Some requests come back instantly and some take a minute or more, and the difference is not how hard the question is.

A request that reaches out to Microsoft 365, or to the computer you work on where your IT team has set that up, waits for that system to answer. Avvi is as fast as whatever it is asking.

A slow reply is almost never a fault. It usually means real work is happening somewhere.

How it works

Looking something up in a large mailbox or across a company directory takes longer than looking up one setting.

Some searches gather everything the first time and are quick afterwards, so the same question can be slow once and fast later.

Reaching the computer you work on adds a round trip, because the request has to get there and the answer has to come back.

Changes that Microsoft applies in the background finish after Avvi has replied. A licence taking effect is the common example.

Good to know

Avvi tells you when something will take a moment rather than leaving you guessing.

A long wait with no message at all is different from a long wait with one. The first is worth mentioning.

What to do next

Wait for the reply rather than repeating the request. Asking twice can start the same work twice.

If nothing has come back after a few minutes and Avvi never said it would take a while, ask are you still working on that? in the same conversation.

If a change was reported as done but has not appeared, give it a few minutes before chasing.

FAQ

Q: Did my request fail if it is taking a long time?

A: Not necessarily. Some requests genuinely take a minute or more.

Q: Should I ask again?

A: No. Ask whether it is still working instead.

Q: Why was the same question fast yesterday?

A: Some searches are gathered once and reused for a while afterwards.

Q: Can I close the tab?

A: Yes. Work already underway is not cancelled, and the conversation will show what happened.

Related pages

How do I know Avvi finished covers telling a slow answer from a finished one.