FAQ: What is the difference between the answered and handle metrics?

Answered and handle measure two different actions during an interaction. Answered counts how times an agent was the first to accept an interaction. Handle counts how many interactions an agent was involved in. Handle includes answered interactions, transfers, callbacks, and outbound calls. For example, Agent A is the first to accept an incoming call. Agent A talks to the customer and transfers the call to Agent B, who also talks to the customer and completes the interaction. For that interaction, Agent A has one answered and one handle, and Agent B has zero answered and one handle. 

Answered and handle also differ in when PureCloud count them. Answered counts in the interval when the agent connects to the interaction. Handle counts in the interval when the interaction ends. For example, an agent answers a call at 10:25 AM and ends the call at 10:45 AM. The answered metric for the agent and interaction would count in the 10:00 AM interval. The handle metric would count in the 10:30 interval.