What Is an Abandoned Call? How to Reduce It?

An abandoned call is a phone call in which the caller disconnects the call before speaking with a live recipient. In a call center, this can happen for both inbound and outbound calls.

Inbound calls are abandoned when callers are kept too long in queues or sometimes when forced to navigate through lengthy Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus.

On the other hand, outbound calls are abandoned when the organization’s auto-dialers cannot connect the call to an agent at an appropriate time. A power dialer can help prevent outbound call abandonment in the Call Center by ensuring your agent is ready to speak with customers as soon as the call connects.

While the caller typically waits a long time before abandoning the call, sometimes they may end the call in a very short period, lasting only 5 to 10 seconds. Such abandoned calls are known as short-abandoned calls.

Customers mainly abandon calls when they are frustrated due to long hold times. Other causes include technical issues, agent unavailability, or errors in automatic dialers.

Technical issues, such as poor audio quality, dropped connections, or long wait times in IVR menus, can make it difficult for customers to stay on the line. These issues often arise from outdated systems or poor network performance.

When agents aren't available quickly, customers feel ignored. Staffing shortages or inefficient scheduling can make customers wait for a long time, which is a key reason for the high call abandonment rate in call centers.

Customers call for quick solutions, not drawn-out conversations. Long call queues, confusing menus, or repeated transfers can push them over the edge. If they feel their issue isn’t being handled efficiently, they’re likely to hang up and look elsewhere.

Let’s say a customer call was supposed to be routed to the sales team but was transferred to a customer service inquiry department. This small mishap increases the call duration while wasting time and can contribute to call abandonment.

In call centers, a lack of information can leave customers feeling lost and unsupported. When representatives miss critical details, or the system doesn't provide clear and accurate details, callers struggle to resolve their issues. This can also push customers toward ending the call prematurely.

When hidden fees or surprise charges emerge during a call, the customer shifts focus from solving their problem to managing financial concerns. The sudden appearance of extra costs disrupts the interaction and leads to mistrust. These financial surprises often force the caller to hang up.

Too many transfers irritate customers who expect fast assistance. Every transfer increases wait time and interrupts the flow of conversation. Repeating the issue with each new representative tests the caller’s patience. This repetitive cycle drives the customer to abandon the call before receiving the needed help.

Organizations often use automatic dialer systems to dial multiple numbers simultaneously to boost efficiency. However, sometimes, the dialer contacts more customers than available agents, leaving callers on hold or facing silence. In such cases, many recipients hang up rather than wait.

A hung-up call from a customer can cost your company’s chances in potential sales. Additionally, it can damage your firm's reputation as a high call abandonment rate reflects poor customer service.

• Effect on Customer Satisfaction and Retention: Abandoned calls impact customer satisfaction. When customers hang up without getting help, they feel ignored and unimportant. This can also cause them to stop using your services or switch to competitors.
• Brand Reputation: A single bad call experience can tarnish your brand. Customers share their experiences with other potential and existing clients, whether through reviews, social media, or word of mouth. If abandoned calls become common, your company may gain a reputation for poor service, which you surely do not want.
• Indication of Poor Service: Abandoned calls indicate gaps in your service process and reveal that you might not be addressing customer needs quickly enough. This sign of poor service can lower overall trust and confidence.
• Lost Revenue: Every abandoned call can mean a missed opportunity. When callers hang up before reaching an agent, you can also lose the opportunity to convert their inquiry into a sale or resolve a service issue. So, each abandoned call can also represent a potential transaction that never occurred.

To reduce the number of abandoned calls, reduce the wait times for your caller, ensuring agents are available.

Here are a few other effective ways to avoid abandoned calls:

• Minimize Wait Times: Use call routing systems to distribute calls efficiently and reduce hold times.
• Offer Callbacks: Provide customers the option to request a callback instead of waiting on hold.
• Monitor Call Volumes: Track peak hours and schedule enough agents to handle high traffic.
• Simplify IVR Menus: Make sure your menu options are clear and easy to navigate to avoid frustration.
• Address Technical Issues: Invest in a reliable business phone system to prevent dropped calls or poor audio quality.
• Train Your Team: Ensure agents are well-prepared to handle calls quickly and professionally.
• Announce wait times: Let customers know the estimated wait time so they can decide whether to hold or choose another option. This transparency helps reduce frustration.
• Offer self-service: Provide options for self-service across multiple channels (voice, email, SMS) to handle routine queries efficiently while always including an escape option for live support.
• Occupy the customer time: Engage callers with tasks, such as gathering necessary information or filling out forms, so they remain productive during the wait, reducing boredom and easing the call process.
• Overflow calls that have been waiting too long: Automatically redirect calls exceeding a preset wait time to backup teams or call centers, ensuring prompt attention and preventing excessive hold times.

An abandoned call occurs when a caller hangs up before speaking with an agent. Addressing the causes of call abandonment is essential for maintaining trust and fostering customer loyalty. By understanding the abandoned call rate and time, businesses can implement targeted strategies to reduce call abandonment.

The average call center abandonment rate ranges between 5% to 8%, depending on the size of the call center. Lower rates indicate better customer service efficiency.

The abandoned call threshold is the maximum percentage of abandoned calls considered acceptable before it start affecting customer satisfaction. It varies by industry but is generally set between 5% and 10%.

A TCPA abandoned call is a call where a company fails to connect the client with a sales representative within two seconds of the operator completing the greeting process with the caller as per FCC’s TCPA rules.