AHT, average handle time, has been the headline call-center metric for thirty years. Lower AHT means each call costs less; chasing lower AHT was, for a long time, the operating model of every large call center.
AI agents are very good at lowering AHT, sometimes too good. An agent that resolves a booking in forty seconds beats a human who takes four minutes. But chasing AHT alone is how you get the cold, efficient, customer-hostile experience that destroys NPS.
The useful number to pair AHT with is resolution rate. A short call that resolved the issue is good. A short call that ended early because the customer hung up is not. Track both, and surface both per interaction so you can see the shape, not just the average.