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Customer supportLesson 3 of 3

Part 1 of 3, 0 done

14 min

Measuring support: how fast, how happy, how much

A support team lives by a few numbers: how fast it answers, how many it solves, how happy people are, and what each answer costs. Every one of them can be counted in a way that hides the wait. Here's how to tell.

Ticket 01 · The guess

How long did Social Security keep callers waiting?

Social Security's national phone line is one of the biggest support desks in the US. In September 2025, how long did a caller wait, on average, before an agent answered?

30 minutes
060
Words to know

Spot something wrong?

Tell us what looks off. No name or email needed.

What kind of problem?

0 / 1000

We'll also send this page, the lesson, ticket 1, so we can find it. Nothing else. Privacy

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Sources and every number (1)

Sources

  • Social Security performance: National 800 Number average speed of answer and answer rate, September 2025 and September 2026 (page last updated October 26, 2026; read in November 2026) · Social Security Administration, 2026

Every number

  • 7 minutesssa.gov ·2026 · Average speed of answer, September 2025. Social Security's national toll-free phone line, from its performance page (updated in October 2026; read in November 2026).
  • 79%ssa.gov ·2026 · Answer rate, September 2025. Social Security's national toll-free phone line, from its performance page (updated in October 2026; read in November 2026).
  • 0.5 minutesssa.gov ·2026 · Average speed of answer, September 2026. Social Security's national toll-free phone line, from its performance page (updated in October 2026; read in November 2026).
  • 99%ssa.gov ·2026 · Answer rate, September 2026 (the page says "nearly" this share). Social Security's national toll-free phone line, from its performance page (updated in October 2026; read in November 2026).
  1. Lessons›
  2. Inside a business›
  3. Customer support
  • ·Before this: Keeping customers: refunds and escalations
Skip to the lesson

Customer supportLesson 3 of 3

Part 1 of 3, 0 done

14 min

Measuring support: how fast, how happy, how much

A support team lives by a few numbers: how fast it answers, how many it solves, how happy people are, and what each answer costs. Every one of them can be counted in a way that hides the wait. Here's how to tell.

Ticket 01 · The guess

How long did Social Security keep callers waiting?

Social Security's national phone line is one of the biggest support desks in the US. In September 2025, how long did a caller wait, on average, before an agent answered?

30 minutes
060
Words to know

Spot something wrong?

Tell us what looks off. No name or email needed.

What kind of problem?

0 / 1000

We'll also send this page, the lesson, ticket 1, so we can find it. Nothing else. Privacy

·
Sources and every number (1)

Sources

  • Social Security performance: National 800 Number average speed of answer and answer rate, September 2025 and September 2026 (page last updated October 26, 2026; read in November 2026) · Social Security Administration, 2026

Every number

  • 7 minutesssa.gov ·2026 · Average speed of answer, September 2025. Social Security's national toll-free phone line, from its performance page (updated in October 2026; read in November 2026).
  • 79%ssa.gov ·2026 · Answer rate, September 2025. Social Security's national toll-free phone line, from its performance page (updated in October 2026; read in November 2026).
  • 0.5 minutesssa.gov ·2026 · Average speed of answer, September 2026. Social Security's national toll-free phone line, from its performance page (updated in October 2026; read in November 2026).
  • 99%ssa.gov ·2026 · Answer rate, September 2026 (the page says "nearly" this share). Social Security's national toll-free phone line, from its performance page (updated in October 2026; read in November 2026).
  1. Lessons›
  2. Inside a business›
  3. Customer support
  • ·Before this: Keeping customers: refunds and escalations