How to Calculate Chatbot ROI: A Practical Guide

Introduction

Before investing in an AI chatbot, you want to know what it delivers. That sounds obvious, but in practice many businesses find it difficult to calculate chatbot ROI concretely. The benefits are spread across departments and are not always directly visible in revenue figures.

In this guide, we show you how to calculate the return on investment of an AI chatbot step by step. We use realistic numbers, identify the most common cost items, and show where the savings are. No optimistic promises, just a pragmatic framework.

The Cost Side: What Does a Chatbot Cost?

The costs of an AI chatbot consist of three components: platform fees, implementation, and maintenance. With OpenClaw, platform fees vary based on the number of conversations and the complexity of the knowledge base. A typical SMB pays between 200 and 800 euros per month.

Implementation costs are one-time and include setting up the knowledge base, configuring integrations, and testing the chatbot. Expect 40 to 80 hours of initial setup depending on complexity. Ongoing maintenance, such as updating the knowledge base and analyzing conversations, averages 4 to 8 hours per month.

The Benefits Side: Where Are the Savings?

The biggest saving comes from reducing manual customer service interactions. If an agent spends an average of 8 minutes answering a question and the chatbot handles 60 percent of questions independently, the math is straightforward. With 500 questions per month, you save approximately 40 staff hours.

There is also the saving from 24/7 availability. Customers who receive answers outside business hours do not need to call back. This reduces the volume of incoming calls the next morning. In e-commerce, we additionally see that chatbots providing product advice increase conversion rates by 10 to 15 percent.

Less visible but equally valuable is the improvement in customer satisfaction. Customers who receive an immediate answer are measurably more satisfied than those waiting in a queue. This translates into higher retention and more repeat purchases.

The Formula: ROI Step by Step

The basic formula is simple: ROI = (Total Benefits minus Total Costs) divided by Total Costs, multiplied by 100 percent. The challenge lies in accurately estimating the benefits. Use your current customer service data as a starting point: the number of questions per month, average handling time, and cost per agent.

A worked example: with 500 questions per month, an average handling time of 8 minutes, and an hourly rate of 35 euros, your current customer service interactions cost approximately 2,333 euros per month. If the chatbot handles 60 percent, you save 1,400 euros per month. With platform costs of 400 euros, the net saving is 1,000 euros per month, an ROI of 250 percent.

Conclusion

Chatbot ROI depends on your specific situation: the volume of questions, their complexity, and the cost of your current customer service. But for most businesses with more than 200 customer questions per month, the business case is positive, often within the first three months.

OpenClaw offers a free ROI calculator in the dashboard that lets you make an estimate based on your own numbers. That way you make an informed decision.