Q3 2026 Results: defend-id’s Recovery Advocates Cut Abandon Rate to 2.2%

When an employee calls to say their identity was stolen, or a phished mailbox exposes staff records, the first question is simple: who picks up the phone? For a 30-person firm with no security team, that answer is part of the incident plan whether anyone wrote it down or not. defend-id publishes the service numbers of our identity theft recovery advocates every quarter so owners and operations leads can check the answer instead of taking our word for it.

Last Updated: October 2026

Q3 2026 Snapshot: Every Service Goal Met

Abandon rate fell from 3.0% in Q2 to 2.2% in Q3, a full 0.8 points under our ceiling. Average speed to answer held at 15 seconds, five seconds better than our maximum. And 83.5% of callers reached a live advocate within 20 seconds, up from 82.6% last quarter.

In plain terms: fewer people hung up before reaching someone, and more of them got a person on the line almost immediately.

What Members Said in Q3

A call center number tells you how fast the phone gets answered. It does not tell you what happens next. These comments came from members our identity theft recovery advocates worked with this quarter.

“My Advocate was very knowledgeable and helpful, in my time of need. Her experience and practical recommendations are priceless!” Shirrell H.

“My assigned Resolution Specialist was awesome and has been extremely helpful during a stressful situation.” Ronald K.

“The overall experience was good. Thank you. I appreciate that my Advocate assisted me in locking my credit and I will do everything possible to keep these thugs away and to not disrupt my life any further.” Helen K.

“My advocate is very good and I continue to look to her for support as issues come up.” Kathleen P.

Why an Owner Should Care About a Call Center Number

When an employee’s identity is compromised, their problem lands on your operation. Hours go to phone trees, bureau disputes, and paperwork. Questions go to the office manager or straight to you. A recovery advocate who answers in 15 seconds and owns the case to the end takes that work off your desk.

There is a second reason. Carriers, clients, and examiners increasingly ask small firms to show evidence, not describe intentions. Hold the vendors who support your people to the same standard. Before you sign, ask:

• What is your abandon rate, and what is your goal?
• How fast does a live person answer, on average?
• Does one person own the case from first call to resolution?
• Will you show me those numbers in writing, every quarter?

If a vendor cannot answer the first two with actual figures, that tells you something.

How Our Identity Theft Recovery Advocates Work

Our U.S.-based advocates handle each case personally, from the first call to final resolution. Each one is trained to:

• Answer live, without sending callers through automated menus
• Coordinate with credit bureaus and financial institutions on the member’s behalf
• Explain every step in plain language, not jargon

Fully managed recovery is part of Business Comprehensive, alongside employee identity monitoring and fraud recovery support for every employee.

Proof, Every Quarter

We publish results for our identity theft recovery advocates every quarter because a firm deciding who supports its people after an incident deserves proof, not promises. If you are building out your incident plan or reviewing the vendors behind it, see how defend-id helps your firm organize, assign, and document that work at defend-id.com.

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