CX & Support Metrics

Cost per Contact

Definition

Cost per contact is the fully loaded operating cost of a support operation divided by the number of customer contacts it handles, showing what each interaction costs to service.

Also known as: cost per interactionCPCcost per ticket

How to calculate it

The formula is: total support operating cost over a period ÷ total contacts handled in that period. If a team spends $200,000 a month (salaries, tools, overhead) and handles 40,000 contacts, cost per contact is $5.

Include the full cost base — agent salaries, software, management, and facilities — not just headcount, or the number will understate reality. You can segment it by channel to see that a phone contact usually costs far more than a chat or a self-service answer.

Why it matters

Cost per contact is the headline efficiency metric for support economics and the number automation is most often measured against. Shifting volume to lower-cost channels or resolving contacts with an AI agent lowers it — but read it alongside CSAT so you're cutting cost without cutting quality.

Frequently asked

What is the difference between cost per contact and cost per resolution?

Cost per contact counts every interaction; cost per resolution counts only solved issues, so it accounts for cases that took multiple contacts to close. Resolution cost is usually higher and a truer measure of value delivered.

How does automation affect cost per contact?

By deflecting or resolving contacts without a human, automation removes them from the human cost base — lowering the blended cost per contact, provided quality holds.

How Macha prices AI actions

Related terms

Cost per Resolution

Cost per resolution is the total support cost divided by the number of fully resolved issues, capturing what it costs to actually solve a customer's problem rather than just handle a single interaction..

Contact Rate

Contact rate is the number of support contacts a business receives relative to its customer base or transaction volume — a measure of how often customers need to reach out for help..

Average Handle Time (AHT)

Average Handle Time (AHT) is the average total time an agent spends handling a single customer interaction, including talk or chat time, hold time, and after-contact work..

Ticket Deflection

Ticket deflection is the share of customer questions resolved through self-service or automation before they ever become a human-handled support ticket..

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a metric that measures how satisfied customers are with a specific interaction or experience, usually from a short post-contact survey..

Put these ideas to work

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