What is Call Centre Abandonment Rate and Why Does it Matter?

Simply put, a call abandonment rate is the percentage of how many people terminate their calls before an agent from the contact centre answers.

The abandon rate can vary throughout the day depending on a range of factors, such as service level performance and queue strategy.

But, why does a call centre abandonment rate matter? How do you calculate the percentage? And what factors affect the abandonment rate? Keep reading to find out.

How Do You Calculate Call Abandonment Rate?

As you know, the call abandonment rate is the number of calls terminated before being answered by the contact centre. But how exactly do you calculate the call abandonment rate? It's simple.

To calculate the call abandonment rate, make sure to follow these steps: 

1. Calculate the number of inbound calls you have received within a certain time frame.
2. Subtract the number of handled calls from the total number of inbound calls.
3. Divide the results by the number of calls offered.
4. Multiply this result by 100 to get a percentage.

To simplify this further, here is the call abandonment formula:

For example, if there are 100 calls offered and just 95 are handled, then the abandonment rate would be 5%.

It is important to remember that any short, abandoned calls (usually those lasting less than 10 seconds) should be left out of your calculation. This is because, more often than not, these calls are misdialed numbers.

Why Does a Call Centre Abandonment Rate Matter?

Now that you have a better understanding of how to calculate the abandonment rate, let's explore why a call centre abandonment rate matters.

Firstly, the call centre abandonment rate is a key metric used to measure the percentage of terminated inbound calls before they have been connected to a live agent. There are many reasons why an abandonment rate matters, such as:

1. Customer satisfaction: Firstly, a high call abandonment rate is often an indication of customer dissatisfaction caused by long wait times or poor customer service.
   A call abandonment rate allows you to identify if it is a high or low percentage. If the percentage is high, then you can implement strategies to lower it.
2. Operational efficiency: The number of abandoned calls reflects the efficiency of your business and call centre operations.
   For example, a high abandonment call rate may indicate different issues, such as inefficient call routing or technical problems, which both need to be improved to increase customer satisfaction and reduce wait times.
3. Abandoned calls can impact revenue: The more abandoned calls there are, the higher the chances of lost sales opportunities. This is not ideal, as it can impact your business's revenue and affect your chances of engaging with a potential customer.
4. Cost Management: The lower your call abandonment rate, the more money you can save. This is because low call abandonment rates reduce the costs associated with missed customer interactions as well as optimise resources within the call centre.

As you can see, a call abandonment rate is important for many reasons, such as ensuring high customer satisfaction, increasing operational efficiency and saving money.

How Can You Lower the Abandonment Rate?

High abandonment rates can be frustrating, however, there is no need to worry because it is possible to lower your call abandonment rate and increase customer satisfaction. Here are some of the ways you can lower the call abandonment rate:

• Real-time monitoring: Monitoring calls in real-time allows you to identify peak times and adjust your staff accordingly to ensure little to no calls are missed.
• Offer call-back options: Implementing call-back solutions or virtual queuing allows customers to maintain their place in line without being put on hold.
• Announce waiting times: If you announce waiting times, you can reduce customer frustration and the percentage of abandonment calls. Announcing an estimated wait time also leaves customers with the option to keep waiting or call back later.
• Keep customers engaged: You can keep customers engaged by using announcements, music or even tasks to keep them occupied while they wait for their call to connect.
• Identify where calls are being abandoned: Doing this allows you to determine where calls are being abandoned so you can come up with a strategy to resolve this.

As you can see, there are many ways in which you can lower the abandonment rate, whether it be through optimising staffing levels, especially during peak times, or regularly testing the process yourself to ensure everything is working and identify areas for improvement.

What is a Normal Abandonment Rate?

Now that you know how to lower your abandonment rate, let's discuss what percentage a normal abandonment rate is.

Firstly, it is important to remember that call abandonment rates vary depending on the industry you work in, however, a normal abandonment rate for call centres typically falls between 2-5%.

So, if you have a higher percentage, then you may want to consider lowering your call abandonment rate by following the advice from above.

High-volume call centres may experience a higher call abandonment rate within the range of 5-8%. Any call rates above 10% is considered high and you should consider working to lower the percentage.

During peak hours, call abandonment rates can be higher, which is why it is important that you make sure you have the right amount of staff ready to answer calls at all times, especially during busy periods.

Reduce Abandoned Calls With MaxContact

Abandoned calls can be frustrating, especially if you don't know what to do to solve the issue. However, there is no need to worry, as we at MaxContact are here to help.

Here at MaxContact, we offer a wide range of services, including workforce management solutions that helps reduce the risk of abandoned calls.

Workforce management allows you to view historical trends, along with real-time information to roster your staff and meet customer demands. This system works out how many agents you need online to answer enquiries, which can reduce queue times and abandonment rates.

So, if you are struggling with your abandonment rate score and would like some help and advice to lower it, then we at MaxContact are more than happy to help.

For more information on the services we offer or to speak to a member of our team, don't hesitate to contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.