29 August, 2025
How to Set the Right Service Level for Your Call Center
In the call center world, few numbers are talked about more than 80/30—the idea that 80% of calls should be answered within 30 seconds.
It’s often treated as the gold standard of service levels, but here’s the truth: 80/30 isn’t a law, and it isn’t the right fit for every business.
If you’re a call center leader wondering how to define the right service level target, this guide will help you cut through the noise.
What Is a Service Level in Call Centers?
Your service level is the percentage of calls you commit to answering within a set number of seconds.
For example:
80/30 = 80% of calls answered within 30 seconds.
80/60 = 80% of calls answered within 60 seconds.
70/20 = 70% of calls answered within 20 seconds.
It’s one of the most common performance metrics in call centers because it directly reflects how quickly customers can reach you.
Where the 80/30 Standard Came From
The 80/30 target traces back to the 1980s, when large telecom providers (AT&T is often cited) were defining customer service goals.
It became widely adopted because it struck a balance between:
Customer expectations: Many customers start losing patience around 30 seconds.
Operational costs: Staffing to answer instantly is prohibitively expensive.
Over time, it became the default benchmark across industries.
Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All
The right service level depends on your customers, industry, and staffing capacity.
Stricter SLAs (80/20): Used in industries like healthcare, finance, and emergency support where seconds truly matter.
Looser SLAs (80/60): Common in retail, utilities, or leaner operations where a one-minute wait is acceptable.
Custom SLAs: Many businesses land somewhere in between—like 70/30 or 75/45—to balance costs with customer needs.
In short: don’t just copy 80/30 because “everyone else does it.”
How to Find the Right Service Level for Your Call Center
Here’s the good news: your customers already tell you how long they’re willing to wait.
Nearly every telephony system includes reporting that shows:
Average speed of answer (ASA).
Abandon rates broken down by wait time.
Step 1: Pull your abandon rate by wait time.
Step 2: Identify where the abandon curve starts to rise.
Step 3: Use that point as your baseline for customer patience.
For example:
If abandon rates spike after 25 seconds, aiming for 80/20 may be necessary.
If they don’t rise until 50–60 seconds, an 80/60 target might strike the right balance.
This approach ensures your SLA is grounded in real customer behavior—not just an arbitrary rule of thumb.
