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ROI calculator

Written by , Founder, AskVault · Reviewed by Aashiq
Last updated: · 4 min read

The simple formula

Monthly value = tickets deflected × average handle time × agent hourly cost

Example for a typical SaaS:

  • 5,000 monthly tickets.
  • 40% deflection rate (industry average for source-cited bots).
  • = 2,000 tickets deflected.
  • Average handle time: 8 minutes per ticket.
  • = 267 hours per month saved.
  • Agent hourly cost (fully loaded): $30.
  • = $8,000 saved per month.

Minus AskVault Business cost: about $100/month.

Net monthly value: about $7,900.

ROI inputs

Five inputs:

  1. Monthly tickets to your support team.
  2. Average handle time per ticket (minutes).
  3. Bot deflection rate (start with 35% as baseline).
  4. Agent fully-loaded cost per hour.
  5. AskVault plan cost.

Plug into the formula above.

Typical deflection rates

By industry:

  • B2B SaaS support. 35 to 60%.
  • E-commerce. 50 to 75% (WISMO-heavy).
  • Internal helpdesk. 40 to 70%.
  • Regulated industries. 15 to 35% (lower because answers must be precise).

Improve over time as knowledge fills gaps.

Hidden benefits

Beyond direct deflection:

  • Faster response times. Bot's first-touch latency under 2 seconds vs 4 to 24 hours for humans. Customer NPS lifts.
  • 24/7 availability. No off-hours queue.
  • Reduced agent burnout by removing repetitive questions.
  • CRM data quality from auto-enrichment.

Quantify these conservatively.

Sample ROI scenarios

Small (1,000 tickets / month).

  • Deflection: 30% = 300 tickets.
  • Time saved: 40 hours.
  • Cost saved: $1,200.
  • AskVault Starter: $30.
  • Net: $1,170 / month.

Medium (5,000 tickets / month).

  • Deflection: 40% = 2,000.
  • Time saved: 267 hours.
  • Cost saved: $8,000.
  • AskVault Growth: $60.
  • Net: $7,940 / month.

Large (25,000 tickets / month).

  • Deflection: 50% = 12,500.
  • Time saved: 1,667 hours.
  • Cost saved: $50,000.
  • AskVault Business: $100.
  • Net: $49,900 / month.

Payback timeline

Typical:

  • Setup cost. About 4 to 8 hours of engineering (one-time).
  • Monthly savings. As above.
  • Payback period. Usually 1 to 3 months for B2B SaaS.

After payback: continuing monthly savings.

Conservative vs aggressive estimates

Conservative. Use 25% deflection rate for initial estimate.

Aggressive. Use 60% if knowledge is comprehensive.

Realistic. Start at 35%; improve over 6 months.

ROI tracker dashboard

AskVault includes ROI metrics out of the box:

  • Tickets deflected this month (bot-resolved vs human-needed).
  • Estimated time saved based on your handle time.
  • Estimated dollar savings.

Visible under Analytics > ROI.

Limits

  • Estimates are estimates. Actual results vary.
  • Bot quality compounds. Months 4 to 12 see biggest jumps.
  • Channel mix matters. WhatsApp deflection differs from email.

Common pitfalls

Cherry-picking high deflection. Use realistic 35% baseline initially.

Ignoring setup cost. Include in payback calc.

Comparing to no bot. True alternative is your current support stack; calculate marginal value.

FAQ

How long until I see savings?

Within 30 days for bot-resolved conversations. ROI clearer after 90 days.

Will my agents lose their jobs?

Most teams redirect agents to higher-value work. Net reduction varies.

What about agent training cost?

Negligible. Agents continue handling escalated conversations; bot does the rest.

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