What is the call abandonment rule?
The call abandonment rule limits how many answered telemarketing calls may be left without a live rep, and how quickly a rep must connect.
What the FCC rule says
Under FCC rules, a telemarketer may not abandon more than three percent of telemarketing calls answered live by a person, measured over a 30-day period for a single calling campaign. A call counts as abandoned if it is not connected to a live sales representative within two seconds of the person's completed greeting.
When no rep is available within two seconds, the caller must play a prerecorded message that says the call was for telemarketing purposes, names the business and gives a number for do-not-call requests. It must also offer an automated way to opt out during the call. The seller or telemarketer must keep records showing compliance.
What the TSR says
The FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule treats abandoning an outbound call as abusive. Its safe harbor covers callers that keep abandonment at or below three percent of calls answered by a person, per campaign or 30-day period, let unanswered calls ring for at least 15 seconds or four rings, promptly play a recorded message with the seller's name and phone number whenever no rep is available within two seconds of the greeting, and keep records.
Call abandonment rule vs abandon rate
Abandon rate is the metric. The rule is the legal limit on it, and it comes up with predictive dialers and other dialers that can place more calls than there are free reps.
This is a general definition, not legal advice.