Calculate the percentage of callers who hang up before reaching an agent.
The total number of calls received by your center or queue.
Calls disconnected by the caller while waiting in queue.
Abandoned Call Rate
0.00%
How to Calculate Abandoned Call Rate
Abandoned Call Rate (ACR) is a critical Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for call centers, support teams, and sales departments. It measures the percentage of callers who disconnect (hang up) before they are connected to a live agent. A high abandonment rate often indicates long wait times, inefficient routing, or insufficient staffing.
The Formula: Abandoned Call Rate = (Total Abandoned Calls / Total Inbound Calls) × 100
Step-by-Step Calculation
Determine Total Inbound Calls: Count every call that entered your queue or IVR system during a specific time period (e.g., daily, weekly, or monthly).
Count Abandoned Calls: Identify the number of calls where the customer hung up while waiting in the queue. Note: Most systems exclude calls abandoned within the first 5-10 seconds (short abandons) to account for dialing errors.
Divide and Multiply: Divide the number of abandoned calls by the total inbound calls, then multiply the result by 100 to get the percentage.
Example Scenario
Imagine your customer support center received 2,500 calls last week. Upon reviewing your reports, you see that 150 callers hung up before speaking to an agent.
Total Calls: 2,500
Abandoned Calls: 150
Calculation: 150 ÷ 2,500 = 0.06
Result: 0.06 × 100 = 6.00%
What is a Good Abandoned Call Rate?
While benchmarks vary by industry, general standards for call centers are as follows:
Excellent: Below 5%
Acceptable: 5% – 8%
Concern: 9% – 12%
Critical: Above 12%
If your rate exceeds 10%, you are likely losing revenue and frustrating customers. High abandonment rates correlate directly with lower Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores and reduced First Contact Resolution (FCR).
Factors Influencing Abandonment
Several factors can spike your abandonment rate:
Peak Hour Staffing: Not having enough agents during lunch hours or specific busy windows.
Complicated IVR: An Interactive Voice Response menu that is too long or confusing causes frustration.
Lack of Callback Options: Modern systems allow callers to request a callback rather than holding, which drastically reduces abandonment.
Wait Time Announcements: Interestingly, telling customers "Your estimated wait time is 20 minutes" may cause immediate abandonment, though it manages expectations better.
Strategies to Lower Your Abandoned Call Rate
To improve your metrics, consider implementing the following strategies:
Implement Virtual Queuing: Allow customers to "save their place in line" and receive a callback when an agent is free.
Optimize Workforce Management (WFM): Analyze historical data to predict call spikes and schedule staff accordingly.
Improve IVR Routing: Simplify your menu options so callers get to the right department faster.
Analyze "Short Abandons": Filter out calls that hang up in under 5 seconds to ensure your data isn't skewed by wrong number dials.
function calculateAbandonedRate() {
// 1. Get input values
var totalCallsInput = document.getElementById('acr_total_inbound');
var abandonedCallsInput = document.getElementById('acr_abandoned_count');
var totalCalls = parseFloat(totalCallsInput.value);
var abandonedCalls = parseFloat(abandonedCallsInput.value);
// 2. Clear previous results display logic
var resultContainer = document.getElementById('acr_result_container');
var resultPercentage = document.getElementById('acr_result_percentage');
var analysisText = document.getElementById('acr_analysis_text');
var progressBar = document.getElementById('acr_progress_bar');
// 3. Validation
if (isNaN(totalCalls) || totalCalls <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid number of Total Inbound Calls (greater than 0).");
return;
}
if (isNaN(abandonedCalls) || abandonedCalls totalCalls) {
alert("Abandoned calls cannot be greater than total inbound calls.");
return;
}
// 4. Calculation
var rate = (abandonedCalls / totalCalls) * 100;
var rateFormatted = rate.toFixed(2);
// 5. Display Result
resultContainer.style.display = "block";
resultPercentage.innerHTML = rateFormatted + "%";
// 6. Analysis Logic and Color Coding
var message = "";
var barColor = "";
if (rate < 5) {
message = "Excellent! Your abandonment rate is below 5%, which indicates high efficiency and sufficient staffing.";
barColor = "#2ecc71"; // Green
} else if (rate >= 5 && rate <= 8) {
message = "Acceptable. Your rate is within the industry standard (5-8%). Monitor peak times to ensure it doesn't rise.";
barColor = "#f1c40f"; // Yellow/Orange
} else if (rate > 8 && rate <= 12) {
message = "Warning. Your abandonment rate is high (8-12%). Customers are waiting too long. Consider callback options or staffing adjustments.";
barColor = "#e67e22"; // Orange
} else {
message = "Critical. An abandonment rate above 12% indicates severe service level issues. Immediate review of staffing and IVR flow is recommended.";
barColor = "#e74c3c"; // Red
}
analysisText.innerHTML = message;
// 7. Update Progress Bar
// Cap the visual bar at 100%
var visualWidth = rate > 100 ? 100 : rate;
// Scale visual width for better visibility for small numbers (optional, but let's keep it linear for accuracy)
// However, if the rate is huge (e.g. 50%), the bar fills up.
progressBar.style.width = visualWidth + "%";
progressBar.style.backgroundColor = barColor;
// Scroll to result
resultContainer.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}