The True Cost of Customer Service: Industry Benchmarks

Every business owner asks the same question: "How much should customer service cost?"

The answer depends on your industry, your channels, and your quality standards. But without benchmarks, you're making budget decisions in the dark.

This guide compiles 2024-2025 industry data on customer service costs. We'll cover cost per contact by channel, labor costs, technology investments, and the economics of automation. All data is sourced and contextualized.

Why Benchmarks Matter

Customer service costs aren't just an expense line. They're a signal of efficiency, quality, and strategic positioning.

Benchmarks tell you:

Whether your costs are competitive
Where to invest for maximum impact
What efficiency gains are realistic
How your channel mix affects total cost

Benchmarks don't tell you:

Whether your service is good (cost ≠ quality)
What your customers value
Whether you're solving the right problems

Use benchmarks as a baseline, not a target. Competing on cost alone is a race to the bottom.

Cost Per Contact: The Core Metric

Cost per contact (CPC) measures the fully loaded cost of handling one customer interaction. It includes labor, technology, overhead, and management.

The formula: ``` CPC = (Total operational costs) / (Total contacts handled) ```

Total operational costs include:

Agent salaries and benefits
Supervisor and management salaries
Technology costs (phone systems, CRM, chat platforms)
Facilities (rent, utilities for contact center space)
Training and quality assurance
Overhead allocation

Overall Benchmarks

The industry average cost per contact across all channels is $2.70 to $5.60 according to recent call center benchmarking studies.

However, this range masks significant variation:

Gartner's 2024 research found that live channels (phone, live chat, email) cost an average of $8.01 per contact, while self-service channels (websites, mobile apps) cost approximately $0.10 per contact.

That's an 80x cost difference between live and self-service interactions.

The cost-per-call metric hit a five-year high in 2024, driven by:

Increased agent compensation (tight labor market)
Higher technology costs (AI platforms, security tools)
More complex customer issues (simple queries moved to self-service)

Cost by Channel: The Real Breakdown

Different channels have dramatically different economics. Understanding these differences is critical for channel strategy.

Phone: The Premium Channel

Average cost per call: $4.27 to $8.01

Phone remains the most expensive channel for several reasons:

Agents handle one call at a time (no concurrency)
Calls require immediate response (no async efficiency)
Complex issues escalate to phone (higher skill requirements)

Phone is expensive, but it's still necessary. Some issues require synchronous, empathetic communication. The key is ensuring only appropriate issues reach phone agents.

Live Chat: The Efficiency Middle Ground

Average cost per chat: $4.24 (similar to phone with low concurrency)

At first glance, chat appears no cheaper than phone. But the economics change with agent concurrency.

The rule of thumb: Chat costs approximately 33% less than phone when agents handle 3 simultaneous conversations.

The math:

1 chat = 2x the time of 1 phone call (per customer)
1 agent handling 3 chats simultaneously = 67% efficiency gain
Result: $2.84 per chat vs. $4.27 per call

Chat's advantage is concurrency. Phone's advantage is resolution speed.

Email: Lower Cost, Higher Hidden Costs

Average cost per email: $3.81

Email appears cheaper than phone or chat. But there's a catch: resolution complexity.

Studies show:

Fewer than 10% of emails can be answered fully without recourse to other channels
Email chains often require 3-5 messages to resolve one issue
Total resolution cost often exceeds phone when you count the full chain

Email works well for:

Low-complexity questions with documented answers
Asynchronous issues (order confirmations, status updates)
Customers who prefer written communication

Email doesn't work well for:

Issues requiring clarification (long back-and-forth)
Emotionally charged situations (tone gets lost)
Time-sensitive problems

Average cost per social contact: $3.64

Social media appears to be the cheapest live channel. But again, there's hidden complexity.

More than 50% of social media requests require completion via another channel (usually phone or email).

The true cost calculation: ``` Social media issue = $3.64 (social) + $4.27 (phone follow-up) = $7.91 total ```

Social media is valuable for brand presence and public resolution, but it's not a cost-saving channel when you account for full resolution.

Self-Service: The 80x Cost Advantage

Average cost per self-service interaction: $0.10

Self-service includes:

Knowledge base articles
FAQ pages
Interactive troubleshooting tools
Mobile app help sections

The economics are simple: build once, serve infinitely.

The problem: Only 9% of customers report solving their issues completely via self-service (Gartner, 2024).

The 91% who can't self-serve escalate to more expensive channels, often frustrated by failed self-service attempts.

The implication: Self-service is cost-effective only when it actually resolves issues. Poor self-service increases total cost.

Cost Per Contact by Industry

Different industries have different cost structures due to issue complexity, regulatory requirements, and labor market dynamics.

Industry benchmarks (all channels):

| Industry | Average CPC | Range | |----------|-------------|-------| | Retail | $2.70 - $4.50 | Lower complexity, high volume | | E-commerce | $2.50 - $4.00 | Digital-native, self-service focused | | Financial Services | $5.00 - $8.00 | Regulatory requirements, security needs | | Healthcare | $6.00 - $9.00 | HIPAA compliance, complex issues | | Telecommunications | $8.00 - $12.00 | Technical troubleshooting, high complexity | | Insurance | $5.50 - $8.50 | Claims processing, regulatory overhead | | SaaS/Technology | $6.00 - $10.00 | Technical support, product complexity |

Why the variation?

Low-complexity industries (retail, e-commerce):

Simple, repetitive questions
Standardized processes
Lower agent skill requirements
Higher automation potential

High-complexity industries (telecom, healthcare):

Unique, technical issues
Regulatory compliance requirements
Higher agent skill and training needs
Lower automation applicability

Your industry matters. Compare your costs to your industry peers, not to the overall average.

Labor Costs: The Largest Line Item

Agent compensation typically represents 60-70% of total customer service costs. Understanding labor market benchmarks is essential for budgeting.

Customer Service Representative Salaries (2024)

National averages (United States):

Median hourly wage: $20.59 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024)
Average hourly wage: $19.48 (Indeed)
Annual salary range: $17,400 (lowest) to $55,500 (highest)
Typical annual salary: $35,600

Entry-level compensation:

Less than 1 year experience: $15.47/hour average
Entry-level annual: $31,000 - $32,000

Geographic variation (highest-paying states):

Alaska: $35,949/year average
California: $48,804/year average
Massachusetts: $48,154/year average
San Jose, CA (metro): $48,254/year average

Geographic variation (lowest-paying states):

Mississippi: $21,196/year average

That's a 70% difference between highest and lowest state averages.

Industry-specific pay premiums:

The highest-paying industries for customer service representatives (BLS, May 2023):

| Industry | Annual Mean Wage | Premium vs. Median | |----------|------------------|-------------------| | Support Activities for Water Transportation | $94,790 | 166% | | Aerospace Product/Parts Manufacturing | $70,620 | 95% | | Iron and Steel Mills | $69,030 | 90% | | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $67,320 | 86% | | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | $67,120 | 86% |

Industries with technical or safety-critical products pay 2-3x the median wage for customer service roles.

Manager Compensation

Customer service manager salaries:

Entry-level (0-1 years): $97,259/year
Intermediate (1-2 years): $97,800/year
Senior (2-4 years): $99,064/year
Specialist (5-8 years): $100,507/year
Expert (8+ years): $103,258/year

Manager compensation is relatively flat across experience levels, suggesting the role requires domain expertise more than tenure.

Fully Loaded Labor Costs

Salary is only part of total labor cost. The fully loaded cost includes:

Benefits and taxes (typically 30-40% of base salary):

Health insurance
Retirement contributions
Paid time off
Payroll taxes
Workers' compensation insurance

Training costs:

Initial onboarding (2-6 weeks)
Ongoing training (product updates, soft skills)
Quality assurance coaching
Attrition replacement costs

The calculation: ``` Fully loaded cost = Base salary × 1.35 to 1.50 Example: $35,600 salary → $48,060 to $53,400 fully loaded ```

Per-hour calculation for CPC: ``` $50,000 fully loaded annual cost ÷ 2,080 working hours/year = $24.04/hour Add 15% for non-productive time (breaks, training) = $27.65/hour effective cost ```

This is the hourly cost number to use in cost per contact calculations.

Technology Costs: The Hidden Infrastructure

Technology costs have increased significantly in 2024 as organizations invest in AI, omnichannel platforms, and security infrastructure.

Core Platform Costs

Contact center platform (per agent/month):

Basic cloud phone system: $40-$75
Omnichannel platform (phone, chat, email): $100-$150
Enterprise with AI features: $150-$250

CRM and ticketing:

Basic help desk: $20-$50/agent/month
Full CRM with service module: $75-$150/agent/month

Knowledge base and self-service:

Basic FAQ platform: $500-$2,000/month (flat fee)
AI-powered knowledge base: $5,000-$15,000/month

Workforce management:

Scheduling and forecasting: $50-$100/agent/month

Quality assurance and analytics:

Call recording and scoring: $30-$75/agent/month
Speech analytics and sentiment: $100-$200/agent/month

Total technology cost per agent: $250-$800/month typical range

For a 100-agent contact center:

Annual technology costs: $300,000 to $960,000
Per-agent annual technology: $3,000 to $9,600

AI and Automation Costs

AI platforms are increasingly common but add complexity to cost modeling.

Chatbot platforms:

Basic rule-based chatbot: $500-$2,000/month
AI chatbot (mid-market): $5,000-$15,000/month
Enterprise AI platform: $25,000-$100,000/month

Conversation AI (real-time agent assist):

Agent assist for 100 agents: $10,000-$30,000/month

Knowledge AI (answer suggestions):

AI knowledge base: $5,000-$20,000/month

The ROI calculation is critical here. AI costs are justified only if they reduce labor costs or improve outcomes.

Calculating Your Cost Per Contact

Here's how to calculate your own CPC and compare it to benchmarks.

Step 1: Identify Total Costs (Monthly)

Labor:

Agent salaries (fully loaded): $______
Supervisor salaries (fully loaded): $______
Manager salaries (allocated): $______

Technology:

Contact center platform: $______
CRM/ticketing: $______
Knowledge base: $______
Quality assurance tools: $______
AI/automation platforms: $______

Facilities:

Rent (allocated to contact center): $______
Utilities: $______

Other:

Training and development: $______
Telecom/internet: $______

Total monthly costs: $______

Step 2: Count Total Contacts (Monthly)

Phone calls: ______
Chat sessions: ______
Emails: ______
Social media messages: ______
Self-service interactions: ______

Total monthly contacts: ______

Step 3: Calculate Overall CPC

``` Overall CPC = Total monthly costs ÷ Total monthly contacts ```

Step 4: Calculate CPC by Channel

For channel-specific CPC, you need to allocate costs based on:

Time spent per channel (from workforce management data)
Agent utilization per channel
Technology costs specific to each channel

Simplified channel allocation:

If your agents are channel-dedicated: ``` Phone CPC = (Phone team costs) ÷ (Phone contacts handled) Chat CPC = (Chat team costs) ÷ (Chat sessions handled) ```

If your agents handle multiple channels: ``` Phone CPC = (Total costs × % time on phone) ÷ (Phone contacts) ```

Most workforce management platforms provide time allocation data automatically.

Step 5: Compare to Benchmarks

Your overall CPC vs. industry:

If you're 20%+ below industry average: Investigate quality metrics. Are you cutting corners?
If you're within ±20% of industry average: You're competitive.
If you're 20%+ above industry average: Efficiency opportunities exist.

Your channel costs vs. benchmarks:

Phone: $4.27 - $8.01
Chat: $2.84 - $4.24
Email: $3.81
Social: $3.64
Self-service: $0.10

If your costs are significantly higher, investigate:

Agent productivity (contacts per hour)
Average handle time
First contact resolution rate
Channel routing efficiency

Performance Metrics That Drive Cost

Cost per contact is an output metric. It's driven by operational performance metrics.

First Contact Resolution (FCR)

Industry benchmarks:

Average across all industries: 70%
Good performance: 70-79%
World-class performance: 80%+
Poor performance: Below 65%

FCR by industry:

Retail: 78% (highest)
Insurance: 76%
Health insurance: 72%
Financial services: 71%
Energy: 71%
Tech support: 65%
Telecommunications: 61% (lowest)

Why FCR matters for cost:

SQM Group research shows: "For every 1% improvement in FCR, you reduce operating cost by 1%."

The mechanism:

Higher FCR = fewer repeat contacts
Fewer repeat contacts = lower total contact volume
Lower volume = lower total costs

The math: ``` Contact center handling 100,000 contacts/month at 70% FCR:

30,000 are repeat contacts (second, third, or fourth attempts)
Improving to 75% FCR reduces repeat contacts to 25,000
5,000 fewer contacts × $5.00 CPC = $25,000/month savings
Annual savings: $300,000

```

SQM also found that every 1% FCR improvement drives a 1% improvement in customer satisfaction.

You get both cost reduction and quality improvement from the same operational change.

Average Handle Time (AHT)

Industry benchmarks:

Overall average: 6 minutes
Typical range: 4-6 minutes
E-commerce: 2-5 minutes
Telecommunications: 8-10 minutes

Why AHT matters for cost:

Lower AHT means each agent can handle more contacts per hour, reducing the number of agents needed.

The math: ``` Agent works 7.5 productive hours per day (excluding breaks, training)

At 6-minute AHT: 450 minutes ÷ 6 = 75 contacts/day At 5-minute AHT: 450 minutes ÷ 5 = 90 contacts/day

20% AHT reduction = 20% capacity increase = 20% fewer agents needed ```

For a 100-agent team with $50,000 fully loaded cost per agent:

20% reduction = 20 fewer agents needed
Annual savings: $1,000,000

The caution: Optimizing for low AHT can backfire.

If agents rush to reduce handle time:

FCR drops (issues not fully resolved)
Customer satisfaction drops
Repeat contacts increase
Total cost increases

The insight: AHT should be optimized within the constraint of maintaining high FCR and CSAT. The goal is efficient resolution, not fast abandonment.

Service Level (Speed of Answer)

Industry benchmark: 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds (80/20 standard)

Service level doesn't directly drive cost per contact, but it affects staffing requirements.

Higher service level targets require:

More agents on shift (to handle peak loads)
Higher overstaffing during slow periods
Lower agent utilization
Higher total costs

The trade-off:

80/20 service level: 85% agent utilization typical
90/30 service level: 75% agent utilization typical
That's 13% more agents for the same contact volume

Organizations must balance customer experience (fast answer) with cost efficiency.

The Economics of AI and Automation

AI is changing the economics of customer service. But the ROI varies dramatically based on use case and implementation quality.

Chatbot Cost Savings

The headline numbers:

The AI chatbot market will reach $27.29 billion by 2030, growing at 23.3% annually.

95% of customer interactions are expected to be AI-powered by 2025, with leading implementations achieving 148-200% ROI and $300,000+ annual savings.

IBM research shows chatbots can handle up to 80% of routine inquiries, cutting customer support costs by 30%.

Global cost savings from chatbots reached $11 billion in 2022 and continue to grow.

The math behind chatbot ROI:

In banking and healthcare, each chatbot query handled saves approximately 4 minutes of an agent's time, or $0.50 to $0.70 in operational cost per query (Juniper Research).

For a contact center handling 1 million contacts/year:

40% automated by chatbot = 400,000 contacts
$0.60 savings per automated contact
Annual savings: $240,000

The average ROI for chatbots is approximately 1,275% (and that's just support cost savings, not including revenue impact).

Real-World Case Studies

Klarna (2024):

Leading payment provider Klarna launched an AI-powered chatbot in February 2024. In its first month:

Handled 2.3 million conversations (two-thirds of all customer service chats)
Equivalent work of 700 full-time agents
Reduced repetitive inquiries by 25%
Resolution time dropped from 11 minutes to under 2 minutes
Estimated $40 million profit improvement in 2024

Alibaba:

During peak shopping seasons:

AI chatbots field 2+ million customer sessions per day (10+ million messages)
Address 75% of all online customer questions
Annual savings: ¥1 billion RMB (approximately $150 million)
Customer satisfaction increased 25%

Vodafone:

Implemented an AI chatbot and achieved:

70% reduction in cost-per-chat
Serving customers for less than one-third the previous expense

Telenor:

AI chatbot (Telmi) results:

20% improvement in customer satisfaction
15% increase in revenue
Significant reduction in human agent workload

The AI Cost Reality Check

These case studies are impressive. But they represent best-case implementations by large organizations with:

Millions of contacts to amortize development costs
Dedicated AI engineering teams
Years of customer data for training
Sophisticated integration capabilities

For mid-market companies, the economics are different:

Chatbot platform costs: $5,000 to $15,000/month for AI-powered platforms

To justify this investment: ``` $10,000/month cost ÷ $5.00 saved per automated contact = 2,000 automated contacts/month needed to break even

At 40% automation rate: 5,000 total contacts/month minimum ```

The breakeven threshold for mid-market chatbot ROI: approximately 5,000 contacts/month.

Below this volume, chatbots may not be cost-effective compared to human agents.

Where AI Delivers ROI

AI works best for:

High-volume, low-complexity issues (password resets, order status, FAQ)
After-hours coverage (AI costs the same 24/7, human agents cost more)
Initial triage (route complex issues to humans, resolve simple ones)
Agent assistance (suggest answers, pull up relevant info during calls)

AI doesn't work well for:

Complex, unique problems requiring human judgment
Emotionally charged situations requiring empathy
Multi-step troubleshooting with many variables
Issues requiring account access or manual intervention

The best ROI comes from hybrid models: AI handles routine work, humans handle complex work, and AI assists humans in real-time.

Using Benchmarks for Planning

Benchmarks are useful for planning, budgeting, and evaluating efficiency. Here's how to use them.

Setting Realistic Budgets

When planning customer service budgets:

Step 1: Estimate contact volume

Historical data (if you have it)
Industry benchmarks (3-5% of customers contact support monthly typical)
Seasonality factors (retail peaks in Q4, tax software peaks in Q1)

Step 2: Choose your channel mix

Each channel has different cost and experience characteristics:

| Channel | Cost | Speed | Complexity | Customer Preference | |---------|------|-------|------------|---------------------| | Self-service | $0.10 | Instant | Low only | High (for simple issues) | | Email | $3.81 | Slow | Medium | Medium | | Chat | $2.84 | Medium | Medium | High | | Phone | $4.27-$8.01 | Fast | High | High (for complex issues) |

Your channel mix should match your customer needs and issue complexity, not just minimize cost.

Step 3: Apply industry CPC benchmarks

Use your industry's average CPC as a starting point: ``` Budget = (Expected contacts) × (Industry CPC benchmark) ```

Step 4: Add efficiency assumptions

If you're investing in AI or process improvements: ``` Adjusted budget = Budget × (1 - Expected efficiency gain %) ```

Be conservative. Plan for 50% of the efficiency gain you expect. Overestimating AI ROI is common.

Step 5: Add contingency

Customer service volume is hard to predict. Add 15-20% contingency for:

Unexpected product issues
Seasonal spikes
New product launches

Evaluating Make vs. Buy Decisions

Should you run your own contact center or outsource?

In-house economics:

More control over quality
Better product knowledge
Higher fixed costs (facility, management, technology)
Harder to scale up/down

Outsourced economics:

Variable cost structure (pay per contact or per agent-hour)
Easier to scale
Less control over quality
Potential knowledge gaps

Outsourcing cost benchmarks:

The global contact center outsourcing market was valued at $97.31 billion in 2024, expected to grow at 9.8% CAGR through 2030.

Typical outsourcing rates:

Domestic (US-based): $25-$45 per agent-hour
Nearshore (Latin America): $15-$30 per agent-hour
Offshore (Philippines, India): $8-$20 per agent-hour

Compare to in-house cost: ``` In-house agent cost: $50,000 fully loaded ÷ 2,080 hours = $24.04/hour Add facility, management, technology allocation: $30-$35/hour effective cost ```

Domestic outsourcing costs about the same as in-house. The benefit is flexibility, not cost savings.

Offshore outsourcing can reduce costs by 40-60%, but comes with risks:

Time zone challenges
Language/accent barriers (for some markets)
Cultural fit issues
Data security and compliance complexity

The decision framework:

Outsource when:

Volume is unpredictable
You lack contact center expertise
Speed to market matters more than perfect quality
Cost variability is more important than lowest absolute cost

Keep in-house when:

Product knowledge is critical and changes frequently
Customer relationships are high-value and personalized
You have the volume to justify fixed infrastructure
Brand experience is a key differentiator

Benchmarking Your Performance

Compare your metrics to industry standards quarterly:

| Metric | Your Performance | Industry Benchmark | Gap | |--------|------------------|-------------------|-----| | Cost per contact (overall) | $_____ | $2.70-$5.60 | ___% | | Cost per phone call | $_____ | $4.27-$8.01 | ___% | | Cost per chat | $_____ | $2.84-$4.24 | ___% | | Cost per email | $_____ | $3.81 | ___% | | First contact resolution | ___% | 70-79% | ___pts | | Average handle time | ___ min | 4-6 min | ___% | | Agent utilization | ___% | 75-85% | ___pts | | Self-service containment | ___% | 9% (current), 50%+ (goal) | ___pts |

If you're significantly above benchmarks:

Investigate root causes (process inefficiency, poor tools, training gaps)
Prioritize high-impact improvements (usually FCR and self-service)
Set realistic improvement targets (10-15% annual improvement is good)

If you're significantly below benchmarks:

Verify your calculations (are you capturing all costs?)
Check quality metrics (are you cutting corners to reduce cost?)
Document your advantages (maybe you're genuinely more efficient)

The Limits of Benchmarks

Benchmarks are useful context. They are not targets.

What benchmarks miss:

Customer value: A $100,000 enterprise customer deserves a different service level than a $10/month consumer. Cost per contact should vary by customer value.

Strategic positioning: If premium service is your brand differentiator, you should spend more than benchmarks suggest.

Issue prevention: The cheapest contact is the one that never happens. Investing in product quality, better documentation, or proactive communication may increase short-term costs while reducing long-term contact volume.

Revenue impact: Customer service isn't just a cost center. Support interactions drive retention, upsells, and word-of-mouth. The ROI calculation must include revenue effects, not just cost.

Competitive context: If your competitors provide terrible service, matching industry benchmarks may give you a meaningful advantage. If your competitors excel at service, you may need to exceed benchmarks.

The bottom line: Use benchmarks to understand your relative position and identify opportunities. Don't use benchmarks to set strategy. Strategy comes from customer needs and business goals, not industry averages.

Key Takeaways

Cost per contact varies dramatically by channel:

Self-service: $0.10 (but only 9% fully resolve)
Email: $3.81 (often requires multi-message chains)
Chat: $2.84 (with 3 concurrent conversations)
Phone: $4.27-$8.01 (one-to-one, immediate)

Industry matters:

Retail/e-commerce: $2.50-$4.50 per contact
Telecommunications/tech: $8.00-$12.00 per contact
Difference driven by issue complexity and regulatory requirements

Labor is the largest cost (60-70% of total):

Median agent wage: $20.59/hour ($35,600/year)
Geographic variation: 70% difference between states
Industry variation: 2-3x premium for technical industries
Fully loaded cost: 35-50% above base salary

Performance drives cost:

Every 1% FCR improvement = 1% cost reduction
Industry average FCR: 70% (world-class: 80%+)
Average handle time: 4-6 minutes (varies by industry)
AHT optimization must maintain quality

AI delivers significant ROI at scale:

Average chatbot ROI: 1,275%
Leading implementations: $300,000+ annual savings
Breakeven threshold: ~5,000 contacts/month for mid-market
Best use: routine inquiries, after-hours, agent assistance

Use benchmarks as context, not targets:

Understand your relative position
Identify efficiency opportunities
Make informed build vs. buy decisions
But strategy comes from customers, not averages

Next Steps

To optimize your customer service costs:

1. Calculate your actual cost per contact by channel using the methodology above 2. Compare to industry benchmarks to identify the largest gaps 3. Focus on high-impact metrics (FCR and self-service containment) before optimizing for marginal AHT improvements 4. Evaluate AI/automation ROI based on your actual contact volume and issue mix 5. Reassess quarterly as your business scales and technology evolves

The goal isn't the lowest cost per contact. The goal is the optimal balance of cost, quality, and customer outcomes.

---

Sources:

[Top contact center statistics & benchmarks (2025) - Plivo](https://www.plivo.com/blog/contact-center-statistics-benchmarks-2025/)
[Cost Per Channel - CallCentreHelper](https://www.callcentrehelper.com/cost-per-channel-call-mail-chat-messaging-etc-206945.htm)
[Gartner: Only 9% of Customers Report Solving Issues via Self-Service](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-09-25-gartner-says-only-9--of-customers-report-solving-thei)
[Customer Service Representatives - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/customer-service-representatives.htm)
[Customer Service Representative Salary - Salary.com](https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/customer-service-representative-i-salary)
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[Chatbot Statistics & Trends 2025 - Tidio](https://www.tidio.com/blog/chatbot-statistics/)