs.