1. The Reason Why Email Can be so Beneficial

Independent research highlights that automated email can be far cheaper than telephony contact.

2. The Reality………………

Type of interaction	Microsoft or Lotus Notes*1	Traditional erms*1	SmartAgént
	*1 Based on the findings of studies at 44 UK sites
Average emails per agent hour	6 to 8	6 to 12	30 to 50
Rate per week	240	400	1600
Cost per email *2	£1.67	£1.00	£0.25
Cost per telephone call*1	£0.85
Annual Cost 5,000 p wk	£434,000	£260,000	£65,000
Annual Cost 10,000 p wk	£868,000	£520,000	£130,000
*2 FTE Agent cost based on £21,000 pa

3. What SmartAgént Can Achieve

When SmartAgént is implemented and delivering these levels of performance, the world of the email channel takes on a radically new and different perspective:

• organisations can encourage this style of contact reassured they can respond reliably and within known service levels
• significant savings can be achieved in the contact centre
• staff are happier and can be redeployed into more meaningful client interactions / engagements (selling, retention, and so on)
• peak trading periods can be more easily accommodated
• new opportunities arise to deflect the more expensive telephony transactions into the cheaper email channel
• locating offshore becomes less important from a cost perspective
• new business opportunities are introduced through innovative new services.