What is After Call Work in Call Center and How to Reduce it?

Knowing how your agents manage data after a phone call with customers in your call center is crucial. Learn everything you need to know about After-Call Work.

After Call Work

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Why Your Call Center Isn’t Truly Done When the Call Ends

Most people think the job’s done when the customer hangs up.

But for agents, that’s when the real grind kicks in.

Every call leaves behind a digital trail—notes, tags, follow-ups, escalations.That behind-the-scenes hustle? It’s called After-Call Work (ACW).

And here’s the shocker—agents spend an average of 6 minutes per call just wrapping things up.

Multiply that by hundreds of calls a day, and you’re staring at hours of lost productivity.

In this article, we’ll break down what ACW actually is, why it’s a hidden performance killer, and how your team can master it.

Let’s dive in.

A. What is after-call work (ACW) in a call center?

After-Call Work (ACW) refers to the set of tasks an agent performs immediately after ending a customer interaction.

It includes documenting the call, updating systems, tagging issues, and prepping for the next task.

In simple words—it’s the wrap-up work that happens once the call ends, but before the next one begins.

Think of it like this:

The customer says thanks and hangs up.

But the agent? They’re still tying up loose ends.

Here’s what that usually looks like:

  • Writing call notes
  • Updating CRM or ticket info
  • Tagging the issue
  • Sending follow-ups or emails
  • Setting reminders or next steps

That’s ACW—the behind-the-scenes hustle between one call and the next.

For example, one of your agents has just finished a call with a customer who had a question about their billing.

After the call, the agent would update their account in the CRM, note the details of their query and your response, and set a reminder to check back with the billing department if necessary.

He might also send a follow-up email to the customer summarizing the conversation and the next steps.

How do you measure ACW? Here’s the formula:

ACW Time = Total wrap-up time ÷ Total number of calls

Let’s say your team handles 500 calls and logs 2,000 minutes of ACW.

That’s 4 minutes of ACW per call—not bad, but still a chunk of time.

B. Why is ACW important? Impact on agent efficiency and CX

After-Call Work isn’t just busywork — it directly affects your whole operation.

From the agent’s side

If ACW drags on, agents spend less time taking calls.

Long wrap-up times cut into their productivity, lowering the number of calls handled daily.

That means longer queues and frustrated agents.

From the customer’s side

Slow or sloppy ACW leads to errors — missing info, lost tickets, or delayed follow-ups.
That hurts customer experience and satisfaction.

When agents can’t close the loop quickly, customers get left waiting or have to repeat themselves.

Operational consequences

  • Lower agent efficiency: More ACW means fewer calls handled per shift.
  • Higher costs: Longer agent time = higher payroll costs.
  • Bottlenecks: Delayed follow-ups slow down issue resolution.
  • Burnout risk: Repetitive ACW drains agents mentally and physically.

Customer-facing consequences

  • Poor issue tracking: Missing or wrong info can cause repeat calls.
  • Slower resolution: Follow-ups get delayed, frustrating customers.
  • Lower CSAT scores: Customers expect smooth, quick service, not slow paperwork.
  • Lost sales opportunities: Delays in updating leads or deals can kill a sale.

In short, efficient ACW boosts agent capacity and powers great customer experience.

Ignoring it? You risk frustrated agents, angry customers, and wasted money.

C. What are the 5 steps of completing ACW?

After-Call Work isn’t just post-call paperwork.

It’s the bridge between one call and the next—the part that ensures your systems, teams, and customers stay aligned.

Let’s break down the 5 essential steps involved in completing ACW properly:

1. Summarize the Call Interaction

Right after the call, the agent captures the key points of the conversation. This includes:

  • What was the issue or query?
  • What actions were taken during the call?
  • Was the issue resolved or escalated?

This summary serves as a reference point for future interactions—whether it’s the same agent or someone else picking up the thread. 

It also helps during audits, compliance checks, and agent coaching.

💡 Tip:
Use pre-defined templates or drop-downs where possible to speed up note-taking without losing detail.

2. Update the CRM or ticketing system

This is where data accuracy kicks in. 

Agents:

  • Enter or verify customer information
  • Update the ticket status (e.g., Open → Resolved or Escalated)
  • Log any product, service, or policy details relevant to the case
  • Attach call recordings or chat transcripts, if required

 Your CRM is your source of truth. If it’s not up-to-date, the next touchpoint suffers—and so does the customer experience.

💡 Tip:
Automate field population wherever possible to reduce manual entry errors.

3. Apply tags or dispositions

Agents assign relevant tags or dispositions to classify the call. Examples:

  • Order cancellation
  • High-value lead
  • First call resolution
  • Customer complaint – urgent

Tags feed into analytics dashboards, helping managers identify patterns, call types, and agent performance. 

They also help QA and training teams pinpoint where coaching is needed.

💡 Tip:
Keep tag lists short and purposeful. Too many options confuse agents and slow down ACW.

Add call tags in Enthu.AI

4. Initiate follow-ups

If any next steps are needed, 

The agent:

  • Sends an email or SMS with follow-up info
  • Assigns the task to another department (like IT or Billing)
  • Sets a reminder or schedules a callback
  • Updates the customer on what to expect next

Following through builds trust. Customers hate having to call back for the same issue—clear handoffs and proactive updates solve that.

💡 Tip:
Use workflow automation to auto-assign tasks or generate follow-up messages from templates.

5. Change status and move to the next call

Once everything is wrapped up, the agent marks the interaction complete and changes their status (from “Not Ready” or “ACW” to “Available”).

 This keeps call queues moving and ensures agents are ready for the next caller without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

💡 Tip:
Track average ACW time per agent, and coach those regularly going over the benchmark.

D. 3 Top reasons for high ACW time in call centers and how to Reduce It?

After-call work should be a short, structured process. But in many call centers, it turns into a time sink — quietly piling up and slowing everything down. 

When ACW time balloons, agent efficiency drops, customer wait times increase, and overall CX suffers.

Let’s explore the top three causes behind high ACW time and how to effectively reduce them:

1. Manual data entry slows everything down

Agents often spend minutes typing out notes, repeating customer details, updating multiple tools, or clicking through endless drop-downs. It’s a tedious and error-prone process.

Imagine this: 

An agent finishes a billing query, but now has to manually log the customer ID, summarize the issue, select the call disposition, attach the call recording, and send a follow-up. 

That’s 3–5 extra minutes per call — multiplied across an entire shift.

How to reduce it:

  • Automate wherever possible. Use AI transcription tools to auto-capture summaries and customer sentiment.
  • Pre-fill data fields. Basic customer details and call metadata should populate automatically from the dialer or CRM.
  • Introduce macros or templates. Let agents use canned text for common call types to avoid typing everything from scratch.

Enthu.AI users know how easily data is pushed to CRM without human intervene.

2. Poor or outdated tools waste time

Clunky CRMs, laggy interfaces, or systems that don’t “talk” to each other force agents to work harder just to document one call. 

Every second spent waiting for a screen to load or toggling between tabs adds to their wrap-up time.

For example, if an agent has to navigate through five different tabs just to close a ticket — they’ll either rush and miss critical data, or take longer than necessary, which backs up the queue.

How to reduce it:

  • Modernize your tech stack. Tools that are purpose-built for call centers (with integrated CRM, QA, and ticketing) save agents serious time.
  • Consolidate platforms. Fewer systems = less switching and less stress.
  • Use smart UI/UX. Simplified wrap-up screens with auto-suggestions and predictive inputs can drastically cut ACW time.

3. Unclear or over-complicated processes

Sometimes, it’s not the tools — it’s the lack of clear SOPs. 

When agents don’t know exactly what’s expected in ACW, they either underdo it or overdo it. 

One agent might write a single vague line, while another spends five minutes on a novel-length summary.

Inconsistent training or missing documentation only makes this worse.

How to reduce it:

  • Create a standard ACW checklist. Keep it simple: summary, status, tags, follow-up.
  • Train agents on what “good” looks like. Use example call wrap-ups in onboarding and coaching.
  • Limit tagging options. Too many categories confuse agents. Stick to 8–10 high-usage tags and audit regularly.
  •  You can create custom training and coaching session in such case scenarios

Agent coaching : enthu.ai

E. What are the benefits of tracking after-call work (ACW) for call centers?

If you’re not tracking ACW, you’re leaving valuable insight on the table.

 It’s not just a post-call formality — it’s a goldmine for improving agent performance, refining operations, and enhancing customer experience.

Here’s why tracking ACW is a game-changer for modern call centers:

1. Uncovers workflow bottlenecks

When you monitor ACW time by agent, team, or call type, patterns begin to surface. 

You can spot where agents are stuck — maybe it’s an outdated CRM screen, or maybe certain call types always take longer to wrap.

Tactic: Run ACW time reports weekly. Sort by longest durations and investigate what’s slowing agents down. 

This helps you fix inefficiencies before they affect KPIs.

2. Helps build better SOPs

Consistent ACW tracking gives you the data you need to standardize. If one team wraps a billing call in 45 seconds while another takes 4 minutes, you’ve got a process gap.

Tactic: Use ACW metrics to redesign wrap-up SOPs. Define what “done” looks like for different call types and create a simple checklist agents can follow.

3. Boosts agent coaching

ACW time can reflect how confident and organized an agent is. Long durations may point to lack of clarity, overthinking, or even poor typing speed — all coachable moments.

Tactic: During 1:1 coaching, review wrap-up notes and ACW time together. Compare high and low performers to guide your coaching plan.

4. Makes a case for automation

Tracking ACW helps you identify what tasks can (and should) be automated. If 80% of ACW time is spent summarizing calls, it’s time to bring in transcription or auto-summary tools.

Tactic: Map out where time is being spent during ACW. Tools like Enthu.AI can automatically log call summaries, capture sentiment, and tag conversations — cutting wrap time significantly.

5. Improves forecasting and staffing

When you know how much time agents spend on wrap-up, you can plan shifts better. ACW time affects average handling time (AHT), which directly impacts staffing models.

Tactic: Include average ACW in your AHT calculations. Even shaving off 30 seconds per call can result in thousands of dollars in savings over a month.

F. What are the industry standards for after-call work (ACW) in a call center?

There’s no universal benchmark for ACW time, and that’s because every call center runs on different complexities, tools, and customer expectations. But based on industry observations and benchmarking studies, here’s what most operations aim for:

1. Average ACW time

Most call centers target an after-call work time of 30 to 90 seconds per interaction.

  • In high-efficiency environments, such as outbound sales or basic support desks, the goal is usually 30–45 seconds.
  • In industries with more complex or regulated interactions—like healthcare, insurance, or financial services—60–90 seconds is often acceptable.

According to Call Centre Helper’s benchmarking data, the average ACW time across industries is around 60 seconds.

2. Why does ACW matter for AHT?

After-call work contributes directly to a key metric—Average Handle Time (AHT):

AHT = Talk Time + Hold Time + After-Call Work

If ACW takes too long, it inflates AHT, impacting service levels, staffing requirements, and ultimately customer satisfaction. A consistent rise in ACW time can result in longer queues, more pressure on agents, and higher operational costs.

3. What should your target be?

Rather than chasing an arbitrary number, align your ACW target to the complexity of your calls and your team’s goals. A general guide:

  • Low-complexity calls (e.g., basic FAQs or confirmations): Under 45 seconds
  • Medium-complexity calls (e.g., tech issues, billing queries): 45–75 seconds
  • High-complexity or compliance-heavy calls: Up to 120 seconds (with proper justification)

The key is not just minimizing ACW—but standardizing it. Consistent wrap times paired with clear expectations help reduce guesswork, improve forecasting, and keep both agents and customers satisfied.

Conclusion

After-call work may happen after the conversation, but its impact is immediate. 

It affects agent productivity, customer follow-ups, and your overall call center performance.

By tracking and optimizing ACW, you can cut wasted time, improve accuracy, and support your agents better. 

With tAI tools, it’s easier than ever to streamline wrap-ups and focus on what really matters — delivering great customer experiences.

FAQs

  • 1. What is ACW in BPO?

    After Call Work (ACW) in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) refers to the tasks agents perform after completing a call, such as updating databases, recording call details, and following up on customer requests.

  • 2. What is total after call work?

    Total After Call Work encompasses all activities that need to be completed by an agent after the call ends, including documentation, scheduling follow-ups, and any additional administrative tasks.

  • 3. What is an example of after call work?

    An example of After Call Work is an agent logging customer interaction details into the CRM system, updating the status of the customer’s issue, and scheduling a callback if needed.

About the Author

Tushar Jain

Tushar Jain is the co-founder and CEO at Enthu.AI. Tushar brings more than 15 years of leadership experience across contact center & sales function, including 5 years of experience building contact center specific SaaS solutions.

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