Cost per Contact (CPC) is calculated by dividing total support operating costs — including agent salaries, tools, overhead, and training — by the total number of contacts handled in a given period. It is one of the primary efficiency metrics for support leaders.
Typical cost benchmarks by channel (industry estimates):
- Live phone: $10–$25 per contact
- Live chat: $5–$12 per contact
- Email/ticket: $2–$10 per contact
- Self-service: $0.10–$1.00 per contact
CPC is essential for making the business case for investments in automation, self-service, or agent tooling. However, minimizing CPC in isolation is risky — cutting costs by reducing headcount can spike handle time and hurt Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). It should always be evaluated alongside quality and satisfaction metrics to avoid a false economy.