And how to find that number for your own line.
Something we hear a lot from teams is that they want to keep wait times short.
But how short is short enough?
So in 2024, we looked into it. Across the teams we work with, callers who hung up waited 44.9 seconds, on average.
That's even less than a minute.
Here's what that means, and how to find the number for your own line.
What your number can tell you
Knowing your number helps more than you'd think.
First, it shows you how close callers are to giving up. Your reports have two wait times side by side: how long callers waited before someone picked up, and how long the ones who hung up waited. If those two are close, a lot of callers are right on the edge. If the callers who got through waited a lot less, you've got some room.
It also shows you when things get busy. Look at it month by month, and you might see the wait go up around the holidays, or when your interns finish. That tells you when you need another person on-call.
And when you try something new, like changing who the phone rings first, you can check the number the next month. If it went down, it worked. If it didn't, you know to try something else.
Here's how to find it.
How to find your own number
If you're using Helpline, it only takes a few clicks [you'll need admin access].
- Open the main menu and click Analytics.
- Go to Reports. It can take up to 10 minutes to load, so keep the page open.
- Set the Date Range to the period you want to look at.
- Find the row that says "On average, how long did callers wait on hold before giving up?"
That's your number.
It shows you the total, plus a number for each month. And if you want to keep a copy, you can download it.
Check yours
The gap between "got through" and "gave up" can be smaller than you'd think.
If you're on Helpline, both numbers are already in your reports.
If you are not on the Helpline yet? Feel free to book a free consultation and we'll walk through how calls get routed on your line.
Review hold times on your line
- Open Executive Reports: Use Analytics → Reports for the period you care about.
- Compare answered and abandoned wait times: Note whether callers who hung up waited almost as long as callers who connected.
- Drill into call logs: Investigate high averages by checking routing attempts and schedule gaps.
- Book a consultation if needed: We can walk through routing on your line if you are not on Helpline yet.
Questions about hotline hold times
Does every caller hang up after 44.9 seconds?
No. 44.9 seconds was the average among callers who hung up before connecting in Helpline Software's 2024 study. Your program's results will differ.
Where do I see hold times if I am not an administrator?
Executive Reports are available to administrator accounts. Ask your program's Helpline administrator to run the report or share an export.
Can I use this metric for grant or board reporting?
Yes. Many teams download Executive Reports or note the monthly breakdown when reporting on access and missed connections.
Walk through hold times on your line
If you are not on Helpline Software yet, book a free consultation and we will show how calls are routed and how wait times appear in reporting.
