Plain-language questions
Ask for call abandonment rate per month, customer or product in the SQL Explorer with AI. The AI writes the SQL, you see the query and run it yourself; the AI only receives metadata.
KPI · Customer service
Call abandonment rate: formula and example.
Call abandonment rate is the percentage of incoming calls in which the caller hangs up before an agent answers. It is a direct measure of how reachable your customer service is: every abandoned call is a customer who did not get help and may call again later. Calls dropped within a few seconds are usually excluded.
Call abandonment rate formula
Abandoned calls ÷ incoming calls × 100% (usually excluding calls dropped within a few seconds)
Worked example
In March Acme Groothandel received 2,200 calls, excluding those dropped within five seconds. Of these, 200 callers hung up before being answered. The call abandonment rate is 200 ÷ 2,200 × 100% = 9.1%.
Fictitious figures for Acme Groothandel, a sample wholesaler.
How to read this KPI
A lower abandonment rate means more callers reach an agent. The rate usually rises with waiting time, so look at it by hour of the day to see when staffing falls short. Compare with your own targets for reachability and with the same period last year, because demand can be seasonal.
Pitfalls with call abandonment rate
- Counting short drops, such as misdials, which overstates the rate.
- Counting callers who choose a callback as abandoned.
- Looking only at the monthly average, so peaks on Monday mornings or after an outage disappear.
SQL & DAX
Calculating call abandonment rate in SQL and DAX
Two examples on a fictitious data warehouse for Acme Groothandel: a PostgreSQL query and a measure for a Power BI model. Adjust table and column names to your own model.
SELECT date_trunc('month', started_at)::date AS month,
COUNT(*) AS offered_calls,
COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE abandoned) AS abandoned_calls,
ROUND(100.0 * COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE abandoned) / NULLIF(COUNT(*), 0), 1) AS abandonment_pct
FROM calls
WHERE NOT (abandoned AND wait_seconds < 5)
AND started_at >= current_date - interval '12 months'
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 1;Offered Calls = COUNTROWS(FILTER(Calls, NOT (Calls[Abandoned] && Calls[WaitSeconds] < 5)))
Abandonment Rate % =
DIVIDE(CALCULATE(COUNTROWS(Calls), Calls[Abandoned] = TRUE(), Calls[WaitSeconds] >= 5), [Offered Calls])In ENABLE
Tracking this KPI in ENABLE
In your Power BI dashboard
Define the KPI as a measure in your Power BI model and show it in the portal, with "Last refreshed" next to it. Access profiles and optional row-level security decide who sees which figures.
Custom dashboards (pilot)
Add the KPI as a tile to a custom dashboard, compared with last year. The Dashboard Builder is a pilot and can be switched on per client.
Monthly targets
With the built-in Targets app you set a target for the KPI per month, so you see actuals and target side by side.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate call abandonment rate?
Divide the number of calls in which the caller hung up before being answered by the total number of incoming calls and multiply by 100%. With 200 abandoned calls out of 2,200, the rate is 9.1%. Usually leave out calls dropped within a few seconds.
What is the difference between abandonment rate and service level?
Abandonment rate measures how many callers hang up before speaking to anyone, service level how many calls are answered within a set time. A high service level usually goes with a low abandonment rate, because short waits mean fewer callers give up.
How do you reduce call abandonment?
Match staffing to the busiest times, tell callers the expected waiting time and offer a callback option. Analyse by hour and by day when most callers drop off.
Further reading
- KPI libraryCustomer service KPIs: formulas and examplesCustomer service KPIs measure how quickly and how well customers are helped. The data comes from your help desk and telephony, and becomes more useful next to customer and order data.Read more
- ResourcesHow to build a KPI dashboard: steps and examplesA KPI dashboard is an overview of the key figures you use to steer towards your goals, such as revenue, margin, on-time delivery or absenteeism. A good KPI dashboard does not start with the software, but with the decisions it needs to support. You then choose a limited number of KPIs, define them, sketch the dashboard and only then build it.Read more
- SolutionPower BI dashboard portal: share dashboards securelyShare your Power BI dashboards securely in your own portal, with role-based access.Read more
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