Cost per Resolution
Cost per resolution is the total cost of resolving a customer support issue, including agent time, technology, overhead, and any associated operational expenses.
In Depth
Cost per resolution provides a more complete picture than cost per contact because it accounts for multi-touch issues that require several interactions to resolve. The calculation includes direct costs (agent salary for time spent, technology per-interaction costs) and indirect costs (management, training, facilities, overhead). Different resolution channels have dramatically different costs: self-service resolution ($0.10-0.50), AI agent resolution ($0.50-2.00), chat/email with human ($5-15), and phone with human ($8-25).
AI agents reduce cost per resolution by handling routine issues autonomously (at a fraction of human cost), enabling faster resolution (less agent time per issue), and improving first contact resolution (avoiding costly repeat contacts). The goal isn't to minimize cost at the expense of quality — it's to optimize the cost-quality balance by using AI for routine issues and reserving expensive human resources for complex, high-value interactions.
Related Terms
Cost Per Contact
Cost per contact measures the total expense of handling a single customer interaction, including agent labor, technology, overhead, and management costs divided by the total number of contacts handled.
Cost Per Ticket
Cost per ticket is the total expense a company incurs to resolve a single customer support interaction, calculated by dividing total support costs by the number of tickets handled in a given period.
Customer Support ROI
Customer support ROI measures the return on investment from support operations by comparing the financial benefits gained — such as cost savings, increased retention, and revenue from upsells — against the total investment in support infrastructure and staff.
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