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Reference

Service level (SL)

The share of contacts answered within a set time, written as a pair: the share to answer and the time limit in seconds.

Also called: SLA, service level target.

Why it matters

It is the usual staffing target: the number of agents a center schedules is the number that meets it.

How it is calculated

Service level
1 − C × e^(−(agents − load) × threshold seconds ÷ AHT)The share answered within the threshold.As published in the Staffing Requirement Calculator method, version 1.2.

Before you compare

  • Centers count abandoned contacts differently (left out, counted as missed, or excluded under a few seconds). State which rule you use.
  • A service level met over a day can hide intervals that missed badly. Read it by interval.
  • The common targets are conventions. A few regulators set their own for the centers they oversee.

Published figures

What publishers report for this measure. Each counts something slightly different, so read the definition before you compare; nothing here is averaged across publishers.

Service level targetsPractice range

The common target is a convention. A few regulators set their own standard for the centers they oversee.

SQM Group, 19 Jan 2023. What Are the Industry Standards for the Top Call Center KPIs?
  • 80% in 20 sTraditional service level standardSQM adds that it finds no satisfaction penalty for calls answered within 120 seconds.
  • 80% in 30 sCalifornia water utilities, Class A and BRegulatory standardShare of callers reaching a representative in business hours; abandoned calls at or below 5%.California Public Utilities Commission, 2009. General Order 103-A, Appendix E, customer service standards for Class A and B water utilities (effective 10 Sep 2009).
  • 2:00Medicare Advantage lines, CMS standardRegulatory standardAverage hold after the phone menu. CMS test calls measured 0:32 in January to June 2025.CMS, 2025. 2026 Part C and D Display Measures Technical Notes, Attachment A (in the 2026 display measures download).
  • 74 sAverage speed of answer, USBenchmark studyOne third above the pre-pandemic average.ContactBabel, 2026. The 2026 US Contact Center Decision-Makers' Guide, key findings.
  • 6%Abandon rate, industry standardBenchmark studySQM counts below 5% as favourable.

Measure yours