Glossary
What is call abandonment rate?
Definition
Call abandonment rate is the percentage of inbound callers who hang up before reaching a live agent, usually while waiting in a queue or on hold. It is calculated by dividing the number of abandoned calls by the total number of calls offered, then multiplying by 100. A high abandonment rate signals that callers are waiting too long and may indicate understaffing or inefficient routing.
01How it is calculated
The basic formula is abandoned calls divided by total offered calls, expressed as a percentage. Many contact centers exclude very short abandons—calls dropped within the first few seconds—because those callers often hang up by mistake rather than out of frustration. The metric is typically tracked over a defined period, such as an hour, day, or month.
02Why it matters
Every abandoned call can represent a lost sale, an unhappy customer, or a missed opportunity to help. Abandonment rate is closely tied to hold time and average speed of answer: the longer callers wait, the more likely they are to give up. Tracking it helps businesses decide when to add staff, adjust routing, or introduce callbacks and deflection.
03How to reduce abandonment
Common tactics include reducing wait times, offering callback options so callers don't have to hold, and using automated or AI answering to pick up overflow. Setting caller expectations with estimated wait times can also lower abandonment. Any approach that gets callers helped faster tends to bring the rate down.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as an abandoned call?
An abandoned call is one where the caller disconnects before speaking with an agent, typically while waiting in a queue or on hold.
What causes a high abandonment rate?
The most common cause is long wait times, which often stem from understaffing, call spikes, or inefficient routing.
See also
Related terms
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