Asynchronous support is any channel where the customer and agent don't need to be present at the same time, like email or in-app messaging, unlike synchronous channels such as phone or live chat where both sides respond in real time.

‍

‍Why it matters

Async channels trade immediacy for flexibility. A customer can send a message and get on with their day instead of waiting on hold, and an agent can research a complex issue properly instead of feeling pressured to respond instantly. The tradeoff shows up in resolution time, since a two-minute phone question can stretch into hours or days over email even when the actual work involved is similar.

‍

‍How it's measured differently

Because response speed isn't the bottleneck the way it is in a phone queue, async support is usually measured on first response time and full resolution time as two separate numbers, rather than one blended average handle time. It's also where most self-service and knowledge base deflection happens, since an async channel gives a customer time to find an answer themselves before an agent even replies.

‍

‍Where async is the default

B2B software support and technical issues that need investigation lean heavily on async channels, since the fix often requires time the customer isn't waiting on the line for. Community and marketplace platforms often default to async too, since disputes between two users usually need more than a quick real-time exchange to resolve.