We sell agents. That is why here is the calculation with which you can reject us.
You calculate the ROI by multiplying the time spent on repetitive questions by the hourly rate and the number of working weeks, and then offset the construction costs plus the annual model consumption. If the payback period exceeds two years, an agent is rarely a wise investment.
STEP BY STEP
The calculation, step by step
- Count your repetitive questions for a weekDon't estimate. For a week, note how many questions come in and which of them are essentially the same. Almost everyone underestimates this number.
- Estimate the time per question including interruptionA two-minute question takes more than two minutes: you are taken out of your work and have to get back into it. Calculate realistically.
- Multiply by the hourly rate of whoever does itIncluding employer charges. For a support employee this is a different number than for yourself.
- Multiply by 46 working weeksThat is your annual cost of repetitive questions. This number surprises most entrepreneurs.
- Subtract the share an agent cannot handleCalculate with sixty to eighty percent, not everything. The rest remains human work and that belongs in the sum.
- Contrast the costsConstruction from €2,950, plus model consumption of usually €20 to €80 per month, plus possible management. Divide the construction costs by the net annual savings.
PITFALLS
The costs that people forget
Cleaning up your documentation. An agent can only answer what is written somewhere, and at most companies source material is scattered and outdated. Cleaning up is often the real work and should be included in the budget.
And read along for the first few weeks. That costs a person's time, exactly when you thought you were saving time. That investment is one-off but not zero.
- Clean up documentation — often the largest hidden post.
- Read along for the first few weeks — one-off, but not free.
- Model consumption — €20 to €80 per month, continuously.
- Calculate 60 to 80 percent — not everything can be automated.
- Above two years payback period — usually don't.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
More about the calculation
What is a good payback period?
Within a year is good, up to two years is defensible. Above that, the assumptions are too uncertain: too much will change in two years to base an investment on it now.
Do happier customers count?
Really, but not in the calculation. Faster answers and accessibility outside office hours provide value that is difficult to quantify. Let the hard sum decide and consider it as an extra.
Are you making this calculation?
Yes, free of charge, and we will be honest if the outcome is negative. A project that does not pay for itself results in a dissatisfied customer, and that costs us more than the turnover generates.
CONTINUE READING
Of course, continue reading about this subject.
It pays off your situation?
Tell us how many questions you receive per week. We do the sum, even if it is negative.