p99 Latency

99th percentile latency - 99% of voice agent responses are faster than this value, representing the worst 1% of experiences. This metric is measured in milliseconds and directly correlates with user satisfaction scores. Industry benchmarks suggest keeping p99 Latency under specific thresholds for optimal caller experience.

Critical for SLAs - reveals the worst-case scenarios that frustrate callers most, often caused by cold starts or system issues. Optimizing p99 Latency directly impacts caller experience, system performance, and operational costs. Even small improvements can significantly enhance user satisfaction.

p99 Latency is calculated by measuring the time between specific events in the voice agent pipeline. The measurement starts when the triggering event occurs and ends when the measured outcome is achieved. Platforms like Hamming, Deepgram, Vapi each implement p99 Latency with different approaches and optimizations.

Organizations implementing p99 Latency frequently encounter challenges with measurement accuracy, inconsistent performance across different network conditions, and difficulty achieving target benchmarks. High p99 Latency often results from inadequate infrastructure, unoptimized models, or poor network connectivity. Automated testing and monitoring can help identify these issues before they impact production callers.

To optimize p99 Latency, start by establishing baseline measurements using monitoring tools. Set realistic targets based on your use case - customer service applications typically require performance within industry benchmarks. Implement caching strategies, optimize model selection, and use edge deployment where possible.