How to estimate AI receptionist ROI
A transparent way to compare missed opportunities, staff time, conversation volume, and the cost of an AI receptionist.
A useful ROI estimate begins with your own enquiry data. Avoid generic conversion claims; calculate a range using conservative, expected, and optimistic assumptions.
1. Count addressable conversations
Review a representative month and count missed calls, after-hours enquiries, slow website replies, routine questions, and appointment requests. Exclude conversations the proposed agent should not handle.
2. Value the current workload
Estimate the staff minutes used for each repetitive conversation and multiply by the fully loaded hourly cost. Keep time savings separate from new revenue so the business case stays readable.
3. Estimate recovered opportunities
Multiply addressable missed enquiries by a conservative contact rate, qualification rate, close rate, and average gross profit. Run several scenarios instead of presenting one number as a guarantee.
4. Include the full cost
Add implementation, monthly management, usage charges, integrations, phone numbers, and internal review time. Compare the same period on both sides of the calculation.
5. Measure after launch
Track conversations, successful outcomes, handoffs, failures, and influenced revenue. Review a sample of transcripts and update the workflow when customer behaviour differs from the original assumptions.