The 3% abandoned call rule for predictive dialers, explained
Federal rules cap abandoned calls at 3% of answered calls per campaign over 30 days. What counts as abandoned, what the message must say, and how to comply.
·3 min read
Published by Text2Sale · Updated . Product questions or corrections: support@text2sale.com.
When a predictive dialer reaches two people at once and only one agent is free, the second call is abandoned. Both the Federal Trade Commission's Telemarketing Sales Rule and the FCC's rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act limit how often that can happen on sales calls.
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Have counsel review your calling program, especially if you sell regulated products.
What counts as an abandoned call
A call is abandoned when a person answers and is not connected to a live sales representative within two seconds of finishing their greeting. A long silence followed by a hang-up, or a long silence before an agent finally says hello, can both count.
The 3% safe harbor
The rules give dialers a safe harbor if no more than 3% of calls answered by a person are abandoned, measured per campaign over a 30-day period. To stay inside it, the dialer must also let each number ring for at least 15 seconds or four rings before hanging up, keep records that show compliance, and play a recorded message on every abandoned call.
- ✓Abandoned calls at or under 3% of live answers, per campaign, per 30 days
- ✓At least 15 seconds or four rings before an unanswered call is ended
- ✓A recorded message within two seconds of the greeting on abandoned calls
- ✓Records kept to show the rate
What the recorded message must include
The message has to say who is calling, on whose behalf, and give a phone number the person can call back. Under the FCC rule it must also include an automated way to opt out of future calls, such as pressing a key, and the callback number must lead to a way to opt out too.
In Text2Sale the abandoned-call message names the agent and business, reads the callback number, and lets the person press 9 to be added to your Do Not Call list on the spot.
How to stay under the limit
Let pacing set the number of lines rather than forcing the maximum, keep your list clean so you are not dialing numbers where many people answer at once, and step away from the dialer with Pause rather than leaving it running. Check the 30-day rate the dialer shows before every session.
Key takeaways
- →An abandoned call is a live answer not connected to an agent within two seconds.
- →The safe harbor caps abandonment at 3% of answered calls per campaign over 30 days.
- →Every abandoned call needs a recorded message with identification, a callback number and an opt-out.
- →Let pacing manage lines and monitor the 30-day rate.
Put this into practice with Text2Sale
Import leads, create follow-up campaigns, organize replies, and connect texting, calling, and appointments in one workspace.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 3% rule apply to calls to existing customers?
The rules focus on telemarketing calls. Calls that are purely informational may be treated differently, but many calls to existing customers include a sales pitch. Ask counsel how the rules apply to your calls.
Does a power dialer abandon calls?
Not when it dials one number per available agent, because there is always someone ready when a person answers.